Analysis on global safety at work

MGD 120Course: Information for Development Professionals

Analysis on Global Safety at Work

“Decent work must also be safe work.”

Juan Somavia, ILO Director-General

Analysis on Global Safety at Work

Francesca Romana Armini

Although there has been progress on many fronts in the

world of work, work-related deaths, accidents and diseases

are still major causes for concern. According to ILO, each

year an estimated 2.2 million women and men die as a

Background (1/2)

year an estimated 2.2 million women and men die as a

result of occupational accidents and work-related diseases.

Across the globe, there are some 270 million occupational

accidents and 160 million work-related diseases each year.

Sources: ILO, International Labour Organization, working paper “Facts on Safety at Work”, www.ilo.org/safework

Background (2/2)Some numbers

• Of these 2.2 million, about 350,000 deaths are from workplace

accidents and more than 1.7 million are from work-related diseases.

158.000 of these are fatal accidents.

• Approximately 4% of the world’s gross domestic product is lost with

the cost of injury, death and disease through absence from work, the cost of injury, death and disease through absence from work,

sickness treatment, disability and survivor benefits.

• Hazardous substances kill about 438,000 workers annually, and 10%

of skin cancers are estimated to be attributable to workplace exposure

to hazardous substances.


Global estimated work-related disease mortality

Causes of death No. of deaths Estimated percentage

attributed to

occupation

No. of deaths

attributed to

occupation

Cancer 30+ years 5,703,000 8 % 456,240

Cardiovascular and

cerebral-vascular disease

15 - 60 years

2,667,000 7.5 % 200,025

Chronic respiratory 2750,000 10 % 275,000Chronic respiratory

disease 15+ years

2750,000 10 % 275,000

Pneumoconioses

(proportional estimate

from US figures)

36,000 100 % 36,000

Nervous system disorders

15+ years

604,000 2 % 12,080

Renal disorders 15+

years

655,000 2 % 13,100

Total 992,445

Focus: Comparison between Italy and France (1/2)

0

1000

2000

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Accidents at work: incidence rate - With more than three days' absence

(per 100000 persons employed)

Italy

3800

4000

4200

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

France

Source: Data provided by Eurostat

Focus: Comparison between Italy and France (2/2)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Fatal accidents at work (per 100 000 persons employed)

Italy

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

France

Source: Data provided by Eurostat

Legislation on safety at work at national level (1/2)

Focus on Italian legislation: Historical overview

50’s: first regulation about work safety and health

• (DPR 547/55 e DPR 303/56);

90’s: first modern directives

• (D.Lgs. 277/92) concerning noise, asbestos and chemical agents;

00’s: new approaches to work safety

• (D.Lgs. 626/94, D.Lgs. 25/2000)

2009: “Testo Unico” on Safety at Work (key points on the next page)

• (D.Lgs. 81/08)

Sources: Il nuovo Testo Unico sulla Sicurezza sul Lavoro, Simone Boschi, 2009.

Legislation on safety at work at national level (2/2)

“Testo Unico” on Safety at Work (D.Lgs. 81/08)

Key Points:

• Introduction of a Permanent Commission for Health and Safety at Work

(Ministry of Work);

• Introduction of Regional Committees for Coordination;

• Introduction of a National Informative System for Prevention in workplaces;

• Specification of employers, employees and medical doctors obligations and • Specification of employers, employees and medical doctors obligations and

related sanctions;

• Suspension of irregular productive activity;

• Risks evaluation procedures;

• Introduction of the Company Administrative Responsibility and related

sanctions;

• Introduction of a Prevention and Protection Service within the company;

• Employers information and training about the risks linked to their jobs;

• Introduction of Individual Protection Devices (risk-proof equipment);

• Security requirements and prohibitions.

Sources: Il Sole 24 ore, Documenti (Norme e tributi), 5/05/2008.

Regulation of working conditions at international level (1/8)

Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948):

Article 23

(1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and

favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.

(3) Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration

ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and

supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.

Article 24

Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of

working hours and periodic holidays with pay.

Sources: http://www.un.org/en/ documents/udhr/


Tripartite Declaration of Principles Concerning Multinational Enterprises and

Social Policy (1977):

(36) Governments should ensure that both multinational and national

enterprises provide adequate safety and health standards for their employees.

