International

Labour
Office
Geneva

Plan Safe, Plan Healthy:

Guidelines for Developing National

ILO Plan Safe, Plan Healthy : Guidelines for Developing National Programmes on Occupational Safety and Health
Programmes on Occupational
Safety and Health

Programme on Safety And Health at Work

and the Environment (SafeWork)
International Labour Organization
Route des Morillons 4
CH -1211 Genève 22
Suisse

TEL. + 41 22 7996715
FAX + 41 22 7996878

E-mail : safework @ ilo.org

www.ilo.org / safework

ISBN 978-92-2-127071-3

9 789221 270713
Programme on Safety and Health at Work and the Environment
(SafeWork)

Plan Safe, Plan Healthy:

Guidelines for Developing National
Programmes on Occupational
Safety and Health

International Labour Office, Geneva

Copyright © International Labour Organization 2013
First published 2013

Publications of the International Labour Office enjoy copyright under Protocol 2 of the Universal Copyright Convention. Never-
theless, short excerpts from them may be reproduced without authorization, on condition that the source is indicated. For rights of
reproduction or translation, application should be made to ILO Publications (Rights and Permissions), International Labour Office,
CH-1211 Geneva 22, Switzerland, or by email: [email protected]. The International Labour Office welcomes such applications.
Libraries, institutions and other users registered with reproduction rights organizations may make copies in accordance with the
licences issued to them for this purpose. Visit www.ifrro.org to find the reproduction rights organization in your country.

Plan Safe, Plan Healthy: Guidelines for Developing National Programmes on Occupational Safety and Health
First published 2013

ISBN 978-92-2-127070-6 (print)

ISBN 978-92-2-127071-3 (web)

The designations employed in ILO publications, which are in conformity with United Nations practice, and the presentation of
material therein do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the International Labour Office concerning
the legal status of any country, area or territory or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers.

The responsibility for opinions expressed in signed articles, studies and other contributions rests solely with their authors, and
publication does not constitute an endorsement by the International Labour Office of the opinions expressed in them.

Reference to names of firms and commercial products and processes does not imply their endorsement by the International Labour
Office, and any failure to mention a particular firm, commercial product or process is not a sign of disapproval.

ILO publications and electronic products can be obtained through major booksellers or ILO local offices in many countries, or
direct from ILO Publications, International Labour Office, CH-1211 Geneva 22, Switzerland. Catalogues or lists of new publica-
tions are available free of charge from the above address, or by email: [email protected]
Visit our website: www.ilo.org/publns

Photocomposed in Switzerland JMB

Printed by the International Labour Office, Switzerland
This guide was produced under the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency
(SIDA) project “Linking safety and health at work to sustainable economic development: From
theory and platitudes to conviction and action” (2009–2012).
The project promotes the improvement of occupational safety and health for all workers through
the development of global products addressing the methodological and informational gaps in
this field, and through the mobilization of national stakeholders towards the implementation of
practical measures at national, local and enterprise levels. The outputs of the project include
training materials, practical tools and policy guidance to reinforce national and local capacities in
occupational safety and health, and to help constituents design and implement occupational safety
and health policies and programmes.
“Work that respects human dignity is the essence of decent work,
the mission of the ILO. Decent work must be safe work.”

Juan Somavia – ILO Director-General (1999–2012)

 Contents

Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi
Abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Part I:
Process for preparing the national programme on occupational safety and health 5
1. Getting everyone on board – and keeping them there . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2. Setting up a national tripartite team (NTT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2.1. Who? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
2.2. How? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
3. Suggested phases for developing the national programme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
3.1. Phase 1.Setting up the national programme development mechanism . . . . . . . 8
3.2. Phase 2. Identifying the main focus of the national programme . . . . . . . . . . . 9
3.3. Phase 3. Drafting the national programme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
3.4. Phase 4. Monitoring, evaluating and reviewing the national programme . . . . 12

Part II:
Guidelines for developing the national programme on occupational safety and health 15
1. First step: Developing the national policy on OSH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
1.1. What is a national policy on OSH? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
1.2. Common elements of a national policy on OSH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
2. Second step. Developing the national profile on OSH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
2.1. Key principles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
2.2. Main contents of a national profile on OSH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
3. Third step: Developing the national programme on OSH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
3.1. Basic planning steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
3.2. Problem identification and analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
3.3. Generating policy options – setting priority policies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
3.4. Setting the objectives of the national programme on OSH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
3.5. Monitoring, evaluation and review – towards continual improvement . . . . . . 42
3.6. Experiences and ideas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
viii Plan Safe, Plan Healthy

Appendix I – Countries’ experiences with national programmes 45

Australia – Reducing deaths and injuries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
France – Four aims, 23 actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
India – Stakeholder commitment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Indonesia – Synergy for safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Kenya – A programme anchored in law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Mauritius – Tripartism for safety and health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Mexico – Enterprise quality labelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Mongolia – ILO links for a national programme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
New Zealand – Motivating OSH self-management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
United Kingdom – Consulting for change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Vietnam – Five aims by 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Appendix II – ILO Convention and Recommendation 

on a Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health 59
Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention 
No. 187, 2006 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Recommendation, 
No. 197, 2006 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Appendix III – ILO instruments on occupational safety and health 67

Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
 Foreword

In 2006 the ILO adopted the Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health
Convention, No. 187. One objective was for ratifying members to take active steps towards
progressively achieving a safe and healthy working environment through a national system for
and national programmes on occupational safety and health.
This guide is part of the ILO’s continuing efforts to help with this process, and sets out a frame-
work for the development of national programmes on occupational safety and health (OSH).
It provides governments, employers and workers with step-by-step assistance to develop a
national programme on OSH. It aims to promote concerted action on OSH issues, based on the
commitment of all the actors involved.
The guide has been developed in conjunction with the ILOs’ International Training Centre
in Turin, who in turn have established an ILO training package entitled Development of a
National Programme of Occupational Safety and Health.
In particular, the guide is designed to:
■ ensure a common understanding, among national and international partners, of the
processes needed to support countries in preparing national programmes on OSH;
■ suggest a practical, step-by-step approach to developing national programmes, through
a concerted process that draws on and fosters broadly based national ownership;
■ provide guidance to countries – particularly government officials and the representatives
of employers’ and workers’ organizations and other relevant stakeholders – so that they can
work together to prepare a balanced, comprehensive national programme on OSH; and
■ provide the ILO and other international agencies with a toolkit for a common substantive
approach to the improvement of OSH.
A national programme helps a country to develop and communicate its strategies for improv-
ing OSH. The aim is to reduce work-related accidents, injuries and diseases. The programme
provides a point of reference for the organizations responsible for implementing it. For the
public, it is a way of monitoring progress towards the goals.
This guide takes you through all the steps required to formulate a national programme on OSH.
It is based on the policy cycle approach – that is, analysing the situation and identifying the
main problems, generating policy options, and planning for implementation.
The guide is divided into two main sections:
■ Part I proposes a step-by-step approach for developing a national programme. It identifies
those who should be involved, and their respective roles.
■ Part II deals with the programme’s content: the development of a national policy on OSH;
the composition of the national profile on OSH; and the subsequent steps of strategic plan-
ning, implementation, monitoring and review of the national programme on OSH.
National programmes are specific to each country, and therefore we cannot state what must be
in your programme; this will depend on your current situation, and on the available resources.
x Plan Safe, Plan Healthy

However, I trust this guide will serve as a useful source of information for those involved in
preparing national programmes on OSH, and consequently will deliver an improvement in
working conditions, and a reduction in work-related accidents and diseases.

Seiji Machida
Director
Programme on Safety and Health
at Work and the Environment (SafeWork)
International Labour Office
 Acknowledgements

Many people have contributed to this guide. Prepared under the technical guidance and super-
vision of Ms Annie Rice, Senior Specialist for Occupational Safety and Health, SafeWork, it
was originally drafted by Ms Christine Yang and Ms Chiara Cirelli, whose work as interns at
the International Labour Office (ILO) was greatly appreciated.
Ms Cirelli was also instrumental in gathering several case studies, and we would particularly
like to thank the following for their contributions to the guidelines: Mr B. C. Prabhakar, Presi-
dent of the Karnataka Employers’ Association, India; Mr Meshack Khisa, on behalf of the
Kenyan Plantation and Agricultural Workers Union, Kenya; Khindev Gunpath, OSH Officer,
Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment, Mauritius; and Leticia del Rocio,
legal consultant, Mexico.
An important source of inspiration for the guide was the ILO’s Guide for the preparation of
national action plans on youth employment, prepared by Mr Gianni Rosas and Ms Giovanna
­Rossignotti. We appreciated the practical approach of that guide, and believed that it could be
replicated in this new area, but with the aim of providing a step-by-step process for developing
national OSH programmes that foster national ownership.
The guide benefited from the review and editing of Mr Ian Graham and Mr Andrew Christian,
consultants. We thank them for making the guide accessible and usable for a wide audience.
Our appreciation also goes to Mr Felix Martin-Daza of the ILO’s International Training Centre,
Turin, Italy, who was responsible for developing a training package on developing national
programmes on OSH. In this context, the guide and the training package complement each
other, and use harmonized language, but can also be used as stand-alone materials.
Our thanks also go to Mr Tsuyoshi Kawakami from the ILO SafeWork Programme, whose
practical work promoting the development of national OSH programmes is evident in the
guide, and in his supervision of the final product.
Finally, our appreciation goes to Ms Amélie Schmitt, Chief Technical Adviser of the ILO–
EU joint project under which the report was produced, for her coordination of this and other
related products.
 Abbreviations

