World day for safety and health at work

Introduction

The 28th of April is the annual World Day of Safety and Health at Work. The day is celebrated by the International Labor Organization (ILO) in which Campaigns are done to raise awareness about occupational accidents and diseases globally and to focus international attention on the magnitude of these problems and on how promoting and creating a safety and health culture can help reduce the number of work-related deaths and injuries.

History

The 28th of April is also the International Commemoration Day for Dead and Injured Workers organized worldwide by the trade union movement since the year 1996.
In 2003, the ILO became involved in the April 28 campaign upon request from the trade union movement. Since 2003, the ILO has observed the World Day on Safety and Health at Work on April 28 capitalizing on its traditional strengths of tripartism and social dialogue.

Achievements
The ILO (International Labor Organization) has played a significant role in improving workplace safety and health around the world. Here are some of their great achievements:
Setting International Standards:
ILO Conventions: The ILO has adopted over 20 international conventions specifically addressing occupational safety and health (OSH). These conventions set minimum standards for various aspects of workplace safety, such as the use of personal protective equipment, exposure limits for hazardous substances, and accident reporting procedures. These conventions create a framework for national governments to follow when developing their own OSH regulations.

Codes of Practice and Guides: The ILO develops non-mandatory codes of practice and guides that provide detailed recommendations for safe work practices in various industries. These resources offer practical guidance on topics like chemical safety, machine safety, and ergonomics, helping workplaces implement effective safety measures.

Promoting Awareness and Knowledge Sharing:
World Day for Safety and Health at Work: The ILO spearheads the annual World Day for Safety and Health at Work on April 28th. This global campaign raises awareness about occupational accidents and diseases, highlighting the importance of creating safer workplaces.

Technical Assistance and Training Programs: The ILO offers technical assistance and training programs to member states to help them strengthen their OSH frameworks. This includes training for safety inspectors, employers, and workers on identifying and mitigating workplace hazards.
Focus on Vulnerable Workers:
Informal Economy: Many workers, particularly in developing countries, are employed in the informal economy, which often lacks proper safety regulations. The ILO works to promote OSH standards in the informal sector by developing guidance and supporting initiatives that protect these vulnerable workers.
Migrant Workers: Migrant workers can be particularly susceptible to workplace hazards due to language barriers, unfamiliar work environments, and potential exploitation. The ILO advocates for the rights of migrant workers and promotes their inclusion in national OSH frameworks.

Objectives

The protection of the worker against sickness, disease, and injury arising out of employment is one of the main objectives of the ILO.
“Work should take place in a safe and healthy working environment.

The scope of this objective includes but not limited to:

1- Effective treatment of chemical and environmental hazards
Chemicals are used in virtually all work activities, thus presenting certain chemical risks in a large number of workplaces all over the world. Many thousands of chemicals are used in substantial quantities, and many new chemicals are also introduced into the market each year. It is therefore an urgent task to establish a systematic approach to safety in the use of chemicals at work. The ILO’s codes of practice and guides in the field of chemical safety are non-mandatory documents that provide recommendations, best practice

2- Hazardous Work
a primary focus of the ILO is protecting workers in hazardous conditions – in what is often known as the “3D”, dirty, difficult, and dangerous jobs. The occupations that have hazardous conditions include agriculture, construction, mining, or where working relationships or conditions create particular risks, traditional or emerging ones, or in the informal economy or new forms of economy. 
“The ILO is making use of its extensive experience in promoting standards, codes of practice, technical guides and training materials, as well as developing means of practical action for the protection of workers in hazardous conditions.”

3- Radiation Protection
Radiation describes any process in which energy emitted by one body travels through a medium or through space, ultimately to be absorbed by another body. Radiation can be classified according to the effects it produces on matter, into ionizing and non-ionizing radiations. Ionizing radiation includes cosmic rays, X-rays, and radiation from radioactive materials. Non-ionizing radiation includes radiant heat, radio waves, microwaves, terahertz radiation, infrared light, visible light, and ultraviolet light. Radiation protection is to prevent the occurrence of harmful deterministic effects and to reduce the probability of the occurrence of probabilistic effects (e.g. cancer and hereditary effects).

Theme for 2024
The ILO will launch a new report “Ensuring safety and health at work in a changing climate”, As climate change 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. The time to act is now!