The XIX World Congress on Safety
and Health at Work to be held in Istanbul
A new ILO report “Global Trends and Challenges
on Occupational Safety and Health” says the number of fatal accidents at work
is falling. What is the reason for this?
Seiji Machida: It is notable that
the overall number of fatal accidents as well as the fatal accident incidence
rate has fallen over the last ten years. The reason for this is because, over
the past decades, significant advances have been made in occupational safety
and health (OSH
What do you expect as an outcome of
the World Congress?
Seiji Machida: The XIX World
Congress on Safety and Health at Work, organized jointly by the ILO, the
International Social Security Association (ISSA) and the Ministry of Labour and
Social Security of the Republic
of Turkey
Can you give us a concrete example
of a more effective occupational accidents and diseases prevention strategy?
Seiji Machida: The question remains
how a preventative safety and health culture can be achieved in practice at the
national level to protect all workers – across all employment sectors. For
safety and health programmes to be successful at the enterprise level, it is
essential to have top management commitment and the active participation of
workers. Similarly, at the national level, we also need high level commitment
to OSH
What are some of the new
occupational safety and health risks that are emerging today?
Seiji Machida: New and emerging
risks in the world of work have been the focus of much attention in recent
years. For example, modern manufacturing processes using nanotechnology are
found increasingly all over the world. It is expected that by 2020
approximately 20 per cent of all goods will be partly based on the use of
nanotechnology. Unfortunately, the long-term impact of these new materials on
human health and the environment remains largely unknown. Emerging forms of
employment, such as outsourcing, temporary and part-time work, have inevitably
had an impact on working conditions and often contributed to increased
work-related stress, depression, alcohol and drug abuse, and in some cases
suicide, which can be more acute during a global economic crisis.
Furthermore, green jobs, which are
particularly being promoted in recent years, need to be examined carefully from
a safety and health perspective to ensure that new types of work are properly
assessed and preventive measures are taken. For example, work related to wind
power generators needs safety measures for work at heights in construction and
maintenance.
What is the ILO doing to react to
these new challenges?
Seiji Machida: As workplace
conditions are constantly changing, safety and health measures need to be
adapted in parallel. Despite progress with respect to the management of OSH in many countries, there is still an urgent need to
reinforce national OSH OSH OSH
What are the main strategic goals
for the future?
Seiji Machida: One important task
is to continue promoting a global preventative safety and health culture. We
want safety and health to be placed high on national agendas and to increase
awareness and understanding of the purpose and usefulness of a systems approach
to OSH
The ILO recently published a new
list of occupational diseases. What is new about this list?
Seiji Machida: The new list is the
revised version of the list annexed to the List of Occupational Diseases
Recommendation (No.194, 2002). It was revised by a tripartite committee of
experts taking into account recent scientific and technological development. It
is an international reference for the prevention, recording, notification and
compensation of occupational diseases. This revised list for the first time
includes mental and behavioural disorders and post-traumatic stress; a very
important step in the recognition of the direct link between the exposure to
psychosocial risks at the workplace and mental disorders.
Are businesses cutting back on
financing for occupational safety and health in times of crisis?
Seiji Machida: Indeed, some
companies may think that cutting back on safety and health will make them save
money in the short-term, but if they cut back now, they will pay the price in
the future. It has been clearly demonstrated that the overall costs of
accidents and ill-health are often much greater than immediately perceived.
Conversely, investing in safety and health reduces both direct and indirect
costs, absenteeism and improves worker morale, reduces insurance premia and
improves performance and productivity. Therefore, the current situation should
not be an excuse to reduce efforts in this field. Prevention is good for
business. In the long run, investment in the physical and mental health of
workers pays off. As we work longer than previous generations we have to make
sure that our well-being will permit us to do so. If we fail to invest in a
healthy workforce now we will lack a healthy workforce in the future.
Attempting to save money in this area will also cause an additional financial
burden for, for example, national social security systems.
What are the next steps for the ILO
to cope with the upcoming OSH
Seiji Machida: Through its
technical cooperation activities, the ILO will provide training in
reinforcement of national OSH OSH
The XIX World Congress on Safety
and Health at Work takes place 11-15 September 2011 in Istanbul , Turkey Republic
of Turkey
Source: ILO. 12 September 2011
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