World Day for Safety and Health at Work – 28th of April

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This is an annual event or campaign initiated in 2003 by International Labour Organization (ILO). This is a specialized agency of the UN. The main aim of this campaign is to promote healthy, decent and safe work.

Back in 2003, International Labour Organization began to stress on the prevention of diseases and accidents at work places majoring on their slogan of social dialogue and triumphalism. on the same day, 28th April, there is a commemoration of International Strategy on Occupation Safety and Health. It is also organized by ILO worldwide through trade unions since 1996. The call to prevention on safety by ILO was due to the observation that every 15 seconds, a worker dies from a work related disease or work related accident. And that every 15 seconds, an approximately 160 workers have a work related accident. The statistics have increased over the years due to the use of technology and chemicals at work place. It is therefore recommended that employers to use risk management profession to evaluate the level of exposure before assigning any task to workers. This allows for possible measures to be in place to prevent accidents and other harmful incidents to all workers.

According to one of ILO publications dated 2014 on their website, it addresses the use of harmful working conditions that workers go through. Included is the use and regulation of chemicals at the working environment. Chemicals are important as they are used productively to promote global living standards. But the exposure to these chemicals brings health hazards. The publication describes that most work in the world is carried out in the field of Occupation Safety and Health (OSH). However, regulation and management of chemicals should be in place to safeguard employees. This is to reduce the negative impact on the environment and human health.

To ensure that workers are safe, the following measure are supposed to be in place:

  • Step 1
    Identification of chemical substance before use. They are then classified according to their level of safety with labels included and recorded on data sheets.
  • Step 2
    Determine the level of exposure at a work place. This involves risk management measure.
  • Step 3
    Identification of prevention measures based on the risk assessment. Then implementation of the controls which involves; evaluation of the effects and maintenance of protection.

From ILO website, they describe the right occupation as that which respect, and safe-guard employers at all levels through a well established rights, duties, principle prevention and progress. The organization has an updated and improved information of stakeholders and how they hold this event with organized posters, brochure and notes which are downloadable. In addition to that, the ILO has partnered with other international participants to see that 28th April is represented enough as a safe day for healthy working. These partners include:

  • INRS in France
  • ITUC
  • WSHIWSH in Singapore
  • ISSA
  • KOSHA
  • IOE
  • WHO

All worldwide workers can now travel during this World Day for Health and Safety Health at Work to their destinations. To make your travel make an impact on this important day, book your trip through mytravelsmap.com. This will enable raising of funds that will help workers who have been affected by harmful working conditions and change their lives positively. All in all; health and safety, management regulations, workplace safety and prevention should be first in every working environment.