[ 1 9 7]
Enviro nme ntal Manage me nt and He alth
8 / 5 [1997] 1 9 7 –1 9 8 © MCB Unive rs ity Pre s s [ISSN 0956-6163]
International dimension of occupational and
environmental health
Jukka Takala
Inte rnatio nal Labo ur Offic e , Ge ne va, Switze rland
Isaac Obadia
Inte rnatio nal Labo ur Offic e , Ge ne va, Switze rland
Describes the Global Pro-gramme on Occupational Safety, Health and Environ-ment of the International Labour Office (ILO). The inculcation of a safety cul-ture, access to knowledge, standard setting and self-regulation are key points of the ILO programme.
Dimension and cost
Occu p a t ion a l a ccid en t s a r ou n d t h e wor ld a n n u a lly n u m b er m or e t h a n 125 m illion . Of t h es e, a p p r oxim a t ely 220,000 a r e fa t a l a cci-d en t s ! F u r t h er m or e, ever y yea r 10 m illion cr ip p lin g in ju r ies a n d d isea s es a d d t o h u n -d r e-d s of m illion s of wor k er s w it h -d isa b ilit ies a r ou n d t h e wor ld .
T h e In t er n a t ion a l La b ou r Or ga n iza t ion (ILO) a n d t h e Wor ld Hea lt h Or ga n iza t ion (WHO) a r e join t ly p r od u cin g n ew ev id en ce on t h e m a gn it u d e of occu p a t ion a l sa fet y a n d h ea lt h p r oblem s. Ta ble I gives est im a t es of t h e n u m b er of fa t a l a ccid en t s in select ed r e gion s.
T h e a ct u a l r e p or t ed n u m b er of fa t a l a ccid en t s is u s u a lly low er b eca u se of lim it ed cover a ge by t h e r e p or t in g sch em es a n d u n d er r e p or t -in g.
In a d d it ion , occu p a t ion a l a n d wor k -r ela t ed d is ea ses, s u ch a s silicosis a n d occu p a t ion a l ca n cer ca u s e a la r ge n u m b er of fa t a lit ies. A r ecen t st u dy on t h e Glob a l B u rd en of Disea se (M u r r ay a n d Lop e z, 1996) a t t r ibu t ed s om e 1.1 m illion a n n u a l d ea t h s t o occu p a t ion a l fa c-t or s. Ic-t in d ica c-t es c-t h a c-t c-t h e ILO es c-t im a c-t es a r e r ela t ively low a n d p u t s em p h a s is on occu p a -t ion a l d is ea ses.
Response
In r es p on s e t o t h e r a p id ly ch a n gin g in t er n a -t ion a l econ om ic, s ocia l a n d en v ir on m en -t a l
sit u a t ion , t h e In t er n a t ion a l La b ou r Office h a s d ecid ed t o la u n ch a “Glob a l P r ogr a m m e on Occu p a t ion a l Sa fet y, H ea lt h a n d E n v ir on -m en t ” a s a n ew in it ia t ive t o en su r e t h a t t h e effect ive p r ot ect ion of t h e h ea lt h of wor k in g p eop le a n d t h eir en v ir on m en t is n ot over -look ed a n d is in t e gr a t ed a s a b en efi cia l ele-m en t of s ocia l s t a b ilit y a n d su st a in a ble eco-n om ic gr ow t h . T h is p r ogr a m m e m ob ilizes r esou r ces t o b r in g a b ou t la st in g im p r ove-m en t s in occu p a t ion a l s a fet y, h ea lt h a n d en v i-r on m en t by i-r ed u cin g a ccid en t s a n d i-r isk s.
