Workers, employers, governments and safety and health departments around the world, in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO), observed the World Day for Safety and Health at Work on 28 April in an effort to highlight the need for a new "safety culture" to reduce or prevent occupational accidents and disease that take an average of 6,000 lives every day of the year.

The ILO and its tripartite partners planned a series of events ranging from commemorations for workers who lost their lives or their health as a result of workplace accidents to symposia, memorials, marches and talk shows aimed at promoting a "safety culture" (www.ilo.org/safework/safeday) called for by the ILO International Labour Conference last year.

The ILO observes the World Day to stress the value of prevention of accidents and illness at work. The event capitalizes on the ILO's traditional strengths of tripartism and social dialogue, as it brings together both workers and employers in concert with Governments to raise awareness about occupational safety and health.

Promoting and creating a safety and health culture was the theme of this year's World Day for Safety and Health at Work. ILO Director-General Juan Somavia, in a message for the day said: "A safety culture must be nurtured through partnership and dialogue - governments, employers and workers within a framework of rights, responsibilities and duties, finding common ground, creating safe and healthy work places. I strongly believe that this is one of the most fertile areas for reaching consensus in the world of work."