ILO says 270 million accidents claim 37 million lives every year worldwide
04 May 2012
Around 270 million accidents occur annually worldwide, claiming 37 million lives, according to the International Labour Organisation’s Sri Lanka Country Director, Dong Lee, at a World Safety Day event in Sri Lanka on April 28.
"Safety at work place in tandem with occupational safety is of paramount importance. This aspect is an integral part of the ILO world strategy. Preventive safety culture is pivotal for all stake holders. There should be a strong commitment on the part of both employers and employees to observe safety standards", Lee said, according to the Sri Lanka Daily News.
"Despite the fact that factories have invested heavily in introducing safety measures and safety equipment, 70-80 accident related deaths occurred [in Sri Lanka] last year”, he added.
By observing safety standards a third of these deaths could have been prevented, according to Labour and Labour Relations Minister Gamini Lokuge. He said that the Ministry of Labour had accepted ILO instructions.
Labour Commissioner Pearl Weerasinghe referred to a worker friendly new Act which is in the pipeline, which would encourage employers to observe safety measures.