CIS International Occupational Safety and Health Information Centre

COCONASHT Comisión Consultiva Nacional de Seguridad e Higiene en el Trabajo (Mexico)
COTU (K) Central Organization of Trade Unions (Kenya)
DOHSS Directorate of Occupational Health and Safety Services (Kenya)
ESIC Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (India)
FKE Federation of Kenya Employers
GDP gross domestic product
GNP gross national product
HDR Human Development Report (United Nations)
HSC Health and Safety Commission (UK)
HSE Health and Safety Executive (UK)
ILO International Labour Organization
IPCS International Programme on Chemical Safety
NGO non-governmental organization
NOHSC National Occupational Health and Safety Commission (Australia)
NTT national tripartite team
OHS occupational health and safety
OSH occupational safety and health
SDR standardized death rate
SIDA Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency
SME small and medium enterprises
SWOT strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats
 Introduction

Work takes an enormous toll. The ILO estimates that 2.34 million people die each year from
work-related accidents or diseases. A further 317 million suffer from work-related injuries.
These estimates, if anything, understate the problem, as many of the world’s occupational acci-
dents and illnesses are never notified.
However, most of these incidents are avoidable. It will take commitment from governments,
employers and workers, but they all have every reason for giving high priority to occupational
safety and health (OSH). First and foremost, good prevention policies and practice can reduce
human suffering; they also make sound economic sense. About 4 per cent of the world’s gross
domestic product is swallowed up by the direct and indirect costs of occupational accidents and
diseases. That adds up to about US$1.25 trillion a year. 1
It is no coincidence that the best figures on OSH are found in the most competitive economies.
These days, many governments, employers and workers recognize that higher levels of work-
place safety and health protection mean both higher productivity and major savings on social
security budgets.
Although some countries have already adopted OSH strategies, and are reaping the benefits,
most still have to face major challenges on safety and health at work. How can they design and
implement effective strategies? National programmes on OSH are part of the answer.
The ILO has always been strongly committed to developing preventive OSH strategies, and
it is well placed to do so. Its unique tripartite structure enables government, employers’ and
workers’ representatives to meet internationally on equal terms. It has already created a global
framework for the implementation of national OSH policies, and it is keen to establish a real
safety and health culture everywhere.
The concept of promoting a coherent national policy on OSH, expressed in the ILO’s Occu-
pational Safety and Health Convention, 1981 (No. 155), was a first step towards avoiding or
minimizing occupational accidents and diseases. 2
Then, in 2006, a global OSH strategy came a step closer with the adoption of the Promotional
Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 2006 (No. 187). 3 This focuses on
the progress that countries are already experiencing, and it urges them to make further efforts
and improvements, no matter what point they have reached.

1
ILO, Safety in numbers: Pointers for a global safety culture at work, Geneva, 2003. http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/
groups/public/---ed_protect/---protrav/---safework/documents/publication/wcms_142840.pdf
2
See Art.4 of the Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981 (No. 155). The texts of ILO Conventions are
available online in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Russian, Portuguese and Spanish at http://www.ilo.
org/ilolex/english/convdisp1.htm
3
For the full text of the Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 2006 (No. 187)
see Appendix II.
2 Plan Safe, Plan Healthy

The development of a national programme on OSH, as illustrated below, has various steps.

National policy on OSH

National system for OSH
Available infrastructures
and resources

National profile on OSH

Diagnosis and analysis
of situation and resources

National OSH situation

Current situation of occupational accidents
and diseases

National programme on OSH

What we want to do

Evaluation and review

There are some relevant concepts in the ILO strategic approach to OSH, and it is important to
define and differentiate them:
National policy on OSH: A national policy on OSH is a specific, deliberate course of action
that a government adopts (in consultation with its social partners) to fulfil its mandate for the
prevention of occupational accidents and diseases. Normally it takes the form of a written state-
ment, and includes at least the government’s commitment to the prevention of occupational
accidents and diseases; the main principles guiding national action on OSH; the spheres of
action on OSH; and the functions and responsibilities of the main stakeholders.
National system for OSH: This is the infrastructure that provides the main legal and institu-
tional framework for implementing the national policy and national programmes on OSH.
National profile on OSH: This is a diagnostic document that summarizes the existing OSH
situation, including national data on occupational accidents and diseases, high-risk industries
and occupations, and a description of the national system for OSH and its current capacity.
National programme on OSH: This takes into account the analysis, conclusions and results
of the profile, and thus determines the objectives to be achieved. These objectives should be
prioritized with targets to achieve within a predetermined time frame. Indicators should also be
identified to assess progress.
Evaluation and review: This will identify the programme’s effectiveness in terms of the reduc-
tion in the numbers of occupational accidents and diseases. It helps in identifying whether the
interventions are having the desired or expected results within the predetermined time frame.
This supports decisions in a continuous cycle.
 Part I: Process for preparing the national programme on occupational safety and health 3

Some of the concepts referred to above are used and defined in ILO Conventions, and although
this guide uses these meanings, some countries may formulate or define the concepts differ-
ently, for example by denoting the national programme on OSH as “strategy”, or “strategic
plan”, or “plan of action”.
 Part I:
Process for preparing the national
programme on occupational
safety and health

1. Getting everyone on board – and keeping them there

From the outset, a government should be fully committed to ensuring active cooperation
between the ministries concerned, employers’ and workers’ organizations, and all the other
stakeholders who seek to promote good OSH standards. After all, they are working towards
a common goal that benefits everybody – the permanent improvement of OSH conditions.
Broadly based ownership of the national programme is vital if support for change is to be
gained and maintained.

A national programme will not bear fruit immediately. As for any other reform, its real effects
will be in the medium to long term. Therefore a firm commitment over time is essential. It
is important to be honest and clear about this from the start. Otherwise, disillusionment may
erode the broad support needed.

The development of a national programme should be based on a careful and realistic assess-
ment of the constraints to be addressed, on the one hand, and of the resources that are avail-
able to do so, on the other. That is why it is important from the outset to identify priorities and
dedicate the resources needed to achieve them.

2. Setting up a national tripartite team (NTT)

When developing a national programme, the actors to be involved in each step of the elabora-
tion process should be identified. Their respective roles and responsibilities should be clearly
defined for each of the following phases:
■ setting up the national programme development mechanism;
■ identifying its main focus;
■ drafting the process and the required actions for the national programme; and
■ implementing, monitoring and reviewing the whole programme.

You may wish to consider assembling a national tripartite team (NTT) with the role of coordi-
nating the national programme development mechanism.
6 Plan Safe, Plan Healthy

2.1. Who?
Government
Which governmental body will be in charge of overall coordination?
Which relevant ministries are to be involved? Ministry of Labour, Health, Agriculture?
Others?
Will the Ministry of Finance be responsible financially, and will it be involved in allocat-
ing resources to the national programme?
Which agencies and institutions – such as labour inspection services, occupational health
services and social security – need to be represented?

Workers
Which are the representative trade union organizations in your country? (Your Ministry
of Labour may know of an agreed formula for representation of the various trade union
organizations on public bodies. Applying such an existing formula can be a way of avoid-
ing unnecessary complications.)
How many representatives of workers’ organizations should take part in the NTT?
Should OSH expertise be a requirement for their participation?
Will their participation be honorary or remunerated?

Employers
Which are the employers’ organizations that it is important to involve in the NTT? (Again,
your Ministry of Labour may be able to inform you of precedents.)
How many representatives of employers’ organizations should take part in the NTT?
(Numerically equal representation of employers and labour is often the most satisfactory
formula, and is likely to be the least controversial. However, this composition may some-
times need to be varied in the light of national circumstances or particular topics.)
Should OSH expertise be a requirement for their participation?
Will their participation be honorary or remunerated?

National coordinator
Who will be responsible for the daily operation of the NTT?
Is there room in the budget for a full-time coordinator? Might it be better to engage an
OSH expert in developing and implementing the national programme as part of his or her
normal duties?

Experts
Are experts to be designated through consultation with the NTT members?

Other involvement?
Is there a need to ask for ILO technical cooperation?
Is it worth involving the general public, through a national survey, to get its feedback? If
so, at which stage of the process? Maybe at the stage of drafting the national programme?
 Part I: Process for preparing the national programme on occupational safety and health 7

What efforts, if any, should be made to interest the media in the work of the NTT, and to
keep them informed of progress? (It may be better to let the NTT itself decide this at an
early stage.)

2.2. How?
Recruitment and payment
Should the members of the NTT be recruited by the government body responsible, or should
it get another institution to do so? Should they receive a fee? Think about the most convenient
solution in terms of costs.

How should these actors work together?

Tripartite consultation?
Creation of a tripartite committee?
How often should it get together?
What provision should be made for representatives to report back to, and consult, their
organizations before decisions are taken? (Bear in mind that the structures of national
trade union centres and those of national employers’ federations are never entirely compa-
rable. You may find that one group of representatives has a mandate to decide on the spot,
whereas another does not.)

Assigning responsibilities
Once you have decided who should be involved in the NTT, you should assign clear tasks to
each actor at every step of the development of the national programme.
See the example below.

Duties, powers and members of the Kenyan OSH National Council

For the purposes of setting up a national OSH programme and a mechanism to oversee its main
focus, a legal provision in the Kenyan Occupational Safety and Health Act, 2007, provides for the
establishment of a National Council for Occupational Safety and Health.

Under the legislation, the National Council is to advise the Minister on:
(a) the formulation and development of a national occupational safety and health policy framework;
(b) legislative proposals on occupational safety and health, including ways and means to give
effect to ILO Conventions, and other international conventions and instruments relating to
occupational safety, health, compensation and rehabilitation services;
(c) strategic means of promoting best OSH practice;
(d) the establishment, maintenance and development of a safety and health preventive culture;
(e) reviewing the provisions of the Act, rules and regulations, standards, and industry codes of practice;
(f) statistical analysis of work-related deaths and injuries;
(g) such other matters affecting occupational safety and health as it considers desirable in the
interest of improving the quality of working life in Kenya.
8 Plan Safe, Plan Healthy

Without limiting the above matters, the Director may advise the Council on the formulation and publi-
cation of standards, specifications or other forms of guidance for the purpose of assisting employers,
employees and other users to maintain appropriate standards of occupational safety and health.