(37) Multinational enterprises should maintain the highest standards of safety

and health, in conformity with national requirements…and health, in conformity with national requirements…

They should also make available … information on the safety and health

standards relevant to their local operations.

…They should make known to those concerned any special hazards and related

protective measures associated with new products and processes.

They should be expected to play a leading role in the examination of causes of

industrial safety and health hazards and in the application of resulting

improvements within the enterprise as a whole.


(38) Multinational enterprises should cooperate in the work of international

organizations concerned with the preparation and adoption of international

safety and health standards.

(39) … Multinational enterprises should cooperate fully with the competent

safety and health authorities, the representatives of the workers and their safety and health authorities, the representatives of the workers and their

organizations, and established safety and health organizations.

…Matters relating to safety and health should be incorporated in agreements

with the representatives of the workers and their organizations.

Sources: http://www.ilo.org/empent/WorkingUnits/lang--en/WCMS_DOC_ENT_DPT_MLT_EN


ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (1998):

The ILO Declaration recognized four fundamental rights as the central plank of

decent work, which are:

• Freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining; •

• The elimination of forced and compulsory labour;

• The elimination of discrimination in the workplace;

• The abolition of child labour.

Sources: http://www.ilo.org/declaration/thedeclaration/textdeclaration/lang--en/index.htm


OECD's Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises (2000):

Recommendations addressed by governments to multinational enterprises

providing voluntary principles and standard in terms of employment and

industrial relations.

According to the Guidelines the enterprises should:

a) Observe standards of employment and industrial relations not less

favourable than those observed by comparable employers in the host

country.

b) Take adequate steps to ensure occupational health and safety in their

operations.

Sources: www.oecd.org/daf/investment/guidelines


Global Compact (2000):

It asked companies to respect a set of values in the areas of human rights, labour

standards, environment, and anti-corruption. Referring to safety at work and

working conditions, it stated:

Principle 1: Businesses should support and respect the protection of

internationally proclaimed human rights;

Principle 2: Businesses should make sure that they are not complicit in human

rights abuses.

Sources: http://www.unglobalcompact.org/AbouttheGC/TheTENPrinciples/index.html


Millennium Development Goals (Millennium Declaration 2000):

Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

Target 1.B: Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all,

including women and young people

It should be noted that there aren’t MDG indicators directly referring to

achievement of decent work in terms of reduction of work-related deaths,

diseases and sicknesses.

Work can only be decent if it is safe and healthy: this is why reduction of work-

related deaths and diseases may be added as another indicator of Goal 1

achievement.

The Millennium Development Goals and targets come from the Millennium Declaration, signed by 189 countries,

including 147 heads of State and Government, in September 2000.

(http://www.un.org/millennium/declaration/ares552e.htm)


ILO Conventions referring to safety and health at work:

• Convention 102 concerning Social Security (Minimum Standards), 1952.

•Convention 115 concerning the Protection of Workers against Ionizing

Radiations, 1960.

• Convention 119 concerning the Guarding of Machinery,1963.• Convention 119 concerning the Guarding of Machinery,1963.

• Convention 130 concerning Medical Care and Sickness Benefits, 1969.

• Convention 136 concerning Protection against Hazards of Poisoning arising

from Benzene, 1971.

• Convention 139 concerning Prevention and Control of Occupational

Hazards caused by Carcinogenic Substances and Agents, 1974.

• Convention 155 concerning Occupational Safety and Health, 1981

Sources: http://www.ilo.org/ilolex/english/index.htm

Conclusions and guidelines to solve the problem

Experience and available studies have shown that

preventative safety culture could be beneficial for

workers, employers and governments both in avoidingworkers, employers and governments both in avoiding

workplace accidents and illnesses and improving

business performance.

The following are actions that should be taken:

• Encouraging social dialogue between trade unions and

employers;

• Strengthening health and safety legislation through strong

labour inspection.

• Providing laws and services promoting safe and healthy• Providing laws and services promoting safe and healthy

workplaces.

• Adapting work to the capabilities of workers in terms of their

state of physical and mental health.


Technology

Analysis on global safety at work