Workplace injuries

Injuries that are related to work are often categorised separately from other intentional and unintentional injuries. While the World Health Organization collects information on all other injuries, in the United Nations system the International Labour Organization (ILO) deals with occupational injuries and safety. It is estimated that an average of 264 million non-fatal injuries occur globally each year, resulting in more than 350,000 deaths. A higher prevalence of high-risk jobs, lower use of safety practices, lack of legal protection, greater number of manual workers, and poverty create a context where the majority of death and disability from workplace injuries occurs in the developing world. In recognition of this loss, and to plan an appropriate response, over 100 member states of the ILO mark April 28 each year as the “World Day for Safety and Health at Work”.