Powers of the Council

It is a requirement that the Council shall at the request of the Minister, and may of its own motion,
investigate and make recommendations to the Minister on any matter connected with the safety and
health of persons at work. The Council may:

(a) establish committees in respect of different industries for the purpose of assisting the Council
to perform its functions in relation to industry codes of practice;
(b) establish such other committees as it deems necessary for the purpose of assisting the Council
to perform its functions.

Membership of the Council

The Council shall consist of a chairperson who shall be appointed by the Minister by notice in the
Gazette. The members of the Council shall be:

(a) One representative from each of the following ministries – Health, Agriculture, Livestock
Development, Industry, Water Development, Local Authorities and Education.
(b) One representative from each of the following organizations and government departments – The
Government Chemist, the Kenya Bureau of Standards, the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics,
the Commissioner of Insurance, the Association of Kenya Insurers, the public universities, the
National Environment Management Authority, the National Council for Science and Technology,
The Kenya Occupational Safety and Health Association.
(c) The most representative workers’ and employers’ organizations.
(d) Three persons with relevant qualifications and experience in occupational safety and health,
who shall not be public officers.

Case study prepared by Meshack Khisa – Kenya Plantation and Agricultural Workers Union

3. Suggested phases for developing the national programme

3.1. Phase 1. Setting up the national programme development mechanism.
In this first phase:

Government
Whichever governmental body is chosen for the coordinating role will have at least the
­following tasks:
■ ensuring the full engagement of the social partners and all relevant institutions, both in the
process and in its implementation, monitoring and review;
■ consulting with the social partners and all relevant institutions, and inviting them to partic-
ipate in the NTT;
 Part I: Process for preparing the national programme on occupational safety and health 9

■ designating the national coordinator;

■ setting up the NTT, to be led by the national coordinator; and
■ deciding, through consultation, whether there is a need to invite an international agency
to provide technical cooperation during the development of the national programme (e.g.
the ILO?).

Mauritius experience: setting up an Advisory Council for OSH

Mauritius set up an Advisory Council for Occupational Safety and Health, a tripartite body consisting
of employers’, workers’ and government representatives, under the Occupational Safety and Health
Act 2005. It addresses new and pertinent issues on OSH, and advises the Minister accordingly.

Case study prepared by Khindev Gunputh, OSH Officer for the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment – Mauritius.

The national coordinator:

■ sets up the first NTT meeting to explain the requirements for development of the national
programme;
■ acts as the secretariat of the NTT, issues invitations, organizes the agendas of meetings,
and arranges meeting facilities;
■ ensures the practical arrangements for carrying out technical surveys to fill data gaps
when required by the NTT;
■ commissions and/or coordinates preparation of the situation analysis (the national profile
on OSH).

3.2. Phase 2. Identifying the main focus of the national programme

In this second phase:

The national coordinator:

■ organizes NTT meetings to draft the national policy on OSH and prepare the national
profile on OSH;
■ organizes thematic working groups when there is a need to analyse specific policy areas;
■ prepares a draft timeline for the completion and subsequent adoption, submission and
approval of the draft national programme by the NTT;
■ keeps in constant contact with the responsible governmental body.

The national tripartite team:

■ in coordination with other interested parties, drafts the national policy on OSH, and
presents it to the appropriate minister for adoption;
■ if necessary, sets up thematic groups of its members based on specific expertise to conduct
SWOT analysis (defined below) on the data and issues in the OSH profile;
■ drafts and/or approves the final draft of the OSH profile, and presents it to the appropriate
minister for adoption.
10 Plan Safe, Plan Healthy

SWOT analysis
SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. A SWOT analysis is essentially a four-way version of the
two-way “pros and cons” list. Graphically, there are several of ways of presenting a SWOT analysis. Here is one matrix that may be
appropriate for thematic groups within a national tripartite team:

POSITIVE/HELPFUL NEGATIVE/HARMFUL
in achieving the goal in achieving the goal

INTERNAL origin Strengths Weaknesses

Organizational factors that will affect Things that are good now; maintain Things that are bad now; remedy,
the national programme with regard them, build on them, and use them change or stop them.
to the specific issue under consideration as leverage

EXTERNAL origin Opportunities Threats

Environmental factors that will affect Things that are good for the future; Things that are bad for the future;
the national programme with regard prioritize them, capture them, build put plans in place to manage them
to the specific issue under consideration on them, and optimize them or counter them

How to conduct a SWOT analysis:

Step 1 – Information collection – In the here and now. List all strengths that exist now. Then, in
turn, list all weaknesses that exist now. Be realistic, but avoid modesty!
You can conduct one-on-one interviews of each other. Or brainstorm as a group. A bit of both is
frequently best.
You’ll first want to prepare questions that relate to the specific issue you are analysing.
When facilitating a SWOT – search for insight through intelligent questioning and probing.

Step 2 – What might be – List all opportunities that exist in the future. Opportunities are potential
future strengths. Then, in turn, list all threats that exist in the future. Threats are potential future
weaknesses.

Step 3 – Plan of action – Review your SWOT matrix with a view to creating an action plan to address
each of the four areas: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

In summary:
■ Strengths need to be maintained, built upon or leveraged.
■ Weaknesses need to be remedied, changed or stopped.
■ Opportunities need to be prioritized, captured, built on and optimized.
■ Threats need to be countered or minimized and managed.

Source: Adapted from the RapidBi website (http://rapidbi.com/created/SWOTanalysis.html), which provides useful tips on
SWOT analysis, plus a range of templates.
 Part I: Process for preparing the national programme on occupational safety and health 11

3.3. Phase 3. Drafting the national programme

In this third phase:

The national coordinator:

■ is the permanent secretary of the NTT throughout the drafting of the national programme;
■ circulates the draft programme to relevant government institutions and social partners in
agreement with the NTT and the responsible governmental body, and draws the comments
together; and
■ sends the final draft national programme to the responsible governmental body.

The national tripartite team:

■ identifies priority areas for action, based on the findings of the national profile on OSH;
■ writes the first draft of the national programme;
■ consolidates the draft, based on the partners’ inputs via the national coordinator;
■ identifies the next steps of the national programme;
■ conducts a cost-benefit analysis in order to highlight that the implementation of this new
programme will lead to cost savings and long-lasting results in terms of improved OSH
performance (as the draft may have to be approved by the Ministry of Finance);
■ decides whether to involve citizens, through a public referendum, in approving and adopt-
ing the draft national programme; and
■ after the draft has been approved, proposes a national tripartite plus conference to adopt
the national programme in collaboration with the highest political figure (e.g. Prime
Minister/ Labour Minister).
The example below shows how this stage was delivered in Kenya.

Kenya’s choice for national programme development: tripartite consultative

meetings
The Ministry of Labour and Human Resources Development, of which the Directorate of Occupational
Safety and Health Services is part (government), the Federation of Kenya Employers (employers)
and the Central Organization of Trade Unions (workers) participated in developing the national pro-
gramme by holding tripartite consultative meetings that produced draft legislation. This was then
to be tabled in Parliament and included in the Kenya Constitution.

In these tripartite consultative meetings, each party was represented by committees that included
specialists in both the legal and OSH fields.

Case study prepared by Meshack Khisa, Kenya Plantation and Agricultural Workers Union
12 Plan Safe, Plan Healthy

3.4. Phase 4. Monitoring, evaluating and reviewing the national programme

In this fourth phase:

The national coordinator:

■ brings the NTT together for a first audit of the national programme following its imple-
mentation, to check whether the outcomes are likely to meet the programme’s targets; and
■ coordinates the NTT’s work to set up mechanisms for the further and continual monitor-
ing of the national programme.

The national tripartite team:

■ evaluates the results of the first implementation period of the national programme; and
■ redefines the national programme priorities accordingly, if it agrees there is a need to do so.

The example below shows how this stage was delivered in Asia.

Developing and implementing national programmes on OSH in Asia

Common steps taken to develop programmes

Countries in Asia have taken common, practical steps to develop national programmes on OSH that
reflect the views of workers’ and employers’ representatives, as well as those of the government
agencies responsible for OSH.

The first step was to organize national tripartite OSH workshops to gather diverse views on the
national OSH situation, and discuss priority national actions.

The second step was to set up tripartite and inter-ministerial task forces to prepare the national
programme on OSH. The task force members gathered and reviewed available OSH information
from different sources. The review results were published as national profiles on OSH.

The third step was for the task forces to analyse the national profiles on OSH, identify the national
priority OSH actions and targets, and draft national programmes on OSH. The draft programmes
were circulated to the ministries concerned and to workers’ and employers’ organizations for their
comments before finalization. High-level government officials endorsed and officially launched the
national programmes on OSH.

In Vietnam, the national programme on OSH was endorsed by the Prime Minister, and OSH was
noted as a high priority on the national agenda. The exercises to design national programmes on
OSH opened up practical opportunities for different ministries and workers’ and employers’ organi-
zations to work together. They jointly reviewed the national OSH situation, and actively exchanged
OSH information and views from different angles.

In Indonesia, representatives of the National OSH Council and the Ministries of Manpower, Health,
Energy and Mineral Resources, and Agriculture, in consultation with workers’ and employers’ repre-
sentatives, jointly discussed and drafted the national programme on OSH. The task force team com-
prising different ministries and agencies confirmed their continuing collaboration in implementing
the programme to meet the national OSH goals.
 Part I: Process for preparing the national programme on occupational safety and health 13

National tripartite workshop

National tripartite team

National OSH profile

Analysis

Draft national programme on OSH

Government’s endorsement

Official launch

Case study prepared by Tsuyoshi Kawakami, ILO Subregional Office for East Asia, extracted from “Asian-Pacific Newsletter on
Occupational Health and Safety: 2007»
 Part II:
Guidelines for developing the national
programme on occupational
safety and health

Once the actors who should be involved in preparing the national programme have been identi-
fied, and their respective responsibilities have been defined, some basic principles need to be
followed in elaborating the programme. As already mentioned, the steps in planning and devel-
oping a national programme comprise of:
■ drafting and adopting a national policy on OSH;
■ ascertaining the national profile on OSH; and then
■ moving on to effective and complete planning of the programme.

