World Day for Safety and Health at Work

Although workplace fatalities and injuries have been falling year on year for several decades, last year in the UK there were still 148 deaths in the workplace and countless thousands more serious and debilitating injuries. So, despite all the good work that has been done, we can’t afford to relax and contemplate a job well done just yet.

The fight against unsafe workplaces goes on and a large part of that is to be celebrated on Monday 28 April when the International Labour Organisation (ILO) holds its World Day for Safety and Health at Work.                                                                                                                                    

The idea of the day is to promote the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases in workplaces across the world. And while we should consider ourselves lucky that we have safer workplaces than many people around the world, we can’t afford to rest on our laurels. This is a worldwide issue, and the global nature of the day recognises that.

There is a large emphasis on the emerging trends in the field of occupational safety and health, as well as a focus on work-related injuries and fatalities across the globe.

On the same day, and somewhat fittingly, the world’s trade union movements (who have been instrumental in the fight for better and safer workplaces) hold their Commemoration Day for Dead and Injured Workers. We are all encouraged to spare a thought for all those who have lost their lives simply earning a living, and the effects this must have had on those they left behind. This is the main driving force of the day and the reason we strive for better workplaces.

The day forms part of a larger plan of the ILO called the Global Strategy on Occupational Safety and Health. This aims to create a global workplace safety culture – working with unions, national authorities and employer’s organizations.

Safety at work is improved through better education and training, and also by the use and implementation of better safety equipment when needed. So many of the accidents that occur could be prevented with the right equipment and better levels of training. With personal protective equipment from providers like Protec Direct, you can ensure that you and your staff are as safe as possible at work.

You are invited to take part in the day and make sure it is celebrated and talked about in your workplace. The more people that get involved and the more it is discussed, the more of a success it can be. Which has potential long-term benefits for all of us. This year’s concern is the safety and health in the use of chemicals at work.