April 28, 2019 – World Day for Safety and Health at Work

Every year, April 28th is the World Day for Safety and Health at Work. Also on this day, people who have lost their lives, physical abilities or ability to do work are commemorated.

This year, as part of the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the International Labor Organization (ILO), this day gives a beginning to a series of events and activities on a global scale. The theme of this year’s holiday is safety and health and the future of work.

Report on work safety

In 2019 the ILO is preparing a global report regarding activities aiming at saving lives and promoting a safe and healthy working environment. It will address topics such as:

  • changes in work organization,
  • technology (digitization and IT, work on platforms, automation and robotics),
  • demography,
  • globalization,
  • climate and other factors affecting the dynamics of safety and health.

The analysis will cover both developing and developed countries.

Increased safety at work

It is in the interest of everyone, both the employer and the employee (or the self-employed), to organize the work in a way that the associated risk is taken into the account. Considering these several topics can help increasing the work safety:

  1. Ensuring a good flow of information between those performing the work tasks and the management staff. In a multicultural environment, working out universal and clear forms of information flow.
  2. Informing about risks related to a given task or job position.
  3. Informing about the rules of conduct in an event of a threat.
  4. Arranging appropriate training for the staff, for example:
  5. A VCA certificate
  6. Training relevant for specific positions and used devices, including a detailed discussion of individual health and life risks involved
  7. Making sure that during the break time there is no change in the conditions in which the work is performed. Such changes can be e.g. when working on scaffolding, checking if its elements have been removed, or devices and equipment (e.g. a hammer) have not been left on it. For this purpose it is recommended to perform LMRA (last minute risk analysis)
  8. Using the right to stop working in a life- or health-threatening situation

If you have any questions related to working safely, please feel free to contact the VCA Talen team.