Remember that, for the national programme to be effective, you should:

■ Prepare it at the national level, and involve all relevant ministries and agencies.
■ Plan it suitably by taking the current situation into account (ascertaining an accurate
national profile). This helps in identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the current
situation, and supports the prioritization of actions.
■ Be realistic. While you are setting your goals, always bear in mind that one objective
should be to improve the effectiveness of your existing resources before you allocate
further resources. It is always good to strengthen the government’s commitment to the
programme by allocating further resources (e.g. funds, personnel) to a project, but first
think about low-cost solutions, and how to use your limited resources in the most coherent
and effective way possible.
■ Place special emphasis on the identified priority areas; they need tailor-made interventions.
■ Improve the research and methods for collecting information available in your country, in
order to obtain reliable data to work with.

Your decision-making process must be supported by a clear, well-structured analysis of the

information obtained. As discussed earlier, we recommend that you use SWOT analysis to
summarize the key factors identified during the analysis of each element. The effectiveness
of this type of analysis has been widely recognized, but its validity is closely linked to the
completeness of the data gathered.
The subject of the evaluation – that is, the OSH situation in the country – is a vast topic. Every
element of it should be studied in depth, in order both to assign the right weights to the numer-
ous features of the system, and to identify the links and synergies between its various elements.
16 Plan Safe, Plan Healthy

SWOT analysis facilitates:

■ analysis-based strategies;
■ improved effectiveness, by taking into account the relationship between needs and strat-
egy orientation; and
■ wide flexibility in the policy-making process.
Relevant key factors identified should be presented in a clear, systematic way by applying a
matrix, like the example below. This should be done for each specific element of the national
profile on OSH. The four sections outlined in the table contain the critical areas of intervention,
and will guide development of the programme.

SWOT analysis of the legislative framework in Kosovo

Strengths Weaknesses
■ Laws automatically harmonized with EC Directives ■ Poor implementation capacity for existing laws.
and ILO Conventions. ■ Lack of social security schemes.
■ Increased international presence assists initiation ■ Absence of national OSH policy/strategy.
and monitoring of legislation. ■ Obstacles in the Labour Inspectorate Law.
■ A “greenfield” opportunity to design everything ■ Limited budget allocation for Labour Inspectorate
from scratch. (below 1 per cent of the Ministry’s budget).

Opportunities Threats
■ Preparation of the new Constitution of Kosovo. ■ Overlaps among different laws regarding OSH.
■ EU mission in Kosovo offers a great opportunity
to harmonize laws with EC Directives.

Source: OSH national profile of Kosovo, 2007.

Let us now address the development of a national policy on OSH.

1. First step: Developing the national policy on OSH

1.1. What is a national policy on OSH?
A policy is commonly defined as a specific, deliberate course of action that an organization
adopts to help fulfil its mandate.
A national policy on OSH should therefore demonstrate how the country’s government proposes
to fulfil its long-term strategy to prevent occupational accidents and diseases, and control work-
place hazards. The policy should document organizational (governmental) commitment to this,
focusing on the basic principles, goals and responsibilities of the main stakeholders (govern-
ment, employers and workers).
The development and implementation of a national policy on OSH is the responsibility of
government in collaboration with employers’ and workers’ organizations, as well with as other
concerned parties. The aim is to produce a written document that provides a clear statement
of the government’s goals, and information on how those goals are to be achieved, including
delegation of the responsibility for achieving them, and the proposed timescales. The policy
also needs to state when it will be revised.
Part II: Guidelines for developing the national programme on occupational safety and health 17

The documented policy helps to provide a clear direction for the government’s mandate on
OSH. It provides openness, and details the proposed actions for which those people and organi-
zations with delegated responsibilities can be held accountable.

1.2. Common elements of a national policy on OSH

National policies will of course vary, depending on several factors, including organizational
structures and resources. These factors will also influence policy priorities. However, whatever
resources are available, there will usually be common elements within national policies:
■ the commitment of public authorities;
■ the policy’s aim and purpose;
■ the principles guiding action on OSH;
■ the main spheres of action for OSH;
■ the workers covered by the policy;
■ the types of action and infrastructure; and
■ assignment of the functions and responsibilities of the main stakeholders.

Let us now look at these in turn.

Commitment of public authorities

An explicit statement of the government authorities’ responsibility for and regarding OSH is
usually the basis for the rest of the policy elements. In order to emphasize this commitment, it
is usual for a government minister to sign the policy statement. For example:

“Government is committed to regulate all economic activities for management of safety and health
risks at workplaces and to provide measures so as to ensure safe and healthy working conditions for
every working man and woman in the nation.” India

Policy aim and purpose

The policy aims and purpose are to prevent occupational accidents and diseases, to control
workplace hazards, and to develop a working environment and work that are conducive to
workers’ health.

“The National Policy on Safety and Health at Work aims at promoting health and improving quality
of life of workers and preventing accidents and injury to health arising from, related to work or
occurring in the course of it, through the elimination or reduction of risks in the work environment.”
Brazil
18 Plan Safe, Plan Healthy

Principles guiding action

There is a growing international consensus on the basic principles that should guide national
policy on OSH. They include:
■ developing a national preventive safety and health culture;
■ being proactive rather than reactive;
■ assessing occupational risks and hazards, and controlling them at source rather than
managing their effects; and
■ promoting active consultation between all interested parties.

“The point of departure of the working conditions policy is to prevent risks arising in the first place,
preferably by tackling the actual source of the problem. Only if the risk cannot be eliminated at
source may the employer consider other preventive solutions, such as providing all workers with
personal means of protection and making it compulsory to use them.” The Netherlands

Main spheres of action

It is necessary to review the current OSH situation, and evaluate the information obtained. The
review should cover a complete range of OSH matters, including, for example, legislation,
inspection, working conditions, professional standards of occupational services, workforce
competences, and also accident and disease-reporting procedures. This review serves to iden-
tify the national profile on OSH, which we discuss later.

Workers covered by the policy

The national policy on OSH should address OSH matters for all workers, irrespective of their
employment status (employee or self-employed), or their economic sector (e.g. construction,
health care), or the size of the enterprise. It should also address those in the informal economy,
along with migrant and young workers.

“The principles and statement of this policy apply to all workplaces in the country, and people who
work in them.” El Salvador

Types of action and infrastructure

It is government’s responsibility to establish appropriate infrastructures for OSH. The policy
should define the different types of action and infrastructure that should be developed and
implemented (e.g. regulation, inspection, promotion, support and training).

“The development of an appropriate institutional structure for an integrated national OHS system
including a policy-making and standard-setting national OHS authority, inspectorates (including
specialist inspectorates in hazardous and technologically demanding sectors) and dedicated
research and training institutions.” South Africa
Part II: Guidelines for developing the national programme on occupational safety and health 19

Assignment of functions and responsibilities of the main stakeholders

The functions and responsibilities of all parties involved, particularly public authorities, should
be clearly defined: for example, stating which ministry is responsible for OSH, specifying how
often the policy will be reviewed, and detailing who or which organizations will be involved in
preparing national programmes. Mechanisms for coordination and consultation with all inter-
ested parties should also be defined. Although the primary onus for OSH provision is on the
employer, the responsibilities of other duty-holders, such as enforcement authorities, workers,
designers and manufacturers, should also be specified.

“Governments are responsible for regulating and enforcing workplace safety and health. Employers
must provide safe and healthy workplaces and safe systems of work, employees must work in as safe
a manner as possible; and suppliers, designers and manufacturers must provide safe products and
accurate information about the safe use of materials and equipment.” Australia

Once the policy is prepared, the next step in the programme is to ascertain the current national
system for OSH with regard to infrastructure and resources, and the current national situa-
tion regarding occupational accidents and diseases. Analysing these matters will allow you to
produce the national profile on OSH, which will then enable the national programme on OSH
to be developed.

2. Second step: Developing the national profile on OSH

Preparing an accurate national profile on OSH is a vital step towards developing a realistic and
effective national programme on OSH. The profile enables systematic review and evaluation
of the entire range of OSH instruments and resources available within the country concerned.
It should include key elements, such as the OSH legislative and organizational framework,
OSH services and enforcement mechanisms, coordination mechanisms (at both enterprise and
national level), the role of social partners in OSH, regular and on-going activities related to
OSH, and evaluation of OSH outcomes.

2.1. Key principles

The national profile on OSH should:
■ Be prepared at the national level, with input from the national bodies responsible, and
from all other relevant bodies involved in OSH – notably employers’ organizations and
trade unions.
■ Incorporate descriptive and statistical data on any matters relevant to the national, local
and enterprise-level management of OSH, including the legal, institutional and cultural
frameworks, the legislative authorities, the governmental and other public monitoring
mechanisms, labour force distribution, the human and financial resources available for
OSH, and enterprise-level OSH initiatives.
■ Provide all concerned with information on current activities at the state level (e.g. imple-
mentation of international treaties, current and planned assistance projects).
20 Plan Safe, Plan Healthy

■ Help to identify gaps or shortfalls in the country’s current economic, legal, social, admin-
istrative and technical OSH measures.
■ Help to improve coordination between the social partners and other people interested in
an effective OSH system.
The very process of preparing a national profile on OSH can mark the start of new cooperation
and stronger links between the interested parties, a better understanding of potential problems,
and a critical analysis of current OSH action leading on to fresh drives for improvement.

2.2. Main contents of a national profile on OSH

Recommendation No. 197, Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health 2006,4
provides guidance on the basic requirements for information that the national profile should
include. This guidance is not exhaustive, and you may wish to include other information.
There is no standard format for the OSH profile. However, it should include the basic require-
ments referred to in Recommendation 197, and detailed hereunder.

