Each day, an average of 5,000 people die as a result of work-related accidents or diseases, totalling more than 2.2 million work-related deaths a year. Of these, about 350,000 deaths are from workplace accidents and more than 1.7 million are from work-related diseases. In addition, commuting accidents increase the burden with another 158,000 fatal accidents.

Each year, workers suffer approximately 270 million occupational accidents that lead to absences from work for 3 days or more, and fall victim to some 160 million incidents of work-related disease.

Approximately 4% of the world’s gross domestic product is lost with the cost of injury, death and disease through absence from work, sickness treatment, disability and survivor benefits

(International LabourOrganisation, 2005)

World Day for Safety and Health at Work is an international annual campaign held on the 28th of April of each year, to promote safe, healthy and decent work. Since 2003, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) observes this day, stressing the prevention of accidents and illnesses at work. World Day for Safety and Health at Work is a significant tool to raise awareness about how to make work safe and healthy and the need to raise the political profile of occupational safety and health. On the 28th of April of each year world trade union movements commemorates victims of occupational accidents and diseases.

The team chosen by the ILO for this year, is `Emerging risks and new patterns of prevention in a changing world of work`. This team particularly aims to highlight new risks at the place of work and the importance of creating new patterns to prevent work-related accidents and ill-health.

Working in a safe and healthy environment is a fundamental human right. An annual event that commemorates those who lost their lives at their place of work should not just be a normal date in our calendar. It should serve as a point of reflection on what is going wrong and what still needs to be done to minimise risks as much as possible. It should above all give the impetus to move from words and rhetorical statements to real and concrete action.

A recent study conducted by the World Economic Forum and the International Labour Organisation (ILO/SafeWork) which compared the competitiveness of 31 industrial and developing countries clearly shows that better safety and health standards equal better national productivity.

These results indicate that a low number of fatal occupational accidents and high competitiveness are directly proportional making the most competitive economies register the lowest number of fatal accidents. Based on this study, Malta, with an average annual fatality index of 4.6, would indicate a lower competitive index than a number of EU member states, demonstrating that there is still room for improvement in this sector.

Concrete action in the field of occupational health and safety, should star at the enterprise level with the wider participation of all social partners including the Government, employers’ and workers’ associations. OHSA has always been pivotal in bridging the gap and establishing effective networks.

Permalink: World Day for Safety & Health at Work – 28th April 2010