International
Labour Organization

FOREWORD

Each year, workers suffer 250 million occupational accidents, with 335,000 fatalities. Further suffering is caused by 160 million cases of occupational diseases and an even higher number of threats to workers’ physical and mental well-being. These are only conservative estimates because statistics are incomplete, and many accidents are unreported. In addition, the human and social costs of work-related accidents and diseases are horrendous: immeasurable to afflicted workers and their families; and costing the equivalent of 4% of the world’s gross national product. The situation is critical, touching every country, every form of economic activity and every community. Without proper safeguards and remedial action, these tragic occurrences can be expected to grow, as the world population increases and the labour market expands. The larger the global working population, the more people will be potentially at risk.

Current developments, ranging from workplace conditions to trends in global economy, give us cause for concern. New forms of production unaccompanied by safeguards are creating new risks. Globalization of industrial production is exposing new groups of workers to chemicals, processes and machinery previously unknown to them, often with little or no regard to occupational safety and health concerns. Export processing zones are spreading into areas where looser standards are allowed, vastly expanding the potential consequences to workers and surrounding residential communities. Market-driven liberalization, privatization and the weakening of regulatory protections, including the shift of responsibility for occupational safety and health from government to companies, are leaving workers in a more vulnerable position.

While the challenge facing us is immense, we must realize that all occupational accidents, injuries, fatalities and diseases are preventable. How can we succeed in this monumental task as the world of work continues to undergo dramatic changes? Occupational safety and health must be placed high on the political agenda of every country. This requires commitment from managers and policymakers to ensure that occupational safety and health is a key element in their considerations of investment and production decisions and that worker representatives, workers themselves and non governmental organizations representing the most vulnerable groups in society are involved in those decisions. As we look to the future, we must remember that human beings are not servants of economies, rather economic development and production must serve men and women. Occupational safety and health is a crucial means towards that end.

Tackling safety and health problems today requires the skills of various groups of professionals and the commitment of all those who are concerned, for whom training, education, and awareness-raising are essential. This must be a continuous process, with refresher courses, retraining and follow up to keep up to date. Professionals are needed who can think critically, communicate and interact in order to manage the difficult safety and health problems that we face today and which we will continue to face.

All of the information tools that technology has to offer are needed to resolve safety and health issues. With this in mind, an interactive CD ROM has been produced for use by trade unionists in their occupational safety and health work. Integrated with union safety and health goals, this CD ROM can enhance the learning process for individual, group and distance learning. It is our hope that this new tool brings a user-friendly contribution to the effort of protecting the lives and well-being of workers through education and awareness-raising.

The CD ROM consists of 12 training modules, all of which are of equal importance. There is no established sequence. A course could be organized using either a single module, several, or all. Applying the principle of modular teaching, the materials can be adapted to the time available, the target population and the circumstances. We recommend that potential users familiarize themselves with all 12 modules, and decide themselves which they need to use in view of their own particular circumstances.

We particularly wish to thank the author of this set of training modules, our colleague Ellen Rosskam of the ILO’s Occupational Safety and Health Branch, formerly attached to the Bureau for Workers’ Activities. Thanks are also due to Paula Repo for her work in putting these modules into an interactive CD-ROM version. We also extend thanks to all the international trade union organizations and national centres that reviewed and tested the provisional edition of the modular kit. We are pleased that this CD-ROM is available in English, French and Spanish.

Victor Hugo