ILO Myanmar highlights on SAFEDAY the importance of safe and healthy workplaces in building resilience to crises

ILO Yangon - Today in marking the World Day for Safety and Health at Work (SAFEDAY), the ILO has launched an information campaign, aimed at preventing work-related injuries and deaths.



The campaign “Let's make the workplace safe and healthy together ” aims to raise awareness about Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) among workers and employers on behaviours and measures that can prevent workplace accidents, injuries, illnesses and diseases.



This year’s campaign focuses on how OSH management can build resilience in workplaces to respond to public health crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and highlights the important role of workers and employers to implement change. The campaign includes a Facebook page on accident and injury prevention at the workplace, events and discussions with workers and employers organizations, and training on COVID-19 prevention and mitigation as well as mental health awareness.



“OSH management is an essential component of building resilience in workplaces to withstand the multiple crises affecting economic livelihoods in Myanmar including COVID-19 as well as the impact of the military takeover” – says Donglin Li, ILO Liaison Officer and Representative in Myanmar.



The ILO estimates that some 2.9 million women and men around the world succumb to occupational accidents or work-related diseases every year. More than 1.5 million of these deaths were the result of non-communicable diseases developed from working conditions. Additionally, there’s some 360 million non-fatal occupational accidents each year.



“SAFEDAY” plays a crucial role globally in advocacy and awareness raising, two critical tools in raising the profile and importance of Occupational Safety and Health. It supports Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8 that aims to achieve safe and secure working environments for all workers by 2030.



The ILO in Myanmar is also continuing its efforts in preventing and mitigating COVID-19. The Vision Zero Fund has reached over 6,000 workers and employers (58 per cent women) in nearly all States and Regions with prevention and mitigation training since the start of the pandemic in 2020. In addition, mental health is also a key focus under the Safety and Health for All Workers in Myanmar Project, part of the ILO Global Flagship Programme Safety + Health For All. The project kicked off mental health awareness and information sessions, and an introduction to mental health first aid training in February 2022.



The SAFEDAY campaign is a joint initiative of the Vision Zero Fund Project, an ILO initiative funded by a multi-donor trust fund, and the Safety and Health for All Workers in Myanmar Project, funded by the Government of Japan.