World Day for Safety and Health at Work

World Day for Safety and Health at Work is promoted by the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the United Nations (UN) every year.

It is an annual international holiday to promote safe, healthy work conditions.

Origin

In 2003, the International Labor Organization (ILO) began celebrating World Day to emphasize the prevention of accidents and illnesses in the workplace, leveraging the ILO's traditional strengths of tripartism and social dialogue.

World Day for Safety and Health at Work’s is said to be an important part of the ILO's Global Strategy for Occupational Safety and Health. One of the pillars of the Global Strategy is advocacy. It is said that World Health and Safety at Work Day is an important tool to raise awareness about how to make work safe and healthy and improve political awareness on occupational safety and health.

April 28th is also the World Day for Safety and Health at Work by Trade Union Movements around the world since 1996, which promotes the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases globally. It is a global campaign to draw international attention on its importance and promote and create a culture of safety and health can help reduce the number of deaths and work-related injuries.

Each of us has a responsibility to prevent deaths and injuries on the job. As government, we have a responsibility to provide the infrastructure - legislation and services - needed to ensure that workers can still work and businesses thrive; this includes the development of a national policy and program and an inspection system to enforce compliance with occupational health and safety laws and policies. As employers, it is our responsibility to ensure that the work environment is safe and healthy. Being a worker, you have to equip yourself with the basics to work safely, protect ourselves and not to endanger others, to know our rights, and to participate in taking precautions.

What do you do in this day?

The UN, ILO and other organizations, communities, individuals and government agencies interested in workplace health and safety united on or around April 28th to promote an international campaign called World Day of Safety and Health at Work. The UN posts this event in its calendar of events each year.

Community leaders and organization representatives can promote World Day for Safety and Health at Work by speaking out on issues such as workplace health and safety standards. Many media have promoted World Day for Safety and Health at Work through articles and broadcasts. There are also many different types of events and activities focusing on health and safety in the workplace in April 28th each year.