A. National regulatory framework: laws and regulations

Describe any OSH-related provisions in your country’s constitution. If there are none, this
should be stated.
Describe the main OSH-related provisions in your country’s laws and regulations – whether
specific laws or Labour Code provisions. If none, this should be stated. Laws on work-related
risks, workers’ compensation for occupational injuries and diseases, health care for the work-
ing population and workplace safety should be included here, even if they do not include the
phrase “occupational safety and health” in their titles or texts. Describe any OSH-related
provisions generally included in collective bargaining agreements in your country. If collective
­bargaining provisions have a legal or regulatory force in your country, note this fact, and the
way in which such force is acquired. (For example, does the collective agreement have to be
registered and/or ratified by a labour court?)
The following checklist can help you to verify which of your country’s laws, regulations and/or
collective agreements are relevant to the OSH profile. Put a ✓ where appropriate in the answer
boxes.

4
For the full text of the Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Recommendation, (No.197)
2006 see Appendix II.
Part II: Guidelines for developing the national programme on occupational safety and health 21

Is there national legislation – laws, acts, regulations – Yes No Are they

or legally binding provisions in collective bargaining agreements concerning: applied?

Identification and determination of occupational hazards?

Prohibition, limitation or other means of reducing exposure?
Assessment of risks?
Prohibition or limitation of the use of hazardous processes, machinery, substances, etc.?
Specification of occupational exposure limits?
Surveillance and monitoring of the working environment?
Notification of hazardous work, and related authorization and licensing requirements?
Classification and labelling of hazardous substances?
Provision of data sheets?
Provision of personal protective equipment?
Safe methods for handling and disposal of hazardous waste?
Working time arrangements?
Adaptation of work installations, machinery, equipment and processes to the capacities of
workers (ergonomic factors)?
Design, construction, layout and maintenance of workplaces and installations?
Provision of adequate welfare facilities?

Source: ILO/Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe project on strengthening social dialogue for improving occupational safety and health
in South East Europe, template for developing National OSH Profiles, 2007.

List any laws or regulations on health, agriculture, environment, industry, transport,

building standards, etc. that have a bearing on OSH.
List the OSH-related ILO Conventions ratified by your country. Assess whether it has trans-
posed them into national law, or uses them as guidance.
You can do so by filling in the following chart (put a ✓ where appropriate):

Convention Ratified Provisions Provisions Intention

incorporated into used to ratify
national law as guidance in near future

Labour Inspection Convention,

1947 (No. 81)
Protocol of 1995 to the Labour Inspection
Convention, 1947
Radiation Protection Convention,
1960 (No. 115)
Hygiene (Commerce and Offices) Convention,
1964 (No. 120)
Labour Inspection (Agriculture) Convention,
1969 (No. 129)
Occupational Cancer Convention,
1974 (No. 139)
Working Environment (Air Pollution, Noise
and Vibration) Convention, 1977 (No. 148)
Occupational Safety and Health (Dock Work),
1979 (No. 152)
22 Plan Safe, Plan Healthy

Convention Ratified Provisions Provisions Intention

incorporated into used to ratify
national law as guidance in near future

Occupational Safety and Health Convention,

1981 (No. 155)
Protocol of 2002 to the Occupational Safety
and Health Convention, 1981
Occupational Health Services Convention,
1985 (No. 161)
Asbestos Convention, 1986
(No. 162)
Safety and Health in Construction Convention,
1988 (No. 167)
Chemicals Convention, 1990
(No. 170)
Prevention of Major Industrial Accidents
Convention, 1993 (No. 174)
Safety and Health in Mines Convention, 1995
(No. 176)
Safety and Health in Agriculture Convention,
2001 (No. 184)
Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety
and Health Convention, 2006 (No. 187)

(This list includes up-to-date Conventions only.)

Provide information on the use of the OSH-related ILO Recommendations by national

competent authorities, employers and trade unions. You can do so by filling in the following
chart (put a ✓ where appropriate):

Recommendation Used by national Used by employers Used by trade

authorities unions

Labour Inspection Recommendation, 1947

(No. 81)
Labour Inspection (Mining and Transport) Recommendation,
1947 (No. 82)
Protection of Workers’ Health Recommendation, 1953
(No. 97)
Welfare Facilities Recommendation, 1956
(No. 102)
Radiation Protection Recommendation, 1960
(No. 114)
Hygiene (Commerce and Offices) Recommendation, 1964
(No. 120)
Labour Inspection (Agriculture) Recommendation, 1969
(No. 133)
Occupational Cancer Recommendation, 1974
(No. 147)
Working Environment (Air Pollution, Noise and Vibration)
Recommendation, 1977 (No. 156)
Part II: Guidelines for developing the national programme on occupational safety and health 23

Recommendation Used by national Used by employers Used by trade

authorities unions

Occupational Safety and Health Recommendation, 1981

(No. 164)
Occupational Health Services Recommendation, 1985
(No. 171)
Asbestos Recommendation, 1986
(No. 172)
Safety and Health in Construction Recommendation, 1988
(No. 175)
Chemicals Recommendation, 1990
(No. 177)
Prevention of Major Industrial Accidents Recommendation,
1993 (No. 181)
Safety and Health in Mines Recommendation, 1995
(No. 183)
Safety and Health in Agriculture Recommendation, 2001
(No. 192)
List of Occupational Diseases Recommendation, 2002
(No. 194)
Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health
Recommendation, 2006 (No. 197)

(This list includes up-to-date Recommendations only).

B. National regulatory framework: OSH technical standards, guidelines 

   and management systems
Provide information on the implementation of OSH management systems at the enterprise
level, and any national regulatory or promotional action to apply these systems, including
incentives. Indicate whether the ILO Guidelines on Occupational Safety and Health Manage-
ment Systems (ILO-OSH 2001) are or have been used as a basis for action in this area. Mention
whether any certification of OSH management systems has been introduced. If so, note details,
and describe how this relates to the general system of safety compliance assessment.
Provide information on technical standards used or applied, either under existing regulations or
on a voluntary basis. Indicate the type and source of each standard (e.g. national specialized insti-
tution, industry). Provide examples, and explain their relationship, if any, to regulatory systems.
Provide information on the use of ILO codes of practice by national competent authorities, employ-
ers and trade unions. You can do so by filling in the following chart (put a ✓ where appropriate):

ILO code of practice Used by national Used by Used by trade

authorities employers unions

Occupational exposure to airborne substances harmful

to health, 1980
Safety in the use of asbestos, 1984

Safety and health in coal mines, 1986

24 Plan Safe, Plan Healthy

ILO code of practice Used by national Used by Used by trade

authorities employers unions
Radiation protection of workers (ionizing radiation), 1987

Safety, health and working conditions in the transfer

of technology to developing countries, 1988
Safety and health in opencast mines, 1991

Prevention of major industrial accidents, 1991

Safety and health in construction, 1992

Technical and ethical guidelines for workers’ health

surveillance, 1992
Safety in the use of chemicals at work, 1993

Recording and notification of occupational accidents

and diseases, 1996
Management of alcohol- and drug-related issues
in the workplace, 1996
Protection of workers’ personal data, 1997

Safety and health in forestry work, 1998

Use of synthetic vitreous fibre insulation wools

(glass wool, rock wool, slag wool), 2001
Ambient factors in the workplace, 2001

HIV/AIDS and the world of work, 2001

Safety and health in the non-ferrous metal industries,

2003
Safety and health in ports, 2003

Safety and health in the iron and steel industry,2005

Safety and health in underground coalmines, 2006

Safety and health in agriculture, 2011

Safety and health in the use of machinery, 2012

C. National competent authorities

Name the authority, authorities, body or bodies responsible for occupational safety and health
in your country. If possible, also give human and economic resource data (e.g. number of staff,
budget levels) for each system, agency, competent authority or body.

D. Mechanisms for ensuring compliance

Describe all types of mechanisms and public control systems for ensuring compliance with
national OSH laws and regulations. Whilst this will obviously identify OSH and labour inspec-
torates there may be other bodies of surveillance and control. If this is the case identify body
Part II: Guidelines for developing the national programme on occupational safety and health 25

and the sphere of activity under control (healthcare, chemical substances, transport, construc-
tion, mining, technical equipment etc.).
List and describe any inspectorate or inspection system that plays a significant role in apply-
ing national OSH laws and regulations (such as labour inspectorates, factory inspectorates or
occupational health inspectorates). State who has responsibility for labour inspection: e.g. the
Ministry of Labour or other ministries.
■ How is the inspection work organized, and where are the offices located? (Draw an organ-
izational chart to help you outline the structure and geographic distribution of labour
inspection services.)
■ What issues and sectors does the inspectorate cover?
■ How are the roles and responsibilities divided?
■ What qualifications are required to be an inspector?
■ How are the inspectors trained?
■ What services does the labour inspectorate provide (e.g. information and advice to
employers and employees, training, persuasion)?
■ What kind of inspections are carried out (reactive/proactive)?
■ What have the results been so far?
■ Identify the most serious problems in inspection: are you experiencing a lack of resources?
■ Are the available penalties for breaches of laws or regulations sufficient to be effective?
Use the following table to summarize the resources of each inspection service (put a ✓ where
appropriate):

Name/coverage of inspection service:

Total number of staff in labour inspection service

Number of inspectors
HQ staff as a proportion of the total (%)
Ratio of OSH inspections to employment inspections (e.g. 100:0, 50:50, 45:55)
Percentage of the economically active population covered by labour inspection services
Inspectors per 1,000 enterprises
Inspectors per 1,000 employees
Inspections per 1,000 workers per year
Visits by one inspector per year
Inspectors per computer
Internet access?
Inspectors per office car
Own car used?
Own car use remunerated?
Inspector salary versus minimum wage (number of times more than minimum wage)
Inspector salary versus private sector salary (worse, same, better?)
Average age of inspectors
Annual report produced for public (yes/no)
26 Plan Safe, Plan Healthy

E. Consultation, coordination and collaboration mechanisms

Provide information on all existing mechanisms to ensure coordination and cooperation among
all the social partners with responsibilities for implementing and managing OSH systems at the
national level (e.g. national tripartite advisory bodies, inter-agency/ministry national boards
or committees, employer–worker forums). For each mechanism, include information on scope,
membership and powers (advisory, etc.) and lines of communication (to which minister or
ministry?). Pay special attention to the level of participation of employer and worker organi-
zations in these mechanisms. Describe any existing structures related to provincial or other
territorial jurisdictions.
Provide information on any OSH requirements included in collective bargaining agreements at
the enterprise level, particularly joint safety or safety and health committees. Indicate whether
this inclusion is also regulated, or is by collective agreement only.

