Sustainable development goal six

The role of OSH professionals is to ensure the use of safe equipment and safe behaviour, and to oversee safe systems of work. But how do we define safety?

It will be different in a shop and in a nuclear power station, and different in a transport yard and a laboratory. The answer can be found by identifying what people are doing, and how they might be exposed to harm; in other words, by conducting a risk assessment and then managing the risks. Regardless of the variation in what safe looks like, the process of managing the risks facing workers is a key contributor to sustainable work.

Effective risk management contributes to the delivery of the following SDG targets:

• 3d strengthen the capacity of all countries, in particular developing countries, for early warning, risk reduction and management of national and global health risks
• 6.3 improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials
• 9.2 promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation
• 9.4 upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes
• 11.5 significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses
• 12.4 achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals…and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil to minimise their adverse impacts on human health
• 16.3 promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all.

The practice of risk management is built upon principles of anticipation, prevention, and improvement. While the immediate objective of occupational safety and health risk management is primarily to prevent injury and ill health among workers, the broader OSH benefit is the ongoing protection of communities and the environment.

As the world of work and business changes, new risks to workers will also emerge. Tackling these emergent risks with adaptable risk management will help build resilient, sustainable businesses.

The importance of risk management as part of good occupational safety and health provision is recognised by its inclusion in IOSH’s competency framework.

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Occupational health management involves assessing and limiting health hazards associated with the work and the work environment, monitoring for cases of work-related ill health and treating cases where they arise. It is also about considering both the physical and mental health of a worker and its relation to the work they do.

Occupational health should be given the same weight and managed with equal effort as occupational safety. This has not always been the case, perhaps because the impacts of worker safety are more immediate, whereas the health effects on workers can take months or years to develop.

The International Labour Organization identifies the elements of occupational health as:

• identification and assessment of the risks from health hazards in the workplace
• advice on elements of the work environment or working practices that may affect workers’ health, such as welfare provisions or housing provided by the employer
• guidance on workplace and work equipment
• monitoring workers’ health in relation to work
• and investigation of occupational ill-health or diseases.

Work environments and working conditions are key determinants of health outcomes, both positive and negative. As such, the role organisations play in supporting the health of workers is a significant one.

Effective occupational health contributes to the delivery of the following SDG targets:

• 3.3 end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases
• 3.5 strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol
• 6.3 improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials
• 10.4 adopt policies, especially fiscal, wage and social protection policies, and progressively achieve greater equality.

A significant majority of global occupational fatalities can be attributed to occupational diseases such as cancer, circulatory diseases, and communicable diseases. Efforts both to prevent the occurrence of work-related disease and to support those workers impacted by them are hugely important. Not only will this help with the long-term sustainability and viability of businesses, but it will also help protect public health systems.

Good occupational health services have been proven to enhance employee health, workforce productivity, business performance and the economy. Well-designed prevention policy packages enhance population health, reduce health expenditure, and improve employment (including longevity of working life) and work productivity.

The importance of a occupational health as part of good occupational safety and health provision is recognised by its inclusion in IOSH’s competency framework.

Ensuring the welfare of workers involves providing clean, healthy and comfortable surroundings and services and amenities that are necessary for employee wellbeing.

The provision of welfare facilities for the health and wellbeing of workers includes:

• toilets and washing facilities
• rest and changing spaces
• a place to store and dry work clothing
• clean space to eat and drink during break times
• and first aid arrangements.

These are an important part of good OSH management.

Organisations should consider offering more than basic facilities. Better welfare provision makes workers feel valued and looked after, which is likely to make them more committed to working for, and staying with, the organisation and to recommend it to others. Being an employer of choice, retaining and recruiting talented and productive workers will make the organisation more profitable and sustainable.

Welfare provision contributes to the delivery of the following SDG targets:

• 6.1 access to safe…drinking water
• 6.2 access to adequate…sanitation and hygiene
• 10.4 adopt policies, especially fiscal, wage and social protection policies, and progressively achieve greater equality

The provision of comprehensive welfare facilities for workers realises a number of basic human rights in the workplace context. Where the idea of a safe and healthy work environment might call to mind the provision of well-planned work activities and well-maintained equipment, broader arrangements for worker welfare ensure that all workers are able to wash, drink, and rest, as well as being able to comfortably take care of their personal needs.

For more information on OSH welfare provision, search for the following guide on our website: Introduction to welfare.

The importance of welfare as part of good occupational safety and health provision is recognised by its inclusion in IOSH’s competency framework.

OSH legislation comprises laws to set minimum standards for protecting workers’ safety and health.

In some countries, legislation and enforcement are more mature than in others. All countries are required by the International Labour Organization’s occupational safety and health Convention 155 to have national occupational health and safety policies. Governments and businesses must promote OSH and improve working conditions to reduce exposure to hazards that can cause accidents and ill health.

Workers’ health has a powerful influence on productivity. Health problems can lead to discrimination against workers and cost governments and enterprises. A vicious circle of poor health, reduced working capacity, low productivity and shortened life expectancy is a typical outcome where there is no social intervention to reduce the underlying problems of irregular and low-quality employment, low pay and the lack of social protection. International organisations can help to promote health and safety at work, especially in countries with developing regulatory and enforcement structures. The most effective measures are often those that actively involve workers’ and employers’ organisations.

Complying with OSH legislation contributes to the delivery of the following SDG targets:

• 1.3 implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all
• 3.3 end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases
• 3.4 reduce…non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and wellbeing
• 3.5 strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol
• 3.6 halve the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents
• 3.9 substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination
• 3d strengthen the capacity of all countries, in particular developing countries, for early warning, risk reduction and management of national and global health risks
• 6.1 access to safe…drinking water
• 6.2 access to adequate…sanitation and hygiene
• 8.2 achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading, and innovation
• 8.5 full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities
• 8.7 eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery, human trafficking and child labour
• 8.8 protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers, in particular women migrants, and those in precarious employment.

OSH legislation provides a formal framework for the realisation of labour rights related to working conditions, workplace entitlements, employment arrangements, and broad social protections. Notwithstanding the fact that the scope, ambition, and effectiveness of legislation varies between countries, OSH laws set a minimum standard for businesses to comply with. Where legislation is mature and appropriately reflects the modern context of work and the OSH risks within it, businesses’ compliance can help maintain and improve work for all.

The importance of a health and safety legislation as part of good occupational safety and health provision is recognised by its inclusion in IOSH’s competency framework.