World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2025: Date, theme, history, significance — all you need to know
World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2025: Every year, people mark World Day for Safety and Health at Work on April 28 to promote workplace safety and foster a healthy work environment in all sectors.
This day was initiated by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in 2003, aiming to advocate for workplace safety standards and prioritising employee well-being by bringing awareness about work-related casualties and ailments.
This year, it is being observed on Monday, April 28, 2025, under the theme ' Revolutionising Health and Safety: The Role of AI and Digitalisation at Work, ' which aims to highlight the transformative impact of emerging technologies on Occupational Safety and Health (OSH).
⚙️ Automation could reshape millions of jobs globally.
If implemented responsibly, it can save lives and protect health.
Discover how smart tools impact workplace safety and health: https://t.co/VsN4OdcoXf pic.twitter.com/V5fUfn4nQ9
— International Labour Organization (@ilo) April 26, 2025
The world of work is rapidly evolving due to AI, technology, and digitalisation; by addressing both the advantages and challenges it presents, the campaign will also explore how these factors are influencing and transforming labour trends, enabling the creation of safer and healthier workplaces for everyone on a global scale.
World Day for Safety and Health at Work is for everyone, not just office workers, including those who work in factories, farms, hospitals, schools, and construction sites.
It promotes communication between governments, employees, and other stakeholders to establish and implement occupational safety and health (OSH) rules and practices.
It emphasises that everyone, regardless of where they work, has the right to a safe and healthy workplace, with the day serving as a reminder to promote workplace safety and the necessity of avoiding work-related illnesses or accidents.
Technology should protect, not replace, workers' rights.
On #SafeDay, join us to explore how #AI and digitalization can support safer, fairer workplaces for all.
🎥 Watch live on 28 April: pic.twitter.com/TDIGKYH6F7
— International Labour Organization (@ilo) April 27, 2025
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
22-05-2025
- Indian Express
Five things India needs to do to combat heatwave
Written by Neeraj Singh Manhas With temperatures above 45 degrees Celsius (113°F) hitting many parts of the country, heatwaves have become a public health and economic emergency. The lack of dedicated infrastructure for heatwaves puts millions at risk of death, heatstroke and dehydration. As climate change intensifies the frequency and severity of extreme heat, India must act swiftly to establish a robust, nationwide heatwave mitigation framework. Geographically, the country is a heatwave hotspot. More than 80 per cent of the country sees extreme heat between March and June, with northern and central states, including Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, consistently hitting over 40 degrees Celsius. Urban centres such as Delhi, Ahmedabad and Chennai become heat sinks, and the heat gathers momentum on the concrete-heavy skyline thanks to the urban heat island (UHI) effect. In rural zones, there's no relief either. A 2023 Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) study forecasts that heatwaves will become 30 per cent more frequent and severe by 2050, with each one lasting longer and arriving earlier. Without infrastructure to counter these conditions, the toll on human health can be and is devastating. Heatstroke, organ failure, and cardiovascular strain disproportionately afflict the elderly, children, and low-income communities, who lack access to cooling or medical care. The socioeconomic implications are also troubling. Heatwaves threaten the livelihood of India's huge outdoor workforce. Over 40 per cent of the population comprises construction workers, farmers, street vendors, food delivery partners, and rickshaw pullers. In 2022, India lost an estimated $100 billion from heat-induced productivity losses. According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), small businesses and the informal economy suffer a disproportionate impact. As soils dry and irrigation systems splutter, farmers confront crop failures and food security is endangered. And as cities strain to meet skyrocketing demand for air-conditioning, their power grids are faltering, with blackouts crippling hospitals, schools and other civic institutions. In 2024, Delhi reported over 200 heatwave-related deaths in a single week, with hospitals overwhelmed and morgues running out of space. These are not isolated incidents but symptoms of systemic unpreparedness. India has precedents to build on. The National Disaster Management Authority's heatwave guidelines, updated in 2019, provide a framework, but their implementation is patchy. States like Odisha, which revolutionised cyclone preparedness with shelters and early warnings, offer a model for heatwave resilience. Ahmedabad's Heat Action Plan, launched in 2013 (also updated in 2019), reduced heat-related mortality by 30 per cent through simple measures like cool roofs and public water distribution. Scaling these successes requires political will, funding, and coordination across central and state governments. Public-private partnerships can accelerate progress. Private firms could supply cooling technologies, while NGOs could manage community outreach. International funding, such as climate adaptation grants, could offset costs, given India's outsized exposure to climate impacts. What does a national heatwave infrastructure look like? First, cooling centres within reach of everyone need to be set up in every town, city, and rural area. The shelters, with water, shade, fans and simple medical services — provided by a local ambulance service — would be a resource to use during intense heat. Ahmedabad's cooling centres prevented many deaths during the 2023 heatwave, but the facilities are rare elsewhere. Second, we need urban planning that prioritises heat-resilient design. The widespread use of reflective roofs, better ventilation, and green spaces outdoors can also do much to bring down outdoor temperatures. These can reduce ambient temperatures significantly. Yet, cities like Delhi, with a meagre 23 per cent tree cover, lag behind global standards. Planting heat-tolerant trees and creating urban forests should be a national priority to combat heat island effects. Third, early warning systems, which are already working for states like Gujarat and Odisha, must be replicated on a nationwide scale. The early warning systems that rely on weather forecasts to give a heat alert should be complemented by public awareness campaigns in native languages to inform the people of the risks of extreme heat and how to prevent them. Mobile apps and SMS alerts can work in rural areas, but they require investment in digital infrastructure. Fourth, cheap cooling systems are important for low-income households. Subsidised fans, evaporative coolers or community cooling stations could help close the gap for the approximately 88 per cent of Indian households that lack access to air conditioning, according to a survey conducted in 2021. Finally, the healthcare sector needs to be ready for a heatwave, with trained staff, plentiful supplies and well-thought-out protocols to deal with the conditions, and patients with heat-related illnesses. Hospitals regularly run out of oral rehydration salts and IV fluids during the worst heat. Building a national heatwave infrastructure is not just a policy choice, it is a moral and economic imperative. The time to act is now, before the next summer scorches more lives and livelihoods. The writer is special advisor for South Asia at the Parley Policy Initiative, Republic of Korea. He is a regular commentator on water security and transboundary river issues in India and South Asia. Views are personal