Safety culture
In m a n y of t h e r a p id ly in d u s t r ia lizin g cou n -t r ies a sa fe-t y cu l-t u r e (ILO P r ogr a m m e, 1997) a n d aw a r en ess of t h e p osit ive va lu e of a sa fe a n d h ea lt h y wor k in g en v ir on m en t in t er m s of econ om ic b en efi t s a n d socia l ju s t ice a r e low or n on -exist en t . As seen fr om t h e exp er ien ce in in d u st r ia lized cou n t r ies w h er e it t ook over a cen t u r y t o bu ild a solid sa fet y cu lt u r e, t h e p r ogr essive in t e gr a t ion of sa fet y p r in cip les a n d “r efl exes” is a fu n d a m en t a l p r er eq u isit e for a n y im p r ovem en t in t h e r ed u ct ion of occu -p a t ion a l a ccid en t s a n d d isea ses. A lon g-t er m im p lem en t a t ion of good sa fet y, h ea lt h a n d en v ir on m en t a l p r a ct ices, i.e. t h e con t in u ed “im p la n t a t ion ” of a sa fet y cu lt u r e a s a n essen t ia l p a r t of t h e m or e gen er a l s ocia l or en t er p r ise cu lt u r e, is t h e on ly w ay t o r ed u ce t h e cost of over a ll h ea lt h ca r e d eliver y w h ile in cr ea sin g gen er a l p r od u ct iv it y. Occu p a -t ion a l sa fe-t y a n d h ea l-t h m a n a gem en -t sy s-t em s w ill h ave a k ey r ole in p r om ot in g su ch a cu l-t u r e a l-t l-t h e com p a n y level.
Access to knowledge
E ffect iven ess a n d su cces s of a n y t y p e of d eci-sion -m a k in g p r ocess w ill d e p en d ess en t ia lly on a ccess t o va lid d a t a on t h e ob ject of t h e d ecision or t h e p r oblem a t h a n d . In t h e ca se of OSH E , t h is m ea n s r ea d ily ava ila ble scien -t ifi c a n d -t ech n ica l d a -t a , r elia ble a ccid en -t a n d d isea se st a t is t ics, a n d in for m a t ion on n a t ion a l exp er ien ces fr om cou n t r ies w it h d iffer en t cu lt u r es, en v ir on m en t s a n d levels of econ om ic d evelop m en t . It a lso m ea n s t h e ava ila b ilit y of su fficien t r esou r ces a n d
Glo bal and re gio nal initiative s
Table I
Oc c upatio nal fatality e s timate s in s e le c te d Wo rld Bank de fine d re gio ns
Fatality rate
Fatal/ 100,000 Employment Estimated number
Region workers (millions) of fatalities
Established market economies 5 .3a 3 6 6 1 9 ,5 0 0
India 1 1 .0b 3 3 4d 3 6 ,5 0 0
China 1 1 .1c 6 1 5 6 8 ,0 0 0
Other Asia and Island 2 1 .2a 3 4 0 7 2 ,0 0 0
Notes:
a Based on data reported to the ILO, year 1 9 9 4
b Based on Malaysian rate, Indian mining sec tor rate is 4 2 .0 c Based on the rate of former Soc ialist Europe
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Jukka Takala and Is aac Obadia
Inte rnatio nal dime nsio n o f o c c upatio nal and e nviro nme ntal he alth Enviro nme ntal Manage me nt and He alth
8 / 5 [1 9 9 7 ] 1 9 7 –1 9 8
st r u ct u r es for a p p r op r ia t e t r a in in g of p eop le in t h e d iffer en t sk ills r eq u ir ed t o collect , t r ea t , a n d in t er p r et in for m a t ion , t o m a n a ge t h e im p lem en t a t ion of p olicies a n d
p r ogr a m m es, a n d t o m a st er n ew t ech n olo-gies.
In t e gr a t ed t ools for r e gu la t ion a t a glob a l level of occu p a t ion a l sa fet y a n d h ea lt h m a n -a gem en t , in clu d in g m -a n -a ged occu p -a t ion -a l h ea lt h ca r e n eed t o b e d evelop ed . Key a r ea s for t h e d evelop m en t of t h ese u n ify in g or ga n iza t ion a l t ools cou ld b e b a sed on t h e ela b or a t ion of in t e gr a t ed occu p a t ion a l a n d en v ir on -m en t a l h ea lt h p olicies a n d t h e a d a p t ion of h ea lt h , la b ou r a n d en v ir on m en t a l st r u ct u r es a n d s er v ices a t t h e n a t ion a l a n d com m u n it y level. T h e p r om ot ion of st r on g a p p r op r ia t e con s u lt a t ion a n d co-or d in a t ion s t r u ct u r es a t t h e n a t ion a l level is t h er efor e n eed ed t o ela b o-r a t e t h es e u n ify in g oo-r ga n iza t ion a l t ools. ILO w ill p r ov id e wor k in g m od els by con s id er in g a fu ll con s olid a t ion , u p d a t in g a n d s t r ea m lin in g of it s OSH in s t r u m en t s a n d st a n d a r d s in t o a com p r eh en sive set of OSH le gisla t ive a n d t ech n ica l “fu n d a m en t a ls ”.