F. National review mechanisms

Name any bodies that have responsibility for periodically reviewing national legislation, poli-
cies and actions on OSH. Indicate the extent to which national employer and worker organiza-
tions are involved or consulted in this process.

G. Training, information and advice

Provide information on designated OSH training and educational institutions, services or bodies
and support mechanisms including thoses available for SME’s and the informal economy.
List national OSH information centres or similar bodies. What capacity levels do they have in,
for example, print publishing or internet publishing? Are they linked with the ILO International
OSH Information Centre (CIS) network?
List all designated OSH advisory services and mechanisms, such as labour inspection services,
OSH centres and dedicated agencies or bodies.

H. Occupational health services

List those responsible for occupational health services (e.g. Ministry of Labour, Health, other),
and give an overview of the organizational forms of occupational health services in the
­country at the level of the enterprise, group of enterprises, public health-care centres or private
organizations. Use organizational diagrams to provide schematic representations of the differ-
ent models of occupational health service. Describe the training and qualifications required of
the various health professionals and list the institutions that provide training and education on
occupational health.

I. OSH laboratories
List key national or designated services responsible for analysing worker exposure to various
occupational hazards (e.g. analysis of air samples, biological samples, audiometric testing). If
possible, provide information on the level of technical capabilities.
Part II: Guidelines for developing the national programme on occupational safety and health 27

Summary of key occupational health service activities (put a ✓ where appropriate):

Activity (functions) YES (on compulsory basis) YES (on voluntary basis) NO

Workplace surveys, workplace visits, exposure

assessment
Risk assessment and management

Preventive health examinations

(general surveillance)
Risk-based health surveillance

Registration of health data, reporting

of occupational diseases and injuries
Workplace health promotion, health education,
counselling
Rehabilitation

First aid, accident management

Curative services

Education, training, information campaigns

Quality assurance for occupational health

processes, audits
Safety inspections

Initiatives and advice for management of workplace

safety and health, safe workplace design

Summary of occupational health professionals:

Number of occupational health physicians (full-time equivalents)

Number of occupational health physicians/1,000 employees
Number of occupational health nurses (full-time equivalents)
Number of occupational health nurses/1,000 employees
Number of private OSH services
Number of companies with own OSH services
Number of public OSH services
National institute of occupational health (if applicable)
Percentage of economically active population covered by occupational health services (if retrievable) %

J. Social security, insurance schemes and compensation services

Describe any existing compensation, social security or insurance schemes covering occupa-
tional injuries and diseases. Indicate their coverage, the body responsible for them, and any links
28 Plan Safe, Plan Healthy

to or involvement in collecting and handling statistics on occupational accidents and diseases.

Do these compensation bodies provide any financial support for prevention programmes?

K. Educational, training and awareness-raising structures

Does your country have any OSH-related university or college courses? If so, specify them.
Do employers’ and/or workers’ organizations run OSH-related training courses? If so, on
what, and for how many people per year?
Which institutions provide the legally required training for OSH specialists such as safety
officers and safety committee members, or deliver of certification in specific skills such as
erecting scaffolding, or operating special equipment such as cranes or earth-moving equip-
ment? Provide, if available, a list of the skills that require certification training, and information
on the institutions that provide this type of training (e.g. number of people trained per year).
List any national safety councils and/or associations.

L. Specialized technical, medical and scientific institutions

List existing poison control centres, and indicate any participation in the INTOX Programme
of the International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS) (see the World Directory of Poisons
Centres at http://www.who.int/gho/phe/chemical_safety/poisons_centres/en/index.html. Describe
their links with occupational health services, if any, and the human and financial resources devoted
to poison control centres in your country.
List standardizing bodies – that is, bodies that produce technical standards, or provide the
expertise necessary to certify the conformity of machines, processes and other mechanisms
with regulatory OSH requirements. Examples include certification of pressure vessels, electri-
cal tools and machines, and machine-guarding equipment.
List institutions and laboratories that specialize in occupational hazard and risk assess-
ment related to chemical safety, toxicology, epidemiology, product safety, etc. List designated
and private bodies separately.
List emergency preparedness, warning and response services, such as civil defence, fire
brigades, chemical spill responders, and training to deal with major emergencies.
List non-governmental bodies involved in OSH-related activities, such as professional asso-
ciations of OSH specialists, occupational physicians, chemists, and safety engineers.

M. OSH statistics
List existing mechanisms, if any, for recording and notifying work-related accidents and
diseases. Do they conform to the ILO code of practice on the recording and notification of
occupational accidents and diseases?
Is there a national list of occupational diseases? If so, how is it reviewed and updated?
Indicate the number of occupational injuries per year for the last five years (total and per sector
of economic activity). How is this figure arrived at? Are injuries under-reported? If so, is it
known by approximately how much (percentage)?
Part II: Guidelines for developing the national programme on occupational safety and health 29

Use the following tables to gather data on OSH outcomes:

Statistical table relating to occupational accidents and diseases

Indicator Number of cases in each of the last 5 years Trend (increasing/

decreasing/stable)
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Fatal accidents
Injury at work (resulting in more than 3 days absence)
Compensated workplace accidents
Commuting accidents
Serious work accidents causing disability of over 30 days
Notified occupational diseases (total)
Compensated occupational diseases
Repetitive strain injuries
Workplace noise-induced hearing loss
Work-related respiratory diseases
Work-related skin diseases

Source: ILO/Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe project on Strengthening social dialogue for improving occupational safety and health
in South East Europe, template for developing National OSH Profiles, 2007 (adapted)

Indicators of working conditions

Indicator Widespread, Serious Moderate Minor Not

serious problem for problem problem a problem
problem some workers

Exposure to noise above legal limit

(indicate legal limit)
Exposure to vibration

Exposure to radiation (ionizing)

Exposure to high temperatures

Exposure to low temperatures

Breathing in dangerous vapours,

fumes, dusts, infectious materials, etc.
Handling or touching dangerous
substances or products
Exposure to asbestos

Exposure to pesticides

Inadequate lighting

Regular exposure to solar radiation

(e.g. in construction work)
Painful or tiring positions
30 Plan Safe, Plan Healthy

Indicator Widespread, Serious Moderate Minor Not

serious problem for problem problem a problem
problem some workers

Lifting or carrying heavy loads

Repetitive hand/arm movements

Non-adjustable workstations
(e.g. workbench, desk, chairs)
Working at high speed

Working to tight deadlines

Stressful work

Changing work organization

Working time

Source: ILO/Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe project on Strengthening social dialogue for improving occupational safety and health
in South East Europe, template for developing National OSH Profiles, 2007

N. Policies and programmes of employers’ and workers’ organizations

Indicate whether the employers’ and workers’ organizations in your country have the following
(put a ✓ where appropriate):

Employers’ organizations Workers’ organizations

OSH policy statement

Policy implementation structure

(OSH unit, OSH committee)
OSH training, information programmes
for members
OSH elements in collective bargaining
policy
Participation in national tripartite
dialogue

Use the following tables to summarize employers’ and workers’ OSH responsibilities in your country.
Summary table of individual employer responsibility

Does the employer have the responsibility to: Provided for in law? Generally taken up in practice?
(yes/no) (yes/no/sometimes)

Establish an OSH policy?

Implement preventive and protective measures?

Part II: Guidelines for developing the national programme on occupational safety and health 31

Does the employer have the responsibility to: Provided for in law? Generally taken up in practice?
(yes/no) (yes/no/sometimes)

Provide safe machinery and equipment?

Use non-hazardous substances?

Assess risks and monitor them?

Record risks and accidents?

Report occupational accidents and diseases

to the competent authority?
Ensure health surveillance of workers?

Inform workers on hazards and the means of protection?

Consult with workers’ representatives on OSH?

Educate and train workers?

Establish joint OSH committees?

Source: ILO/Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe project on Strengthening social dialogue for improving occupational safety and health
in South East Europe, template for developing National OSH Profiles, 2007

Summary table on workers’ rights and duties

Does the worker have the: Provided for in law? Generally taken up in practice?
(yes/no) (yes/no/sometimes)

Duty to work safely and not endanger others?

Right to compensation for hazardous work (e.g. hazard pay,

reduced working time, earlier retirement, free food
and drink to combat the effects of exposure to hazards)?
Right to be kept informed about workplace hazards?

Right to be provided with personal protective equipment

and clothing?

Right to incur no personal costs for OSH training,

personal protective equipment, etc.?

Duty to make proper use of personal protective equipment?

Right to select worker OSH representatives?

Right to remove him/herself from danger in case

of imminent and serious risk to health?

Duty to report to the supervisor any situation presenting

a threat to safety?

Source: ILO/Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe project on Strengthening social dialogue for improving occupational safety and health
in South East Europe, template for developing National OSH Profiles, 2007
32 Plan Safe, Plan Healthy

Summary table on the rights and duties of workers’ representatives on OSH

Do workers’ OSH representatives have the right to: Provided for in law? Generally taken up in practice?
(yes/no) (yes/no/sometimes)

Inspect the workplace for potential hazards?

Investigate the causes of accidents?

Investigate complaints by workers relating to OSH or welfare?

Participate in risk assessments and access information

concerning risk assessments?

Call in the authorities responsible for OSH inspections?

Participate in/submit observations to inspectors during

inspection visits to the work site?

