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Safety and Health at Work: A human right issue

by Ita Marguet

and men to obtain decent and International collaboration bargaining is one of the most
The right to safety and health productive work in conditions important and effective means of
at work is enshrined in the of freedom, equity, security and At its first session in 1950, the bringing about improvements in
United Nations Universal human dignity that derive from Joint ILO/WHO Committee on this field and should therefore be
Declaration of Human Rights, information embodied in ILO Occupational Health defined encouraged and promoted. It
1948, which states: Everyone has standards, codes of practice and the purpose of occupational reflects the experience and inter-
the right to work, to free choice conference resolutions. They health. It revised the definition ests of the employers and work-
of employment, to just and outline an occupational health at its 12th session in 1995 to ers concerned, as well as the eco-
favourable conditions (Article and safety strategy that can be read as follows: Occupational nomic, technical and social real-
23). The UN International used as a basis for policies and health should aim at the promo- ities of particular trades, branch-
Covenant on Economic, Social programmes to make the work- tion and maintenance of the es of activity or enterprises.
and Cultural Rights, 1976, reaf- ing environment safe and highest degree of physical, Article 4 of the ILO Right to
mental and social well-being of
It publishes
firms this right in the following healthy for all. Organise and Collective
terms: The States Parties to the numerous works on occupation- workers in all occupations; the Bargaining Convention, 1949
present Covenant recognise the al health and safety and organiz- prevention amongst workers of (No. 98) provides: Measures
right of everyone to the enjoy- es scientific and technical meet- departures from health caused appropriate to national condi-
ment of just and favourable con- ings, congresses and symposia. by their working conditions; the tions shall be taken, where nec-
ditions of work: ... (b) safe and In addition, codes of practice protection of workers in their essary, to encourage and pro-
offer useful guidelines to work-
working
healthy employment from risks result- mote the full development and
conditions.. (Article 7). ers' and employers' organiza- ing from factors adverse to utilisation of machinery for vol-
tions. The ILO has issued more health; the placing and mainte- untary negotiation between
In a statement for ILO World than twenty codes of practice nance of the worker in an occu- workers' and employers' organi-
Day of Safety and Health at covering specific risks or poten- pational environment adapted sations, with a view to the regu-
work, Kofi Annan, Secretary- tially hazardous substances and to his physiological and psy- lation of terms and conditions of
General of the United Nations, various branches of economic chological capabilities; and, to employment by means of collec-
stated "...All too often lives are activity within a wider promo- summarize, the adaptation of tive agreements.
shattered unnecessarily because tional framework for occupa- work to man and of each man to
of poor working conditions and tional safety and health. his job. Acknowledgement
inadequate safety systems... Let
One of the ILO's most impor-
Conventions,
me encourage everyone to join Many Acknowledgement is given to
the International Labour Recommendations and other tant partners is the World the formidable body of profes-
Organization in promoting safety instruments on occupational Health Organisation, and the sional, technical and other litera-
and health at work. It is not only safety and health (OSH) have Joint ILO/WHO Committee ture including extensive interna-
sound economic policy, it is a been adopted over the years, met in December 2003 to dis- tional, national, legislative and
and these have helped to
basic human right cuss ways of reinforcing collab- related bibliographies that are
A stark
reality is the latest ILO estimates improve working conditions oration between the agencies on available through the ILO.
of about 2.2 million work-related throughout the world. The ILO topics such as the promotion of
deaths annually giving rise to the firmly believes that work-relat- integrated approaches to OSH, With its own glossary and bibli-
urgent need to promote greater ed accidents and ill-health can OSH management systems and ography, the principal source of
international and national effort and indeed must be prevented, priority fields for action in this text is a publication on
to raising standards and reducing and that action is needed at occupational health. Fundamental principles of occu-
work-related accidents and dis- international, regional, national, pational health and safety, by
ease worldwide into the twenty- and enterprise level to achieve Around the world there is Benjamin 0. Alli, Geneva,
first century. this. Disease and injury do not extensive cooperation and coor- International Labour Office,
go with the job nor can poverty dination between international, 2001. It is a practical guide to
ILO and Decent Work justify disregard for workers' regional and country level developing effective occupation-
safety and health. As the ILO organizations on occupational al health and safety policies and
Protection of workers against Director-General said when safety and health that focus on: programmes focussing on the
work-related sickness, disease referring to its Decent Work 1) guidance and support for key topics essential to promoting
and injury forms part of the his- Agenda, "Decent Work must be national OSH programmes, 2) health and safety in the work
torical mandate of the Safe Work, and we are a long enhancing regional collabora- place. It contributes to what the
way from achieving that goal".
International tion and coordination, 3) coor- ILO and its member States are
Labour
Organization, founded in 1919, dination and enhancement of doing in its Global strategy for
enshrined in the Preamble to its As part of its efforts to promote information and educational occupational safety and health to
Constitution as follows "... the occupational health and safety programmes and materials, and improve workers' health promo-
protection of the worker against 4) awareness-raising activities lion and well-being at work.
in its member States, the ILO
sickness, disease and injury aris- has compiled comprehensive and instruments through cam-
ing out of his employment.. information on the subject. paigns, events and special days.
This was renewed in 1944 when Note: All information and mate-
Much of this information is pre-
the relevance of the ILO was sented in detail in the ILO's Collective bargaining rial used are acknowledged in
reasserted at its Philadelphia the preparation of this article.
Encyclopaedia of occupational
Conference (Declaration of health and safety (Fourth edi- Collective agreements are par-
Philadelphia, 1944, para. 111). ticularly suitable for laying
tion, Geneva, 1998; 4 vols;
down requirements with respect
available in print version and as
The ILO's primary goal is to pro- to working conditions and the
a CD-ROM).
mote opportunities for women work environment. Collective