Nearly 3 million people die of work-related accidents and diseases

• The ILO also estimates that 395 million workers worldwide sustained non-fatal work injuries

Nearly three million workers die every year due to work-related accidents and diseases, according to new ILO estimates. 

The toll underscores the persistent challenges in safeguarding the health and safety of workers, globally. Most of these work-related fatalities, totalling 2.6 million deaths, stem from work-related diseases. Work accidents account for an additional 330,000 deaths, according to the analysis. Circulatory diseases, malignant neoplasms and respiratory diseases rank among the top three causes of work-related death. Together, these three categories contribute more than three-quarters of total work-related mortality. 

The new data, included in the new ILO report, ‘A Call for Safer and Healthier Working Environments’, presented at the 23rd World Congress on Safety and Health at Work, one of the largest international conferences on this subject was held in Sydney, Australia, from 27 - 30 November. The report underlines that work-related deaths are unequally distributed, with the male mortality rate (108.3 per 100,000 in the labour force) being significantly higher than the female rate (48.4 per 100,000). 

The Asia and the Pacific region has the highest work-related mortality (63 % of the global total) because of the size of the region’s workforce. Agriculture, construction, forestry, fishing and manufacturing are the most hazardous sectors, accounting for 200,000 fatal injuries per year, that represents over 60 % of all fatal occupational injuries. In particular, one-in-three fatal occupational injuries worldwide occur among agricultural workers, the report says. In addition to the global tragedy of work-related deaths, the ILO estimated that 395 million workers worldwide sustained non-fatal work injuries, damaging workers’ health and causing absence from work. To boost global efforts to ensure a safe and healthy work environment, the ILO Governing Body has adopted the new Global Strategy on Occupational Safety and Health for 2024-2030. The goal is to promote, respect and progressively realise the fundamental right to a safe and healthy working environment worldwide, in line with the ILO’s dedication to social justice and the promotion of decent work. 

The strategy encourages ILO members to act on three pillars

n First, improve national Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) frameworks by enhancing governance, promoting reliable data, and building competency. 

n Second, strengthen coordination, partnerships and investment in OSH at national and global levels. 

n Third, enhance workplace OSH management systems, tailoring it to specific hazards, risks, sectors and occupations, and taking into consideration how working conditions can affect the physical and mental health of workers.