Community news|24/09/14

What to remember from the 20th World Congress on Safety and Health at Work

Home > The news of EUROGIP and occupational risks in Europe > What to remember from the 20th World Congress on Safety and Health at Work

The 20th World Congress on Safety and Health at Work (OSH) ended recently. It was held in Frankfurt (Germany) from 24 to 27 August, bringing together around 4,000 participants from 143 countries. Co-organized by the DGUV, the ILO and the ISSA, it aimed to “share a vision for sustainable prevention”. The three main themes of the Congress were prevention culture and strategies, challenges for health at work, and diversity in the working world.

This three-yearly congress reflects the main topical OSH issues worldwide. Apart from the symposiums on specific subjects or risks, note that in 2014 the following themes were recurrent:

  • Health – rather than safety – at work;
  • The impact of chronic diseases;
  • The individual as a whole person and not merely at work;
  • The balance between private life and working life;
  • Well-being;
  • The link between OSH and companies’ productivity, competitiveness and reputation.

At present, the increasing attention to public health clearly includes health at work. According to the ILO, “many more stakeholders — governments, employers, workers and other actors — now accept that the burden of occupational accidents and ill health is much greater than previously believed”. Hence the need to give priority to prevention for the benefit of all.

To find out more, go to: “Safety and Health at Work: A Vision for Sustainable Prevention” published by the ILO.

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