“Implementing a safe and healthy working environment: Where are we now?” (an ILO report)

On 28 April 2023, the ILO published a new report on the global implementation status of some key provisions in the fundamental Conventions No. 155 and 187.
The publication took place on the World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2023, celebrating the decision to include a safe and healthy work environment in the ILO Fundamental Principles and Rights framework.
It shows that, even if progress has been made, the health and safety of numerous workers worldwide are still at risk due to a lack of appropriate occupational safety and health (OSH) action in several crucial areas. It is essential to address the issue of the suffering caused for workers and their families, and the associated economic costs are colossal for enterprises and countries.

All ILO Member States must respect, promote and realize the fundamental right to a safe and healthy working environment, whether or not they have ratified the relevant Conventions.

The report offers an overview of the global implementation status of some key elements contained in the fundamental OSH Conventions essential for the realization of a safe and healthy working environment:

- the report shows that nearly all ILO Member States have an authority or body responsible for OSH (87 percent of them are housed in the Ministry of labour or a similar body while, in the other cases, they are housed in ministries of social affairs, ministries of health or ministries of economic development). In addition, 79 percent of ILO Member States have a national tripartite body:

- legal framework: 68 per cent of ILO Member States protect workers from undue consequences if they remove themselves from dangerous situations, and 80 per cent of ILO Member States that have ratified Convention No. 155 recognize the workers' right to remove themselves from a dangerous work situation without undue consequences.

- National OSH policy: 73 per cent of ILO Member States have provisions in national legislation for establishing workplace joint OSH committees, and 92 per cent of high-income countries that have ratified Convention No. 155 require the establishment of workplace joint OSH committees.

- adopting a national policy: 47 per cent of ILO Member States have a national OSH policy, and 26 percent of low-income countries have one.

- National OSH programme: 34 per cent of ILO Member States have a national OSH programme ( but only 8 per cent of low-income countries). 83 per cent of countries with an OSH programme also have a national OSH policy.

- national recording and notification system for occupational accidents and diseases: 91 per cent of ILO Member States have established a system for the recording and notification of occupational injuries and illnesses, and 41 per cent of ILO Member States with the system in place provided data to the ILO in the past five years.