27/04/2007
"Safe and Healthy Workplaces - Making Decent Work a Reality" is the theme the ILO has adopted for the World Day for Safety and Health at Work on 28 April. In a report published to mark the event, the ILO estimates that 2.2 million people die each year in accidents or as a result of illnesses connected with their work. Over 270 million workers are also injured at work and almost 160 million suffer from an illness caused by their professional activities at any one time. In addition to the human tragedy, the estimated cost of this suffering is 4% of the world's gross domestic product, or 20 times total development aid. The ILO report and several other occupational health and safety tools are available on the ILO site devoted to the World Day on 28 April.

The ILO stresses that most of these accidents could be avoided and urges member states to ratify the new Convention adopted in 2006 (Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention) and other conventions covering this issue. It has been proven that good labour inspection and constructive social dialogue are among the best ways to prevent accidents and illnesses. The ILO is working across the world to boost these resources. This is true, for example, in the Democratic Republic of Congo where the ILO, with the support of the Belgian government, has recently launched a major project for good governance in the mining sector in Katanga. One of the main objectives of the project is to improve health and safety conditions that are particularly bad in artisanal mines. Particular efforts will be made to boost the labour inspection services and consolidate social dialogue to promote better conditions at mines in Katanga.