Dear Colleagues,
On April 28, we are celebrating the World Day for Safety and Health at Work. This is
an international annual campaign to promote safe, healthy, and decent work.
This year’s theme “Emerging risks and new patterns of prevention in a changing world
of work” reflects today’s concerns.
Our 2010 World Day Report highlights the current global challenges and calls for systematic
actions. Technological advance, rapid globalization, and changing patterns of employment and workforces
require new preventive approaches.
While a number of advancements in technology have improved protection of workers from dangerous
work, new challenges are emerging. For instance, nanotechnology has been increasingly applied
in a number of areas with largely unknown risks to the health of workers. Biological
hazards such as emergent infectious diseases pose a potential threat to workers particularly
those in health care, agriculture and waste management. New chemicals and many existing
chemicals continue to be an important source of concern. The establishment of proper national
systems for the assessment and classification of chemicals is necessary for the prevention
of work-related fatalities and incidents.
We are witnessing an aging of the workforce in most countries. Therefore, safety and health
programmes have to address the needs of older workers. On the other hand, many young people
are employed in hazardous and precarious work, often without proper training and information.
More females are joining the labour market. The collection and analysis of gender disaggregated
data are becoming essential for establishing effective policy and programmes.
Migrant workers have increased in many countries. They tend to be employed in dangerous work
with limited or no legal protection. Providing proper safety information and training to
migrant workers in their languages is critical in improving their protection.
Furthermore, as a result of downsizing, subcontracting, outsourcing and restructuring of the workplace,
increased pressure has been placed on the worker to perform. This has amplified workplace
stress considerably resulting in an increase in stress-related problems. Psycho-social
factors should be properly assessed and managed in addition to traditional risk factors. Occupational
safety and health management systems have to be established in line with the ILO Guidelines
on Occupational Safety Management Systems, ILO-OSH 2001, in all workplaces. Commitment
by top management and worker participation are essential for the effective functioning
of any occupational safety and health management system.
While actions to improve the protection of workers’ safety and health have to be taken
at the enterprise level, it is critical as well to strengthen national systems for occupational
safety and health. The ILO Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention,
No.187 provides universal guidance in this regard. It is encouraging that many countries
are in the process of ratifying this Convention and reinforcing national systems for occupational
safety and health.
I am pleased to report that last month, the ILO Governing Body approved the action plan
on the promotion of Occupational Safety and Health Conventions particularly No. 187, and
No.155. The Governing Body also approved a new ILO list of occupational diseases. This
is the first updated ILO list of occupational diseases based on the simplified procedure
established in the Occupational Diseases Recommendation, No.194. This updated list of occupational
diseases reflects the state-of-the-art development in the member States.
The ILO promotes the creation of a global preventative safety and health culture through
the promotion of the principles embodied in the ILO standards and the sharing of its knowledge
base. The ILO makes use of all available means to increase general awareness, knowledge and
understanding of hazards and risks and how best to prevent and control them.
Co-ordinated efforts among governments, workers, employers, safety practitioners and academics
are needed to improve the workplace in the face of emerging risks at work.
The promotion of safety and health at work is a societal responsibility as affirmed in
2008, by the Seoul Declaration on Safety and Health at Work and thus we all have to work
together for the common goal.
The 28th of April 2010 comes to remind us that a safe and healthy work environment is
a fundamental human right. We therefore invite you all to participate in the global campaign
to commemorate this day, and join us in promoting the well-being of workers around the world.