Security and health at work

The ILO Constitution establishes the principle of protection of workers for diseases and accidents. But for millions of workers it is situated far from reality. Every day 6,300 people die from accidents or work-related diseases - more than 2.3 million deaths per year. Annually, more than 317 million accidents at work, many of these accidents result in absenteeism. The cost of this daily adversity is huge and the economic burden of poor health and safety practices is estimated at 4 percent of gross domestic product each year overall. Employers have to face costly early retirements, loss of skilled staff, absenteeism and higher insurance premiums due to illness and work-related accidents. However, many of these tragedies can be prevented through the implementation of sound prevention, the use of information and inspection practices. The ILO standards on safety and health at work provide essential tools for governments, employers and workers to establish such practices and provide for maximum safety at work. In 2003, the ILO adopted an action plan for safety and health at work, Global Strategy on Occupational Safety and Health at Work which included the introduction of a culture of safety and preventive health promotion and development of relevant instruments, and technical assistance.

Selected relevant ILO instruments

The ILO has adopted more than 40 standards specifically dealing with occupational safety and health at work, as well as over 40 Codes of Practice. Nearly half of ILO instruments deal directly or indirectly with issues of safety and health at work.

Fundamental Principles Safety and Health at Work

Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981 (no. 155) and its 2002 Protocol

The agreement provides for the adoption of a coherent national policy on safety and health at work, and actions of governments and within enterprises, to promote safety and health at work and improve working conditions. This policy should be developed taking into consideration the national conditions and practices. The Protocol requires the establishment and regular review of the requirements and procedures for recording and reporting of accidents and diseases at work, and the publication of related annual statistics.

Agreement on health services, 1985 (No. 161). -

This agreement provides for health services in the field of business, who essentially preventive functions and responsible for advising the employer, workers and their representatives in the enterprise on maintaining a safe working environment and healthy.

The Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 2006 (no. 187)

This Convention aims to promote a culture of prevention in the field of safety and health with a view to the progressive achievement of a means of safe and healthy workplace. It requires ratifying States to develop, in consultation with the organizations of employers and workers most representative, policies, systems and programs for safety and health at work. The national policy should be developed according to the principles set out in Article 4 of the Convention. 155 on the safety and health of workers, 1951. In turn, systems and programs should be designed taking into account the principles set out in the relevant ILO instruments, which are listed in the Annex to Recommendation No.. 197 Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health at Work, 2006. National systems should provide the necessary infrastructure for the implementation of national policies and programs for safety and health at work, including legislation, authorities or appropriate bodies, control mechanisms, such as inspection systems and agreements enterprise level. National programs should include measures to promote safety and health at work with binding deadlines for assessing progress.