“According to the estimates of the International Labor Organization (Oil), every year around 2.8 million male and female workers lose their lives due to an accident or an occupational disease: about 400 thousand workers are victims of fatal accidents and 2.4 million are the deaths caused by occupational diseases “. This was reported to Adnkronos / Labitalia Gianni Rosas, Oil Office Director for Italy and San Marino. “In other words – he underlines – it is as if an average of 7,500 workers die every day from these causes: more than five workers per minute. To these figures are added the more than 374 million workers who are victims of accidents at work every year. not fatal but causing serious injuries and leading to absences from work “.
“It is estimated – he continues – 160 million cases of non-fatal occupational diseases on an annual basis”.
“The days of work lost – points out – the compensation of workers, the interruption of production and medical expenses cost a total of 4% of world GDP (about 2,800 billion dollars, equivalent to the GDP of a country like Great Britain) “.
“One of our studies – he underlines – has shown that for every euro invested annually in prevention, companies have a return of 2.20 euro“.
“Deaths, injuries and work-related illnesses – he warns – are not inevitable. Risks can be reduced and human losses eliminated. In addition to eliminating these accidents and diseases that are socially and morally unacceptable, the strengthening of health and safety at work also has an economic impact “.
“To prevent occupational accidents and deaths at work – says Gianni Rosas – the regulatory system should be accompanied by an organic strategy that defines concrete actions to be implemented at the local and company level, with measurable and monitorable tools, and with the definition of roles, responsibilities and collaborations between the various institutions and bodies with a mandate on health and safety at work, including representatives of the social forces“.
“International standards – he points out – on health and safety at work (Convention on health and safety at work number 155 of 1981 and the relative protocol, as well as the Promotional framework for safety and health at work, Convention number 187 of 2006 ) level of safety at work states to promote a culture of strategy and implement a national and corporate health-on-health strategy “.
“In particular – Rosas recalls – the strategy must define rights and responsibilities and connect and update the policies that have been entered over time (Convention provides for the adoption of a national policy and a series of actions to be undertaken by governments and enterprises, in order to promote health and safety in the workplace and improve working conditions. in order to promote health and safety in the workplace and improve working conditions “.
“Italy – remarks – began in 2015 the procedure for the adoption of the international standards on health and safety at work provided for by the Convention on health and safety at work number 155 of 1981; which, once ratified, must be transposed through the implementation of concrete policies and interventions. It is hoped that this ratification process can be concluded quickly and that integrated and operational strategies will be implemented as soon as possible“.