World Day for Safety and Health at Work – April 28

The World Day for Safety and Health at Work is an annual international campaign to promote safe, healthy and decent work. It is held on April 28 and has been observed by the International Labour Organization (ILO) since 2003. The ILO’s campaign for 2020 recognizes the challenges that governments, employers, workers and communities worldwide are facing in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and addressing the outbreak of this infectious disease at work.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is an immediate health emergency. Measures to address the pandemic also have a direct impact

on markets, supply (production of goods and services), demand (consumption and investment) and the world of work.” – ILO

Focusing on the pandemic, the aim for World Day for Safety and Health at Work is to stimulate dialog and raise awareness on the adoption of safe practices in workplaces and the role of occupational safety and health services.  Governments and organizations will be focused on recovery, planning, and future preparedness while integrating measures into Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) management systems and policies.

ILO has published In the face of a pandemic: Ensuring Safety and Health at Work containing guidelines on COVID-19 risks and preventative and protective measures, along with helpful reference sources for dealing with a pandemic in the workplace.  This pandemic has demonstrated that a comprehensive emergency plan to address health crises in the workplace will allow organizations to be prepared and to develop a quick, coordinated and effective response for whatever situation may arise.  ILO also offers a free Prevention and Mitigation of COVID-19 at Work ACTION CHECKLIST.

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has also developed a standard for Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) Management Systems .  ISO 45001 provides a framework for managing OH&S risks and opportunities to eliminate hazards and minimize OH&S risks by taking effective preventive and protective measures. This standard aligns with the high-level structure of the ISO 9001 management system standard. The United States Department of Labor – Occupational Safety and Health Administration also provides guidelines for businesses.

SimpleQuE commends these organizations and all the employers who are addressing the safety and needs of the workers to promote a stronger and healthier environment for all.  Most importantly, we recognize all of the workers who have put their own lives at risk to perform their essential duties in this time of crisis.