#osh risks

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Building and maintaining a preventative safety and health culture at a national level.

The government as a whole commits to building and maintaining a preventative safety and health culture, ensuring OSH is considered a priority in the national agenda. Adequate means and resources are allocated to increase general awareness of OSH, knowledge of hazards and risks, and understanding of their prevention and control. Through social dialogue, the tripartite constituents actively participate in all phases of the OSH decision-making processes. - Social dialogue contributes towards: - improving the quality of OSH policies and strategies; - building ownership and commitment; - facilitating their rapid and more effective implementation.

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A functioning tripartite body to ensure consultation and collaboration - ILO

The functions of these bodies vary considerably from country to country, ranging from a consultative role to a decision-making role in the definition of national policies, priorities, and action plans, as well as in the drafting of laws and regulations.

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Collect data on workplace safety measures.

Social partners have also carried out surveys and studies to ascertain employers’ and workers’ opinions on critical aspects of the organization and implementation of preventative measures in enterprises.

The International Organization of Employers (IOE) and the ILO produced a joint global survey of employer and business membership organizations (EMBOs) to examine the impacts and responses to COVID-19 in workplaces. The survey identified the need of EMBOs to receive more guidance on teleworking policies, as well as ways to implement government requirements for mitigating the risk of the virus in the workplace. The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) surveyed 148 trade unions in 107 countries to collect data on workplace safety measures and workers’ experiences during the pandemic. This survey identified gaps in access to safe workplaces and global concerns about the provision of PPE.

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Employer and worker cooperation for effective OSH Management.

Act together to build a positive safety and health culture - World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2022.

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Evidence shows a positive relationship between the engagement of workers’ representatives on OSH in the workplace and better OSH performance.

The Key functions of an OSH representatives is : - representing workers in all matters relating to OSH monitoring the measures taken by employers to meet their OSH responsibilities - investigating OSH issues raised by workers inquiring into any potential risk to workers’ safety and health that arises from their work - making representations to management on matters that affect the safety and health of workers - collaborating with and assisting the employer to address OSH risks promoting and encouraging the cooperation of workers in the field of OSH - participating and representing workers in decision-making processes regarding OSH - investigating occupational accidents and diseases, as well as near misses

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Ensuring cooperation between the employers and workers.

Joint OSH committees are bipartite bodies, composed of an equal number of workers’ and employers’ representatives, established at the workplace and assigned to various functions to ensure cooperation between the employers and workers so as to achieve and maintain safe and healthy working conditions and a sound working environment. Functions, rights and powers are usually similar to those of workers’ OSH representatives – often higher number of statutory and complex tasks than those of individual workers’ representatives, as joint OSH committees have more human resources and capacity. The establishment of joint OSH committees is mandatory in many countries, although this is often contingent upon the size of the enterprise. In countries where national OSH legislation does not regulate joint OSH committees, collective agreements may assume this function.

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Creating a positive OSH culture

OSH management systems are only effective when accompanied by a positive OSH culture in the workplace, where management and workers value the right to a safe and healthy working environment and actively participate towards this end.

Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.

The incidence of occupational injuries and diseases in the region from 1986 to 2013 decreased, thanks to the implementation of various OSH actions.

Technology and OSH management systems have made great strides in creating a safer world, but it was the introduction and enhancement of a safety culture within the workplace that markedly reduced the number of accidents.

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Tools to support employers and workers in managing OSH risks during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Involving workers in the risk assessment process - ilo -

The ILO produced a number of tools to support employers and workers in managing OSH risks during the COVID-19 pandemic, including:

Anticipate, prepare and respond to crises – Invest now in resilient occupational safety and health systems (World Day for Safety and Health at Work Report, April 2021);

Prevention and mitigation of COVID-19 at work: Action checklist (April 2020);

In the face of a pandemic: Ensuring safety and health at work (World Day for Safety and Health at Work Report, April 2020);

A safe and healthy return to work during the COVID-19 pandemic – Policy Brief (May 2020);

A Safe Return to Work: Ten Action Points (May 2020);

Managing work-related psychosocial risks during the COVID-19 pandemic (June 2020);

Practical Guide on Teleworking during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond (July 2020);

COVID-19 and health facilities: Checklist of measures to be taken in health facilities (July 2020);

Hand hygiene at the workplace: an essential occupational safety and health prevention and control measure against COVID-19 – Briefing Note (September 2020); and

Prevention and mitigation of COVID-19 at work for small and medium-sized enterprises: Action Checklist and Follow-up (August 2020)