Occupational safety and health (OSH)
Transition to risk-oriented approach and new social protection model in Kazakhstan
Representatives from the Government, workers’ and employers’ organizations joined the ILO tripartite workshop in Astana to explore practical reforms to Kazakhstan’s occupational risk assessment system and social protection model, aiming to shift from compensation to prevention.
4 June 2025
ASTANA (ILO News) – A practical tripartite workshop, organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Astana, Kazakhstan on 2–3 June 2025, brought together more than 50 representatives of the Government, workers’ and employers’ organizations. The participants engaged in discussions and critical analysis of the current occupational risk assessment methodology.
Organized within the framework of the ILO project "Promoting occupational safety and health through social dialogue in the mining sector of Kazakhstan" and with support from the JSC “Workforce Development Center”, the workshop aimed to develop practical improvements based on feasibility and international best practices.
ILO expert Ekaterina Kuznetsova facilitated interactive exchanges, brainstorming sessions and group discussions. The active involvement of all participants helped to identify shared expectations and concerns within the professional community, and generated practical suggestions aligned with national realities.
Participants discussed potential pathways for phasing out the existing lists of hazardous occupations and the current workplace attestation system (ARM), in favour of integrated and individual occupational risk assessments (IORA). Focus was placed on the organizational, methodological and social risks of transitioning from a compensation-based model to a new risk-oriented approach, and on key conditions under which such a reform could gain support from the professional community.
The dialogue revealed both the potential of the new prevention-based approach and important concerns, underscoring the need for further revision and contextual adaptation. The seminar confirmed that continued progress would require broad engagement, alignment of interests and ongoing feedback.
At the conclusion of the seminar, participants formulated a set of important recommendations:
- include broader technical expertise in revising the current occupational risk assessment methodology;
- launch pilot projects across different sectors and enterprises to test and refine the methodology based on collected evidence;
- establish regular collective review through systematic meetings and consultations;
- provide methodological support and ensure transparency throughout the revision process;
- secure legal recognition of the methodology and formalize its outcomes as the basis for assigning compensation and shaping insurance tariff policies within the social protection system.
Participants noted the importance and potential social impact of the event, highlighting its contribution to the implementation of the Roadmap for Promoting Decent Work in Kazakhstan.
Relevant projects
Development Cooperation Project
Promoting occupational safety and health through social dialogue in mining sector in Kazakhstan