The World Day for Safety and Health at Work is an annual international campaign to promote and protect employees through safe and healthy work practices. It is held on 28 April and has been observed by the International Labour Organization (ILO) since 2003. This Sunday Safety and Health will be put to the forefront.
The International Labour Organization is a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social justice and promote best practice work by setting international labour standards.
The main aims of the ILO
The main aims of the ILO are to promote rights at work, encourage employment opportunities, enhance social protection and strengthen discussion on work-related issues.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a United Nations agency that works to promote and protect basic rights for workers around the world.
It has been in existence since 1919, when it was founded as part of the Treaty of Versailles following World War I. Over the past century, the ILO has become one of the most powerful international organizations in existence, with 187 member states.
According to ILO “Every day, 6,300 people die as a result of occupational accidents or work-related diseases across the world – more than 2.3 million deaths per year. 317 million accidents occur on the job annually; many of these resulting in extended absences from work.”
On 28th April, 2023, the World Day for Safety and Health will focus more on emerging risks at work, including the changes introduced post-pandemic on occupational health and safety
It is up to every individual to take responsibility for preventing workplace fatalities and injuries. Governments are accountable for establishing the necessary infrastructure, laws, and services to ensure that employees can maintain their jobs and that businesses can prosper.
The ILO works to promote and protect fundamental rights for all workers around the world, regardless of race, nationality, gender or other factors. This includes everything from establishing minimum wages to protecting freedom of association and collective bargaining.
The organization also works to ensure that workers have access to social security systems and health coverage, as well as advocating for gender equality in the workforce.
This requires the creation of a comprehensive national policy and program, as well as an inspection system to guarantee adherence to occupational safety and health legislation and policies. Employers bear the responsibility of providing a secure and healthy work environment.
As employees, we are responsible for ensuring our own safety, avoiding endangering others, knowing our rights, and actively participating in the implementation of preventive measures.
The World Day celebration on 28 April 2023 will be only the beginning of worldwide events and activities to continue throughout the rest of the year, with a focus on how to reduce occupational accidents and foster a safe work environment.
One way that it does this is by setting international labour standards. These standards are based on conventions adopted by members states throughout history—there are currently 189 such conventions—and they form an important part of global labour law.
All ILO members are expected to abide by these standards, which cover topics such as minimum age for work, forced labour and equal pay for men and women.
Safety Culture in the workplace
It is everyone’s responsibility to create a national occupational safety and health culture in which the right to a safe and healthy working environment is respected at all levels. Over the last number of years, it is evident that safety culture should be brought higher on the priority list. These statistics above are far too high and it is everyone’s duty to ensure that they are reduced year by year.
In addition to reducing accidents and injuries, an effective safety culture also helps improve morale among workers.
When employees know their employer is committed to keeping them safe on the job, they feel more secure and valued at work. This leads to increased productivity and better overall performance from team members. It also encourages trust among coworkers which can lead to better collaboration on projects.
At EcoOnline, we want to help companies create a safer working environment and, in line with The World Day for Safety and Health at Work this weekend, we are offering you the chance to streamline health and safety management within your organisation by gaining completely FREE access to our new Health and Safety Software suite Safety Manager.
Safety Manager
EcoOnline’s Safety Manager is a comprehensive SaaS solution that gives you access to the tools you need to get on track with health and safety management.
Plan, manage and implement, in a single, highly flexible tool designed to support the way you work. Build checklists, conduct inspections, assign actions and report accidents. Customise your own templates or use one of the default templates made by EcoOnline’s experienced safety professionals. Assign investigators or coordinators to better track safety changes in the workplace.
With intelligent workflows you can involve and engage the whole workforce to make sure necessary safety management procedures and control measures are completed.
