The Ministry of Labour will organise a series of events to mark this year’s World Day for Safety and Health at Work. The focus of this year’s awareness raising activities will be the safety of construction workers in the kingdom.

The ILO will support the ministry in its Fourth Conference on Occupation Safety and Health (OSH), under the title “Safety in Construction Sector”, which aims to highlight the work-related hazards of the construction sector and promote the prevention of occupational accidents and safety procedures. The conference will review national labour legislations related to OSH in the construction sector and examine ways of developing it in line with related International labour standards.

The OSH Conference will cover the following subjects:

• OSH and International Labour Standards in the construction sector;
• working conditions of the construction sector;
• safety of workers in the construction sector: current situation and future prospects;
• work injures in the construction sector;
• pilot programme for working in the construction sector; and
• the role of trade unions.

The ILO Constitution enshrines the principle that workers should be protected from sickness, disease and injury arising from their employment. Yet this has yet to become a reality for millions of workers around the world. According to ILO statistics, work-related accidents and diseases are responsible for 2.3 million deaths worldwide every year. In addition, many millions of workers suffer from non-fatal injuries and illnesses, reflecting in a colossal social and economic burden for enterprises, communities and countries. Added to this is the appalling human pain and suffering and financial problems for the workers and their families.

The ILO has adopted more than 40 international labour standards specifically dealing with OSH, as well as over 40 Codes of Practice. In June 2006, the 95th session of the International Labour Conference adopted Convention No. 187 concerning the Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health, which entered into force in February 2008.