This year, the World Day for Safety and Health at Work (SafeDay) and the World Day Against Child Labour (WDACL) are coming together in a joint campaign to improve the safety and health of young workers and end child labour.
The campaign aims to accelerate action to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 8.8 of safe and secure working environments for all workers by 2030 and SDG target 8.7 of ending all forms of child labour by 2025.
SafeDay: culture of prevention
Achieving these goals for the benefit of the next generation of the global workforce requires a concerted and integrated approach to eliminating child labour and promoting a culture of prevention on occupational safety health (OSH).
The 541 million young workers (15-24 years old) – which includes 37 million children in hazardous child labour – account for more than 15% of the world’s labour force
The 541 million young workers (15-24 years old) – which includes 37 million children in hazardous child labour – account for more than 15 per cent of the world’s labour force and suffer up to a 40 per cent higher rate of non-fatal occupational injuries than adult workers older than 25.
Many factors can increase youth vulnerability to OSH risks, such as their physical and psychological stage of development, lack of work experience and lack of training, limited awareness of work-related hazards and a lack of bargaining power that can lead young workers to accept dangerous tasks or jobs with poor working conditions.
The 2018 SafeDay campaign highlights the critical importance of addressing these challenges and improving safety and health for young workers, not only to promote decent youth employment, but also to link these efforts to combat hazardous – and all other forms of – child labour.
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History of 28 April
The International Labour Organization (ILO) celebrates the World Day for Safety and Health at Work on the 28 April to promote the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases globally. It is an awareness-raising campaign intended to focus international attention on emerging trends in the field of occupational safety and health and on the magnitude of work-related injuries, diseases and fatalities worldwide.
National authorities, trade unions, employers‘ organizations and safety and health practitioners organize activities to celebrate this date
With the celebration of the World Day for Safety and Health at Work, the ILO promotes the creation of a global preventative safety and health culture involving ILO constituents and all key stakeholders in this field.
Day for Dead and Injured Workers
The 28 April is also the International Commemoration Day for Dead and Injured Workers organized worldwide by the trade union movement since 1996. Its purpose is to honour the memory of victims of occupational accidents and diseases by organizing worldwide mobilizations and awareness campaigns on this date.
The 28 April is also the International Commemoration Day for Dead and Injured Workers organized worldwide by the trade union movement since 1996
In 2003, the ILO became involved in the April 28 campaign upon request from the trade union movement. While we honour injured and fallen workers, we appreciate and celebrate that these injuries and fatalities can be prevented and reduced, recognizing it as both a day for commemoration and celebration.
Since 2003, the ILO observes the World Day on Safety and Health at Work on April 28 capitalizing on its traditional strengths of tripartism and social dialogue. 28 April is seen as a day to raise international awareness on occupational safety and health among trade unions, employers’ organizations and government representatives alike.
The ILO acknowledges the shared responsibility of key stakeholders and encourages them to promote a preventive safety and health culture to fulfill their obligations and responsibilities for preventing deaths, injuries and diseases in the workplace, allowing workers to return safely to their homes at the end of the working day.
Safe and healthy working conditions for young people
«Vision Zero is all about our common belief that every accident, disease and harm at work is avoidable and that a strong workplace prevention culture, based on safety, health and wellbeing, is critical to making this Vision a reality.
This year’s SafeDay, organised by the ILO, focusses as mentioned on promoting safe and healthy working conditions for young people.
«Statistics show that 18– to 24-year-olds are much more likely to have a serious accident at work than older adults»
Statistics show that 18- to 24-year-olds are much more likely to have a serious accident at work than older adults. Young workers are also over represented in temporary and precarious work, and they are more vulnerable to existing health risks at work due to their physical and mental development.
We know however, that a strong safety and health culture at company level, active involvement and the provision of the necessary qualifications can secure a safe start for young people at work and provide them with the opportunity to develop and realise their potential.
As Vision Zero Companies, Partners and Trainers we must all contribute to the safety, health and wellbeing of young workers. The Vision Zero concept and the Golden Rules offer useful guidance. The ILO, the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work and national safety and health organisations provide as well useful information.
Please show your commitment to Vision Zero by organising prevention activities with special focus on young people around SafeDay on 28 April and throughout 2018. You can find some suggestions for such activities and useful links in the attached information sheet. And don´t forget to share your plans and activities in social media using #VisionZeroGlobal.»
By Hans-Horst Konkolewsky, Secretary General International Social Security Association
Why Vision Zero?
Accidents at work and occupational diseases are neither predetermined nor unavoidable – they always have causes. By building a strong prevention culture, these causes can be eliminated and work related accidents, harm and occupational diseases be prevented.
“Vision Zero” is a transformational approach to prevention that integrates the three dimensions of safety, health and well-being at all levels of work.
Safe and healthy working conditions are not only a legal and moral obligation – they also pay off economically
Safe and healthy working conditions are not only a legal and moral obligation – they also pay off economically.
International research on the return on investments in prevention proves that every dollar invested in safety and health generates a potential benefit of more than two dollars in positive economic effects. Healthy working conditions contribute to healthy business.
The ISSA’s Vision Zero concept is flexible and can be adjusted to the specific safety, health or well-being priorities for prevention in any given context. Thanks to this flexibility, Vision Zero is beneficial to any workplace, enterprise or industry in all regions of the world.
