Page 12 - IGC BOOK

Regulating Health and Safety 1.2

Legal Reasons for Managing Workplace Health and Safety

To meet the social expectations many countries, have their own legal standards, Moral obligation
has turned into health and safety legislations, it is expressed in both civil law and criminal law.

The law set some boundaries towards health and safety
within which the companies must operate failing to do
can attract legal actions. Depending on the country, the
possible consequences of failing to comply with health
and safety legislation include enforcement notices, fines,
compensation claims and imprisonment.

Many countries have introduced their own legal duties
regarding the protection of workers from harm and
where this is not the case adoption of other countries’
health and safety laws as best practice is common. Health and Safety is Legal requirement
in all the countries
The International Framework

There is no harmonised health and safety law, Many countries have developed their own law to
deal with health and safety issues.
International Labour Organisation (ILO)

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) is built on the constitutional principle that universal
and lasting peace can only be established if it is based upon social justice. The ILO is responsible
for the eight-hour working day, maternity protection, child-labour laws, and a range of policies
which promote workplace safety and peaceful industrial relations.

The ILO is the international institutional framework which makes it possible to address such
issues (and to find solutions) allowing working conditions to improve everywhere. No country or
industry could have afforded to introduce any of these in the absence of similar and
simultaneous action by its competitors.
How the ILO Works

The ILO has a tripartite structure unique in the United Nations, in which employers’ and workers’
representatives (the ‘social partners’ of the economy) have an equal voice with those of
governments in shaping its policies and programmes.

The ILO also encourages this tripartism within its member States by promoting a ‘social dialogue’
between trade unions and employers in formulating, and where appropriate, implementing
national policy on social, economic, and many other issues. Minimum international labour
standards and the broad policies of the ILO are set by the International Labour Conference,
which meets annually. Every two years, the Conference adopts the ILO’s biennial work
programme and budget, which is financed by member States.

ENSIGN| Unit IG1 – Element 1 – Why We Should Manage Workplace Health and 4
Safety