New challenges to prevention

Much progress has been made – but important challenges remain. Experts estimate that 2.3 million people die each year through work-related accidents and diseases, and 270 million suffer non-fatal workplace accidents. And each year 160 million new cases of occupational illnesses are reported. The financial burden of compensation, health care, rehabilitation and invalidity is huge: A sum equivalent to 4 per cent of world GDP for work injuries alone. And for some developing countries, the cost can be as high as 10 per cent of GDP.

The current phase of globalization is accompanied by a growth in informal employment, increased migration and profound social shifts, posing new challenges to safety and health at work, especially in countries with less developed prevention cultures. New technologies, including nanotechnologies, ergonomic risks, as well as stress and psychosocial pressures, further increase the complexity of prevention.

Demographic changes, globalization and growing social inequalities make workers’ health an increasingly vital issue of economic and social progress. It is an indispensable element in the development and maintenance of human capital and of the capacity of individuals to be active in the labour market. People's safety and health at work is therefore also a crucial factor for the sustainability of social security schemes.

Workers’ health is increasingly determined by both occupational and non-occupational factors. Supporting workers’ health therefore requires a broad and integrated approach involving actors with different backgrounds and knowledge.

Health at work: A societal responsibility

To respond to these new challenges, there is growing awareness that workers’ health is no longer the concern of prevention actors alone. It is a societal responsibility to complement and support the long-standing efforts of occupational safety and health specialists.

Realizing improvements in workers’ health is increasingly an objective being pursued by many social security institutions across all branches of social security. Examples of preventive social security approaches that promote safety and health at work include programmes adopted through health care and disability insurance schemes, and through employment and family policies.

The ISSA's Special Commission on Prevention: A unique global forum for occupational safety and health

The ISSA's Special Commission on Prevention fosters the prevention of occupational risks and promotes improvements in the delivery of social security among ISSA members and other stakeholders concerned with safety and health.

It works closely with other ISSA Technical Commissions concerned by workers’ health, such as the Commissions on Medical Care and Sickness Insurance, and on Insurance against Employment Accidents and Occupational Diseases.

The ISSA Special Commission on Prevention heads 11 International Prevention Sections that provide a pool of specialized prevention knowledge from a wide variety of fields. Building on a unique history of activities, the Special Commission on Prevention is ISSA’s flagship in prevention today.

Promoting dynamic social security’s investment in health at work

Beyond the traditional focus on occupational safety and health, the ISSA supports social security policies that foster preventive approaches to protect and promote health at work in all branches of social security. Preventive approaches broaden the nature of social security policies. They are a cornerstone of what the ISSA calls dynamic social security.

The ISSA provides good practice information, research, expert advice and platforms for members and other stakeholders to exchange on innovation in workplace health promotion, active employment policies, rehabilitation and reintegration. The ISSA has established a network of experts who share our objective to invest in workers’ health worldwide. The expert network brings together the unique experience and knowledge and expertise from all branches of social security, fostering innovation and partnerships

The ISSA is ready to act

The ISSA and its network have a commitment to strengthen their efforts to protect and promote safety health throughout the world. The ISSA upholds the following principles in its commitment to safety and health:

1. Safety and health must be recognized as a strategic asset for companies and for society

Workers’ health is central to the development of human capital and fosters competitiveness and innovative capacities.

2. Safety and health is a societal responsibility; increased investment by society is needed

Workers’ health is increasingly determined by both occupational and non-occupational factors. In view of the enormous challenges, both the private and public sectors must scale up their investment in workers’ health.

3. Safety and health must be addressed by all social security branches

Innovative preventive approaches that invest in workers’ health need to be developed and implemented widely in the different social security branches. Efforts to create integrated approaches involving several social security actors should be intensified.

4. Safety and health must count – for all workers.

All workers must be given a right to benefit from measures to protect their health. In particular workers in the growing informal sector, in small and micro businesses, and the self-employed should be covered and have access to prevention programmes.

5. Safety and health requires partnerships and innovation

Increasingly complex health risks call for innovation and for partnerships of all actors involved in promoting workers’ health. Cooperation and partnerships will boost the impact of investments in workers’ health.

As in previous years, the ISSA is supporting the World Day for Safety and Health at Work on 28 April 2009, which was initiated by the International Labour Organization (ILO) to promote safe, healthy and decent work.

View the ILO/ISSA World Day poster and promotional resources.

Related:

ISSA Topic page: Occupational risks

ISSA Special Commission on Prevention

XVIII World Congress on Safety and Health at Work