Today is World Day for Safety and Health at Work

Today (Monday 28 April) is World Day for Safety and Health at Work, which was set up in 2003 by the International Labour Organization (ILO) to observe the Day in order to highlight the importance of preventing accidents and diseases at work.

This celebration is an integral part of the Global Strategy on Occupational Safety and Health of the ILO, as one of the main pillars of the Global Strategy is advocacy, the Day is a significant tool to raise awareness of how to make work safe and healthy, and of the need to raise the political profile of occupational safety and health.

28 April is also the International Commemoration Day for Dead and Injured Workers organised worldwide by the trade union movement since 1996.

The World Day for Safety and Health at Work promotes the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases globally. It is an awareness-raising campaign intended to focus international attention on the magnitude of the problem and on how promoting and creating a safety and health culture can help reduce the number of work-related deaths and injuries.

Each of us is responsible for stopping deaths and injuries on the job:

• governments are responsible for providing the infrastructure, laws and services necessary to ensure that workers remain employable and that enterprises flourish, including the development of national policy and programme, and a system of inspection to enforce compliance with occupational safety, health legislation and policy;
• employers are responsible for ensuring that the working environment is safe and health;
• workers are responsible to work safely and protect themselves and not endanger others, to know their rights and to participate in the implementation of preventive measures.

Revolutionizing health and safety: the role of AI and digitalization at work

AI and digital tools are revolutionising occupational safety and health, which is why this year's theme explores "Revolutionizing health and safety: the role of AI and digitalization at work".

Today, robots are operating in hazardous environments, doing the heavy lifting, managing toxic materials, and working in extreme temperatures. They take on repetitive and monotonous tasks, while digital devices and sensors can detect hazards early on.

However, at the same time, in the absence of adequate OSH measures, digital technologies can lead to:

• accidents;
• ergonomic risks;
• work intensification;
• reduced job control; and
• blurred boundaries.

The campaign, including a report, will shed light on how new technologies are transforming OSH, including through the:

• automation of tasks;
• use of smart OSH tools and monitoring systems;
• extended reality and virtual reality; and
• algorithmic management of work.

The digital transformation of work has led to evolving work arrangements, such as telework and digital labour platforms, which will be further examined. The report will analyse these critical issues, assessing how digital transformation can enhance workplace safety and health, and highlighting responses from governments, employers, workers and other stakeholders in mitigating potential safety and health risks.

Emerging risks at work

New and emerging occupational risks may be caused by technical innovation or by social or organisational change, such as:

• new technologies and production processes, like nanotechnology and biotechnology;
• new working conditions, like:
  • higher workloads,
  • work intensification from downsizing,
  • poor conditions associated with migration for work, and
  • jobs in the informal economy;
• emerging forms of employment like self-employment, outsourcing and temporary contracts.

They may be:

• more widely recognised through better scientific understanding, such as the effects of ergonomic risks on musculoskeletal disorders;
• influenced by changes in perceptions about the importance of certain risk factors, such as the effects of psychosocial factors on work-related stress.

Get involved

You can get involved in this World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2025, by reading the 2025 report and watching the live event, which brings together ILO constituents and international experts to explore how AI and digitalisation are reshaping OSH systems across sectors and countries.

Other ways to get people in the workplace involved, include:

• raise awareness in your workplace: organise safety talks, poster campaigns, and briefings on key health and safety practices;
• host training sessions: provide refresher training on emergency procedures, first aid, or manual handling to improve preparedness;
• review your workplace safety procedures: use the day as a reminder to review risk assessments and safety policies, and to encourage staff feedback;
• remember and reflect: hold a moment of silence or a commemoration event for those who have lost their lives due to workplace accidents;
• encourage reporting and open discussion: promote a culture where employees feel comfortable reporting hazards or unsafe conditions without fear of retaliation.

For more information on this subject, see:

• Revolutionizing health and safety: The role of AI and digitalization at work.