The International Labor Organization (ILO) defines a safe and healthy working environment as a fundamental human right and calls on all member states to recognize, promote and implement this right. Every year, approximately 2.93 million people lose their lives and 395 million people are injured due to work-related causes. This picture reveals the need to develop stronger policies and practices in the field of occupational health and safety (OHS) at the global level.
The ILO’s Global Strategy 2024-2030 provides a comprehensive roadmap covering contemporary risks such as climate change, digitalization and new working models. In particular, it emphasizes the impact of environmental factors such as extreme temperatures on occupational safety and states that measures to be taken in this regard can prevent economic losses of 361 billion dollars a year. The ILO provides support by developing training, guidelines and policy tools for workplaces of all sizes, from micro and small enterprises to large industrial organizations.
The ILO’s “Safety + Health for All” program mobilizes development partnerships to improve the safety of workers. It also encourages the development of national OSH policies, the establishment of workplace-level management systems and the active involvement of workers. This approach strengthens not only legal compliance, but also business efficiency, employee engagement and corporate reputation.
