Occupational Health and Safety - a must for employers!

The ILO estimates that each year, about 2.3 million men and women die from work-related accidents and diseases. The cost of occupational accidents and diseases, including lost working time, compensation and medical expenses, amounts to an estimated 4 per cent of the world’s GDP.

Employers’ organisations (EOs) have a key role to play in assisting their members in implementing the existing legislation on OSH and in promoting safe working conditions. Providing OSH services to members is also an opportunity for EOs to enhance their image and to build revenue.

In 2007-2008, the ILO Turin Centre participated in a Leonardo Project with leading Belgian employers partners (FEB, BESACC and Prevention and Interim) which resulted in the development of a training package on OSH for company supervisors

This “SAFESTART” training material aims at helping employers’ organizations to build capacity in this crucial area and take stock of the Belgian expertise, involving the social partners and characterised by a rich and innovative tradition both in legislation and in specific services by EOs.

With the support of the Federation of Enterprises of Belgium (FEB), the ILO Turin Centre ran a pilot workshop from 22 to 24 April 2009 for 15 OSH and training experts from new EU Member States and candidate countries intended for sharing experience for assistance and services provided to members in this field.

The participants reviewed the main obligations resulting from EU and international standards and discussed the used of the SAFESTART training package in their EOs.
It was found a relevant and flexible tool that can be used face to face or at a distance to enhance occupational safety and health in companies.

BIA (Bulgaria) and ACPR (Romania) will be the first EOs to adapt SAFESTART to use in their respective contexts.

The ILO Turin Centre and the FEB plan to adapt this training tool for use by EOs worldwide. The next workshop is scheduled for EOs in South East Asia.