World Day for Safety and Health at Work is a UN international day that is celebrated every April 28, it is concerned about safe work and awareness of the dimensions and consequences of work-related accidents and diseases; to place occupational safety and health (OSH) on the international and national agendas; and to provide support to the national efforts for the improvement of national OSH systems and programmes in line with relevant international labor standards.

It coincides with Workers’ Memorial Day and the Canadian National Day of Mourning. World Day for Safety and Health at Work was first celebrated by the International Labour Organization in 2003. Workers’ Memorial Day, also known as International Workers’ Memorial Day or International Commemoration Day for Dead and Injured, takes place annually around the world on April 28, an international day of remembrance and action for workers killed, disabled, injured, or made unwell by their work. In Canada, it is commemorated as the National Day of Mourning. Workers’ Memorial Day is an opportunity to highlight the preventable nature of most workplace incidents and ill health and to promote campaigns and union organization in the fight for improvements in workplace safety. The slogan for the day is Remember the dead – Fight for the living. Although April 28 is used as the focal point for remembrance and a day of international solidarity, campaigning and other related activities continue throughout the year right around the world.

In 2024 the theme is: #IWMD24 | The Climate Crisis and Workers’ Health. The theme will focus on exploring the impacts of climate change on occupational safety and health. Changing weather patterns have notable impacts on the world of work, particularly affecting workers’ safety and health. Examples of occupational risks exacerbated by climate change include heat stress, UV radiation, air pollution, major industrial accidents, extreme weather events and increased exposure to chemicals. Extreme weather and changing weather patterns affect job security, travel to and from work, and the general the health for workers including having a negative impact on workers’ mental health. Work in extreme weather can cause fatigue and increases in workplace injuries and stress-related disease, higher UV exposures place workers at risk of chronic health problems, including skin cancer and eye damage. This international day is marked by the union movement to remember all workers who lost their lives to workplace illness or injury, and to recommit ourselves to fighting to keep workers safe: Remember the Dead, Fight for the Living!

Links:
World Day for Safety and Health at Work

Kom naar het FNV symposium over werk en kanker op 24 april