The month of April is finally here and the World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2021 fast approaches. To give a little bit of background of this special occasion; in 2003, the International Labour Organization (ILO), began to observe World Day in order to stress the prevention of accidents and diseases at work, capitalizing on the ILO’s traditional strengths of tripartism and social dialogue.
This celebration is an integral part of the Global Strategy on Occupational Safety and Health of the ILO, as documented in the Conclusions of the International Labour Conference in June 2003. One of the main pillars of the Global Strategy is advocacy, the World Day for Safety and Health at Work is a significant tool to raise awareness of how to make work safe and healthy and of the need to raise the political profile of occupational safety and health.
Every year, the annual World Day for Safety and Health at Work is celebrated on 28 April to promote the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases globally. It is an awareness-raising campaign intended to focus international attention on the magnitude of the problem and on how promoting and creating a safety and health culture can help reduce the number of work-related deaths and injuries.
This year’s theme is dubbed:
Anticipate, Prepare and Respond to Crises – Invest Now in Resilient Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Systems
The ILO will take this opportunity to raise awareness and stimulate dialogue on the importance of creating and investing in resilient OSH systems, drawing on both regional and country examples in mitigating and preventing the Spread of COVID-19 at the workplace with key focus on the elements of an OSH system at both the national and undertaking level, as set out in the Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 2006 (No. 187)
All countries and organizations are expected to drive conversations, create awareness and invest in resilient OSH systems to prevent the spread and mitigate the impact of COVID-19 at our workplaces.