Obtain information given by inspection agencies responsible

for OSH?

Access to the list of accidents and diseases and reports of

these in the enterprise?

Access to records the employer is obliged to keep?

Receive information and consultation by the employer in advance

concerning measures that may substantially affect OSH?

Consultation in advance concerning the designation of

workers or hiring of external services or people with special
responsibility for OSH?
Submit proposals to the employer with a view to mitigating
risks and/or removing sources of danger?

Appropriate training during working hours?

Facilities and time off with no loss of pay to be able to carry

out their duties as OSH representatives?

Attend meetings of the OSH committee?

Access to outside experts?

Stop dangerous work on behalf of workers?

Source: ILO/Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe project on Strengthening social dialogue for improving occupational safety and health
in South East Europe, template for developing National OSH Profiles, 2007

O. Regular and on-going OSH-related activities

List regular activities at the national level designed to improve the level of prevention and
protection.
List any national campaigns, such as awareness-raising campaigns, safety days (or weeks) and
media campaigns, and how often they take place.
Part II: Guidelines for developing the national programme on occupational safety and health 33

List industry OSH activities and initiatives (such as responsible care programmes or product
stewardship, implementation of OSH management system approaches, ISO 9000 and 14000,
and certification schemes).
List trade union OSH activities and initiatives.

P. International cooperation
List internationally supported capacity-building, technical cooperation or other activities in
your country directly related to OSH in areas such as the environment, chemical safety manage-
ment, public health, or the introduction of cleaner/safer technologies. Indicate the international
organization involved, such as ILO, World Health Organization, United Nations Environment
Programme, Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations Industrial Development
Organization, United Nations Institute for Training and Research, Organization for Economic
Co-operation and Development, United Nations Development Programme, or international
non-governmental organizations. If details are not readily available, include an address, inter-
net site or contact information for the organization concerned.

Q. Basic country data

Compile basic information on your country using the tables below. Useful sources for national
statistics of this kind include the World Bank (http://www.worldbank.org/data/countrydata/
countrydata.html), The Economist (http://www.economist.com/countries) and the UN ­statistical
yearbook (http://unstats.un.org/unsd/syb/).

Demographic indicators

Indicator Figure Remarks

Total population (millions)

■ Men (%)
■ Women (%)
Labour force (millions)
Employed (millions)
■ Men (%)
■ Women (%)
■ Young workers below 18 years old (millions or %)
■ in agriculture, forestry, fishing (%)
■ in primary production (%)
■ in manufacturing (%)
■ in construction and energy (%)
■ in services (%)
Active in the informal economy (estimated %)
Unemployed (millions)
Unemployment (%)

Source: Human Development Report. Beyond scarcity: Power, poverty and the global water crisis (HDR), United Nations Development
Programme, 2006 (adapted)
34 Plan Safe, Plan Healthy

Economic indicators

Indicator Figure Remarks

Gross national product (GNP) per capita (US$)

Gross domestic product (GDP) per capita

(purchasing power parity in US$)
GDP produced by agriculture (%)

GDP produced by industry and construction (%)

GDP produced by services (%)

Number of enterprises in operation

Number of small and medium enterprises (SMEs)

(less than 50 employees)

Source: ILO/Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe project on Strengthening social dialogue for improving occupational safety and health
in South East Europe, template for developing National OSH Profiles, 2007

Health statistics

Indicator Figure Remarks

Life expectancy at birth (years)

■ Men

■ Women

Infant mortality per 1,000 live births

Standardized death rate (SDR), cardiovascular

diseases, 0–64 years/100,000
SDR, respiratory diseases, 0–64 years/100,000

SDR, cancer, 0–64 years/100,000

SDR, external causes of injury and poisoning,

0–64 years/100,000
Total health expenditure (% of GDP)

Physicians per 1,000 population

Dentists per 1,000 population

Nurses per 1,000 populatio

Source: ILO/Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe project on Strengthening social dialogue for improving occupational safety and health
in South East Europe, template for developing National OSH Profiles, 2007

Once all the data have been collected, you can go on to develop the national programme.
Part II: Guidelines for developing the national programme on occupational safety and health 35

3. Third step: Developing the national programme on OSH

Once complete, the national profile on OSH should provide all the elements for developing
your national programme on OSH.

3.1. Basic planning steps

First, a few points about strategic planning.
The first step is to define:
■ your mission/goals – the set of policies you want to implement;
■ the actors – the people who will be in charge of publicizing and implementing the
programme;
■ the stakeholders – the groups of people who will be affected by the programme; and
■ critical points – strategic problems that have already emerged from the general SWOT
analysis of the OSH profile of your country.
You can then go on to:
■ structure your programme;
■ decide on the timeframe (this might be 1, 2, or 5–10 years);
■ analyse the costs and resources that need to be allocated;
■ structure the publicity for the programme, including publicizing the endorsement of the
programme by the highest authority;
■ constantly monitor and revise your programme on the basis of the impact and the feed-
back.

3.2. Problem identification and analysis

The data collected in completing the national profile on OSH now needs to be analysed, and any
gaps need to be highlighted. This can be done descriptively, and one way to do this is through
a general SWOT analysis that takes into account each element identified in the OSH profile.
If you feel that one or more elements of the OSH profile deserve special attention, you might
consider a specific SWOT analysis for that sector in particular.
This procedure should help you to identify:
■ what/where the weak points are;
■ what you should concentrate on; and
■ what your priorities should be.
Following is a sample table to help you with your general SWOT analysis. You can also adapt
it for specific analysis of any particular points arising from the OSH profile.
 36

SWOT OSH legislative framework OSH services OSH enforcement mechanisms OSH coordination mechanisms OSH outcomes
analysis and infrastructure – the labour inspectorate

STRENGTHS ■ Legislation harmonized ■ Long experience ■ Experienced senior managers ■ Legal provision for national ■ Established occupational
with ILO Conventions in occupational health in state labour inspectorate and sectoral tripartite OSH health system – diagnosis
■ High numbers of trained ■ Network of local offices close committees and treatment good
occupational health to industrial centres
personnel
■ Occupational health institute

WEAKNESSES ■ Poor implementation ■ Poor preventive activities ■ Lack of coordination ■ National OSH council ■ No list of occupational
capacities ■ Lack of accessible with other inspection services not established diseases
■ Absence of OSH policy information to enterprises ■ Lack of recent training ■ Poorly resourced social ■ Reporting weak,
■ Grey labour market ■ No resources for computers, partners work-related diseases vastly
transport under-reported
■ Reactive rather ■ No preventive activities
than proactive inspections

OPPORTUNITIES ■ ILO presence offers ■ Reorganization of OSH ■ Changes in labour inspection ■ Commitment ■ Commitment
opportunity to develop structures – opportunity to law of new leadership of new leadership
relevant legislation/policy “get it right” ■ Donor-funded project ■ Better understanding of costs to prevention of occupational
■ Commitment of new for training of inspectors of occupational accidents accidents and diseases
leadership ■ Twinning project and diseases
■ Better understanding of costs
of occupational accidents
and diseases

THREATS ■ Overlapping and contradictory ■ Lack of adequate resources ■ Low wages for inspectors ■ No history of collaboration ■ Poor economic climate tends
regulations on OSH ■ Poor economic situation – lack of new recruits and coordination to take attention away from
■ Lessened interest to ■ OSH seen as burden, OSH
specialize in OSH to be overlooked in quest for
economic development
Plan Safe, Plan Healthy
Part II: Guidelines for developing the national programme on occupational safety and health 37

After systematically exploring the weaknesses of each sector, it is important to study the rela-
tionship between causes and effects of the problems that have been identified. The next diagram
shows a simplified example of a cause–effect relationship in a labour inspectorate.

Example of a possible cause–effect relationship in a labour inspectorate

            Causes                                               Effects

Enforcement power
of inspectors insufficient

Labour inspectorate Rising ineffectiveness of inspections

just focusing on reactive (lack of proactive work) and increased
inspections vulnerability of labour inspectors

Not enough attention paid

to inspectors’ personal safety
and health

The analysis of cause-effect relationships enables you to get to the root weaknesses of your
OSH system. Problems often have several interrelated causes. To be effective and long-lasting,
your solution – which of course you will need to identify – will have to take all the underlying
causes into account.

3.3. Generating policy options – setting priority policies

It is critical to involve all the members of the NTT in the decision-making process; interven-
tion will involve several levels and policies at the same time, such as social, safety and health,
macroeconomic, sectoral and labour law policies. There needs to be agreement on the policy
areas to be taken into account.
Strategic decisions are critical for policy planning, because they have:
■ a huge impact on resource allocation; and
■ a high level of irreversibility.
Such decisions need to be:
■ constantly monitored and evaluated; and
■ periodically adjusted.
Once you have selected the policy areas that need intervention, you should identify alternative
scenarios, and evaluate the potential impact they are likely to have.
38 Plan Safe, Plan Healthy

The process of assessing the effects of your decisions should be:

■ consistent with its goals;
■ realistic – it should consider the actual possibilities and means of action available.
Before choosing the set of actions to be implemented, it is essential to study the social and
economic impact that this policy change is likely to have.
As in other policy areas, safety and health policy options are the result of interventions across
several policies (e.g. macroeconomic, sectoral and social, education and training, enterprise
development, and labour market).
You can assess policy options by building alternative “scenarios”. Each scenario should antici-
pate the effects of a policy option, and compare them with other policy options. The policy
options should be a set of realistic choices. Desirability, affordability and feasibility could be
used as criteria for the likely success or failure of each option. Here is a brief description of
each criterion, and some questions that should be asked about it:

Criteria for prioritizing policy options

Desirability Refers to the likelihood that a policy option is “acceptable” to various interest groups. Assess this by asking
questions such as:
■ Who might feel threatened?
■ Who would benefit?
■ What would make the option desirable to all stakeholders?