Mint
16-05-2025
- Mint
Employers of the world unite: Time to safeguard brains
Even if unevenly, Karl Marx stays in popular memory for his 1848 clarion call asking workers of the world to unite as they had nothing to lose but their chains. Unevenly because we have come a long way since the days of chimney sweeps in Europe. Or have we? Uneven workloads persist. A recent study by South Korean researchers, published in the journal Occupational Health and Environmental Medicine, says some of us may be working too many hours for our own good. This is not just work-life balance stuff. These scientists, from South Korea's Chung-Ang University and Yonsei University, who followed 110 healthcare workers split into 'overworked' and 'non-overworked' groups, found basic shifts taking place in the physiology of those who had their noses to the grind. Also Read: Work-life balance: Do employees dream of Excel sheets? Workers putting in 52 hours or more per week, who were also younger and more highly educated on average than the other lot, showed structural changes in their brain volume, as mapped over time. The parts of this vital organ that control our cognitive abilities, executive functions and emotional processing were found to be enlarged among them. This indicates a likely link between overwork and brain work—which could include anything from our short-term memory and attention span to our ability to solve problems at hand. The study's authors suggest further research to grasp 'the long-term cognitive and emotional implications of overwork." Also Read: 90 hours per week: What's with this foot in the mouth The study's sample was tiny and drawn from a single field, but any correlation between weekly work and altered brains must push science to delve deeper for answers that can inform policy. Just how safe or unsafe is it? Apart from what these brain changes might imply, whether and how they can be reversed need to be explored too. The study nudges future studies to explore the risk of cognitive decline or mental health disorders. In general, long hours are observed to have adverse effects and face legal limits in many countries. In South Korea, a work-week longer than 52 hours is illegal. This is rather high in global comparison. The International Labour Organization (ILO) standard is a 48-hour week. The legal limit under India's Factories Act of 1948 is 48 hours per week, with a maximum of nine hours per day and one day off per week. Also Read: Four-day work week: An idea whose time is all but sure to come The South Korean finding needs to be read alongside other research. A study by Oxford academics examined the relationship between long hours and middle-age cognitive function among British civil servants working full-time. Compared with those doing 40 hours per week at most, those putting in 55 hours plus scored lower in vocabulary and reasoning tests. A study of 194 nations by the ILO and World Health Organization, published in 2021, said that 488 million people in 2016 were exposed to 55-hour work weeks, resulting in 745,194 deaths from heart disease and stroke. The Western Pacific, South-East Asia (including India), men and older folk bore the brunt of it. Today, trade unions have mostly withered, Marx's economic ideas have failed and market forces play a key role in the expansion of our economy. India Inc must never unite in pursuit of profit, as the implied lack of rivalry would serve markets badly, but on the issue of overworked workers, it well could. If India Inc's work debate tilts in favour of people's health, as this new study suggests it should, business self-interest could spell better self-regulation of work hours. It might be a good time for employers to unite, but to safeguard brains.
Time of India
29-04-2025
- Time of India
Awareness events held at 45 tea estates on World Day for Safety and Health
Dibrugarh: Assam Branch Indian Tea Association (ABITA) marked the World Day for Safety and Health at Workplace on Monday, with extensive awareness programmes across 45 tea estates in Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Sivasagar and Charaideo districts. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The initiative saw participation from around 3,200 factory and plantation workers, including adolescents and community members, emphasising workplace safety, disaster preparedness, and cyber awareness. The events, held in factories, community spaces, and labour lines, focused on educating workers about safety protocols, proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE), tool safety, chemical handling, hydration, first aid, and emergency response. Special sessions on fire prevention and road safety rules were also conducted. Additionally, adolescents were sensitised on cyber safety, online scams, and responsible internet usage. Highlighting the importance of the initiative, Madhurjya Barooah, ABITA Zone 1 secretary said, "The celebration of World Safety and Health at Workplace at tea estates is crucial to raise awareness among workers, particularly on safety protocols and best practices. Ensuring a safe working environment enhances productivity and well-being of our workforce." The participating tea estates included Madhuban, Greenwood, Tamulbari and others in Dibrugarh; Betjan, Bazaloni and Rungagara, in Tinsukia; Hingrijan in Charaideo and Thowra in Sivasagar. The programme also engaged community members in disaster response training, reinforcing the need for collective vigilance in natural or man-made emergencies. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now By integrating health, safety, and digital literacy, ABITA's initiative aimed to empower workers and their families with essential knowledge for a safer future. The World Day for Safety and Health at Work, officially recognised by the International Labour Organisation, promotes the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases globally. For Assam's tea industry, which employs hundreds of thousands of workers, institutionalising safety practices represents both a humanitarian and economic imperative.