Standards and other regulatory
mechanisms
In t h e r e gu la t or y fi eld , t r a d e lib er a liza t ion is gen er a t in g a t r en d t ow a r d s d isen ga gem en t of gover n m en t s fr om t h eir t r a d it ion a l r ole of m on it or in g com p lia n ce w it h s a fet y a n d h ea lt h s t a n d a r d s, a n d a m ove t o selfr e gu la -t ion -t h r ou gh r e gion a l or in -t er n a -t ion a l in d u s-t r y -b a s ed OSH m a n a gem en s-t s s-t a n d a r d s s u ch a s t h e p r op osed ILO Occu p a t ion a l Sa fet y a n d H ea lt h M a n a gem en t St a n d a r d or t h e P r od u ct St ew a r d s h ip a n d Resp on s ible Ca r e
p r ogr a m m es. Tech n ica l s t a n d a r d s, cod es of p r a ct ice, q u a lit y m a n a gem en t s t a n d a r d s a n d cod es of con d u ct , en v ir on m en t a l p r ot ect ion st a n d a r d s a s w ell a s t ech n ica l a n d et h ica l gu id a n ce m u lt ip ly r a p id ly w it h ou t a n y
m ea n in gfu l lin k a ges t o en su r e over a ll coh er -en ce, in t e gr a t ion , sy n er gies a n d t h er efor e econ om y of r es ou r ces a n d ea se of im p lem en -t a -t ion . Mor eover, -t h er e is a n in cr ea sin g r ecogn it ion t h a t a s for a n y con t r a ct , b e it com m er cia l, le ga l or socia l, t h es e st a n d a r d s ca n fu n ct ion on ly w h en a cer t a in n u m b er of et h ica l p r in cip les a n d r u les a r e r es p ect ed by t h e con t r a ct in g p a r t ies a n d com p lia n ce m on i-t or in g m ech a n ism s a cce p i-t ed by a ll a r e ava il-a ble.
T h e st a n d a r d set t in g a t a n in t er n a t ion a l level h a s b een – a n d w ill b e – a k ey a ct iv it y of t h e In t er n a t ion a l La b ou r Or ga n iza t ion . In a d d it ion t o t h e ILO con ven t ion s on occu p a -t ion a l sa fe-t y a n d h ea l-t h , w h ich se-t -t h e m in i-m u i-m a cce p t a ble level, ot h er i-m ech a n isi-m s m ay b e u sed . T h e H a r m on isa t ion of Cla ssifi -ca t ion a n d La b ellin g Sy s t em s of Ch em i-ca ls m ay b e issu ed a s a n in t er a gen cy or UN r ec-om m en d a t ion follow in g t h e m od el of t h e UN Recom m en d a t ion s for t h e T r a n sp or t of Da n -ger ou s Good s. It is a lso im p or t a n t t o n ot e t h a t , a ft er con sid er in g t h e In t er n a t ion a l Or ga n iza t ion for St a n d a r d iza t ion a s a p ossi-ble fr a m ewor k for t h e d evelop m en t of a n in t er n a t ion a l OSH m a n a gem en t st a n d a r d , a m a jor it y of gover n m en t s a s w ell a s in d u st r y a n d wor k er s’ or ga n iza t ion s ca m e t o r ecogn ize ILO a s b ein g t h e on ly or ga n iza t ion eq u ip p ed t o d evelop s u ch a st a n d a r d . It is ev id en t t h a t t h e t r ip a r t it e st r u ct u r e of ILO gives it a sig-n ifi ca sig-n t com p a r a t ive a dva sig-n t a ge isig-n t h e d efi sig-n i-t ion of “sofi-t r e gu la i-t or y a p p r oa ch es ” su ch a s “h ow t o” t ech n ica l r ecom m en d a t ion s (ILO N ew s, 1997).
References
“ILO N ew s ” (1997), A fr ica n N ew sletter on Occu p a
-tion a l H ea lth a n d S a fety, Vol. 7 N o. 1, p p. 16-17. IL O Pr og ra m m e a n d B u d get Pr op osa ls, 1998-99
(1997), In t er n a t ion a l La b ou r Office, Gen eva . M u r r ay, J .L. a n d Lop e z, A.D. (1996), T h e Glob a l
B u rd en of Disea se (Su m m a r y ), H a r va r d Un
