Pressures on industrial safety

The International Labour Organisation turned the spotlight on risk management at the workplace on the occasion of the “world day for safety and health at work” that was observed recently. The theme is of immense relevance to Asia, where the phenomenal growth in output is, according to analysts, uncomfortably accompanied by growing incidence of industrial accidents, work-related illnesses and fatalities — a particularly ominous situation, given the region’s predominantly informal economies with extremely limited social protection. Annually, there are estimated to be 270 million non-fatal accidents resulting in a huge loss of working days, and in terms of sheer economic cost, the burden is estimated at four per cent of global gross domestic product. Whereas agriculture, mining, fishing, construction, and logging are traditionally among the most hazardous sectors, sector-independent hazards such as radiation, noise and vibration, and emission of dust and fumes take a heavy toll on worker safety and well-being in urban industrial locations. The risks related to psycho-social disorders such as repetitive strain and stress that are linked to insecurity of employment, adaptation to rapid changes in technologies, and poor work-life balance are relatively new challenges in the emerging economies. The health and safety agencies of 10 Asian countries, including China, Japan, and Korea, are signatories to the 2007 Inchon (Korea) Declaration that provides for joint research and exchange of manpower to ensure safety at work. Underlying this initiative is the imperative need for regional cooperation, given the extensive off-shore facilities that firms rely upon, itself a move dictated by the current climate of intense competitiveness.

Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) is high on the global agenda following South Korea’s ratification of the latest ILO convention on the subject, paving the way for its entry into force in the coming months. This promotional framework convention lays added emphasis on the formulation of national policies on safety and health at work, building on the 1981 convention. The present momentum is expected to influence the deliberations at the 18th World Congress on OSH to be held in Seoul in late June. Sustaining current growth rates in Asia is increasingly seen as critical to ward off the impact of the global slowdown. To that extent, subjecting social protection policies to the pressures of cost-efficiency would be short-sighted and even counterproductive.