World Day for Safety and Health at Work
World
Day for Safety and Health at Work
World Day for Safety
and Health at Work, observed annually on April 28, promotes the prevention of
occupational accidents and diseases globally. It is an awareness-raising
campaign intended to focus international attention on the magnitude of the
problem and on how promoting and creating a safety and health culture can help
reduce the number of work-related deaths and injuries.
In 2003, the
International Labour Organization (ILO), began to observe World Day in order to
stress the prevention of accidents and diseases at work, capitalizing on the
ILO's traditional strengths of tripartism and social dialogue.
This celebration is
an integral part of the Global Strategy on Occupational Safety and Health of
the ILO, as documented in the Conclusions of the International Labour
Conference in June 2003. One of the main pillars of the Global Strategy is
advocacy, the World Day for Safety and Health at Work is a significant tool to
raise awareness of how to make work safe and healthy and of the need to raise
the political profile of occupational safety and health.
Climate change is
already having serious impacts on planetary health, human health and the world
of work. As this problem intensifies, workers around the globe find themselves
at an increased risk of exposure to hazards such as excessive heat, ultraviolet
radiation, extreme weather events, air pollution, vector-borne diseases and
agrochemicals. Numerous health conditions are linked to climate change,
including cancer, cardiovascular disease, respiratory illnesses, and mental
health disorders.
Promoting,
respecting and realizing the fundamental principle and right at work of a safe
and healthy working environment also means addressing dangerous climate change
impacts in the workplace. Mainstreaming occupational safety and health (OSH)
into climate policies and integrating climate concerns into OSH practices is
crucial. Legislation may need re-evaluation or new regulations as climate
hazards evolve.
Collaboration
between governments and social partners is vital for climate mitigation and
adaptation policies. The time to act is now!
On the occasion of
the World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2024, the ILO has launched a new
report titled "Ensuring safety and health at work in a changing
climate," which reveals alarming new data on the impact of climate change
on workers’ safety and health.
