World Day for Safety and Health at Work: UN salutes 'heroic efforts' of frontline workers

The United Nations has been observing April 28 as World Day for Safety and Health at Work every year to stress the prevention of accidents and diseases at the workplace. Recognising the impact of the coronavirus, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) decided to change the theme from violence and harassment in the world of work to ‘stop the pandemic’.

The UN labour agency began observing it as World Day in 2003 as an extension to the Global Strategy on Occupational Safety and Health of the ILO, as documented in the Conclusions of the International Labour Conference. According to the United Nations, the World Day for Safety and Health at Work is a significant tool to raise awareness on ways to make the workplace safe and healthy.

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'Prevention of occupational accidents'

The day promotes the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases globally and raises awareness to draw global attention towards the magnitude of the problem. The ILO said in a statement that the World Day for Safety and Health at Work will focus on addressing the outbreak of infectious diseases at work, focussing on the COVID-19 pandemic.

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The International Labour Organization (ILO) has urged States to put necessary measures in place in order to protect workers during and after COVID-19 lockdowns. On the occasion of World Day for Safety and Health at Work, ILO Director-General Guy Ryder safety and health of our entire workforce is paramount as the world battles a pandemic.

“In the face of an infectious disease outbreak, how we protect our workers now clearly dictates how safe our communities are, and how resilient our businesses will be, as this pandemic evolves,” the ILO chief said in a statement.

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(Image: Twitter / @UN)