Affordability Assesses the expenditure and the expected returns. Given the wide scope and indirect impacts of some
policy changes or new programmes, it may be impossible to factor all costs and benefits into the analysis.
Judgement is essential to identify the most significant costs and benefits. Costs and benefits do not
necessarily affect the same people. The analysis should clarify who will bear the costs of a policy option, and
who will reap the benefits. The source of funds is essential information. Questions to be addressed are:
■ How much will it cost?
■ Who will pay for it?
■ Will the benefits outweigh the costs?

Feasibility Refers to the resources available for implementing the option. This is affected by the availability of human,
financial, technical, organizational and administrative resources. The following questions are pertinent:
■ Is the proposed policy option feasible from a technical, organizational and administrative perspective?
■ Is there any evidence that the policy choice would achieve the expected results?
■ What is the time frame required to implement the option?
■ Do existing staff have adequate capacity to implement the policy? Do they need training and technical
assistance?
■ Will staff development costs affect the affordability of the option?

Source: ILO. 2008. Guide for the preparation of National Action Plans on Youth Employment (adapted from W.D. Haddad: The dynamics
of education policy-making: Case studies of Burkina Faso, Jordan, Peru and Thailand, World Bank, Washington D.C., 1994 and Canada
School of Public Service: Policy analysis in government. Step 3: Option identification and evaluation).

Although these three criteria are equally important, assessment of the costs and future returns
on a policy (i.e. its affordability) often proves the most challenging. There are various tech-
niques you can use assess the affordability of a policy option, such as accounting models,
cost-benefit analysis, and cost-effectiveness analysis. A simple cost-benefit analysis for each
of the actions to be taken will usually be sufficient to give you a good idea of the amount of
investment required, and of cost savings or losses avoided in the long term.
Part II: Guidelines for developing the national programme on occupational safety and health 39

Here is a simple matrix for a cost-benefit analysis:

Costs Monetary value in local currency

Total

Benefits

Total

The numbers of items under “Costs” and “Benefits” can vary, of course. You may have more
lines under one heading than under the other. By comparing the two totals, you can see whether
or not the benefits outweigh the costs. If, for example, you intend to build into your programme
the goal of reducing workplace injuries by 10 per cent over the next decade, items under “Costs”
could include campaign materials and additional inspectors. “Benefits” could include reduc-
tions in state spending on invalidity pensions and increases in tax revenue from companies, as
the injury reductions will have reduced their costs and increased their output.

3.4. Setting the objectives of the national programme on OSH

Starting from the analysis of the data in the previous section, you should now establish:
■ the goals, objectives and targets of the national programme;
■ the outputs, activities and resources of the national programme.

The goals, objectives and targets of the national programme

Goals are broadly defined objectives that describe the expected final impact on direct and indi-
rect beneficiaries. Higher-level goals should be linked to the overall national policy on OSH, as
well as to other relevant governmental policies, such as labour, social and economic develop-
ment. You may wish to state why these goals have been chosen, as this may help in justifying
resource allocation.
The objectives address identified problems and priorities, and indicate what the national
programme aims to achieve by the end of its implementation. The objectives are the specific
changes that the programme is expected to bring about by its end, in the quality and quantity of
the services provided, and/or in the way in which they are delivered.
Objectives should be set clearly and concisely, and must be realistically achievable within the
time frame and the available resources of the programme. They should therefore be described
as (or be accompanied by) one or more quantifiable targets to be achieved (results), rather than
be stated as actions to be taken.
40 Plan Safe, Plan Healthy

Targets, just like indicators, have to be SMART:

■ Specific – clear about what, where, when and how the situation will be changed.
■ Measurable – either quantitatively or qualitatively.
■ Achievable – is it something that you know you can do and can commit to?
■ Relevant – is the change important for your purposes?
■ Time-bound – what is the time frame for this objective? By when will it be accomplished?
Baselines provide data or information on the current situation or performance. They are used
for setting targets, and in evaluating progress.
Example of setting a measurable goal and target:

Goal (national programme on OSH, 2011–2015):

■ Reduce work-related musculoskeletal disorders.

Baselines:
■ In the year of reference (2011), 70,000 workers were off work for a total of 1,000,000
days as a result of musculoskeletal injuries.
■ Sectors with the highest prevalence of musculoskeletal injuries are manufacturing, agri-
culture and construction.

Target:
■ Reduction of the incidence rate of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in all sectors by
35 per cent by 2015.

Intermediate objectives:
■ Reduction of the incidence rate of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in the construc-
tion sector by 15 per cent by 2012.
■ Reduction of the annual incidence rate of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in the
manufacturing sector by 10 per cent by 2012.
■ Reduction of the incidence rate of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in the agricul-
ture sector by 15 per cent by 2012.

The outputs, activities and resources of the national programme

You then need to go on and identify the human, material and financial resources that will be
needed to implement the programme or intervention, and what activities these resources will
conduct to achieve the desired outcome.
You also need to identify the institution(s) that will provide the resources (e.g. funds, equip-
ment, personnel and physical facilities); these institutions could be public or private.
It may help if you break the inputs down by strategy.
Part II: Guidelines for developing the national programme on occupational safety and health 41

Ask yourself:
■ What needs to be done?
■ What are the actions or activities to be undertaken?
■ Who will be in charge of implementing them?
■ What are the resources to be allocated?
■ What benefits are these actions likely to bring?
■ What will the time frame be?
Once this has been done, an intervention plan can be drawn up. For example, continuing with
the goal to reduce work-related musculoskeletal disorders, the following identifies the proposed
resources and activities:

Expected outcome (objective):

■ The annual incidence rate of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in the manufacturing
sector will be reduced by 10 per cent by 2012.

Inputs (resources):
■ 25 labour inspectors will be devoted full-time to address this specific problem.
■ 5 ergonomists will be devoted full-time.

Activities (processes):
■ A programme of 3,000 targeted inspections, including investigations and enforcement as
necessary to reduce manual handling injuries.
■ 100 training programmes will be developed and piloted with stakeholders.

There are of course other ways to document this information, such as the table below.

Type Institution Other Period of Activities Resources Indicators Expected

of strategy responsible agencies/ implementation implemented allocated outcomes
for organizations
implementation participating

Once the interventions are approved and conducted, monitoring is required to ascertain what
actually took place, and what results were achieved.
42 Plan Safe, Plan Healthy

3.5. Monitoring, evaluation and review – towards continual improvement

Governments use management tools such as monitoring to demonstrate transparency on resource
allocation, and to provide evidence of outcomes. The results of the national programme on
OSH must be reviewed to ensure that the desired outcomes are in fact being realized. If this is
not the case, different courses of action will or may need to be identified and followed so that
the desired outcomes can be achieved. If the outcomes have been realized, the review should
identify whether they are sustainable without further resources; if this is the case, the current
resources could then be redirected to other priorities.
In particular, the NTT should put a monitoring system in place, and decide what its duties are
to be, by establishing:
■ the team responsible for overall monitoring of the programme;
■ the type of mechanism needed for periodic reporting;
■ the frequency of the audits;
■ the scope of the audits;
■ the audit methodology.
The audits will provide the data needed for the next stage: evaluating your programme.
Evaluation is a means of verifying whether the goal of your national programme on OSH
is being achieved. The aim of your OSH policy was to prevent occupational accidents and
disease. Your national programme on OSH detailed the procedure chosen to realize the goal,
and you must evaluate this procedure to ensure its effectiveness.
Evaluation measures performance in terms of:

Relevance How far the programme’s objectives consistent with local and national priorities, and with social
partners’ policies.
Effectiveness How far the programme’s objectives have been achieved.
Efficiency Whether the outcomes and objectives have been achieved with the minimum possible expenditure
of human, economic and financial resources, and whether better results could have been obtained
at the same cost.
Utility How far direct and indirect beneficiaries are satisfied with the results obtained.
Sustainability The likelihood that your national programme on OSH will bring long-lasting results.
Impact Whether the impacts of your strategy have been positive or negative, intended or unintended.
Coherence/complementarity Whether the actions foreseen in your national programme on OSH:
1. are coherent with the overall OSH system, and with stakeholders’ needs;
2. work in synergy.

To sum up, this section of the programme enables you to assess whether:
■ the outcomes of the on-going activities are in line with the long-term goal of the national
policy on OSH;
■ the activities in place are operating effectively;
■ the mid-term goals are likely to be met, or whether the indicators need to be adjusted;
■ your priorities need to be set differently.
Re-plan your medium and long-term goals accordingly.
Part II: Guidelines for developing the national programme on occupational safety and health 43

3.6. Experiences and ideas

This guide cannot tell you what to put in your national programme. The whole point of a
national programme on OSH is to set goals that match your country’s needs and resources.
Several countries have already implemented national programmes on OSH or similar strategies.
Much can be learnt from these examples. In Appendix I we have highlighted the choices made
by Australia, France, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, New Zealand, the
United Kingdom and Vietnam. They represent a wide range of countries and OSH situations,
and they may provide you with some ideas.
Designing and implementing a national programme is not an easy task, but the potential
rewards are great. Good governance of occupational safety and health can do much to reduce
human suffering, and increase prosperity. You start with the great advantage that governments,
employers, trade unions and society as a whole fundamentally agree on the need to improve
OSH performance, and then keep on improving it.
The ILO stands ready to help you with your national occupational safety and health programme,
and we wish you every success.
 Appendix I
Countries’ experiences with national programmes

Australia – Reducing deaths and injuries

Seen as a step on the way to the “national vision of Australian workplaces free from death,
injury and disease”, Australia’s National OHS Strategy 2002–2012 sets two main targets:
■ sustain a significant, continual reduction in the incidence of work-related fatalities with
a reduction of at least 20 per cent by 30 June 2012 (with a reduction of 10 per cent being
achieved by 30 June 2007);
■ reduce the incidence of workplace injury by at least 40 per cent by 30 June 2012 (with a
reduction of 20 per cent being achieved by 30 June 2007).
It also identifies five priorities aimed at “short- and long-term OHS improvement” and “longer-
term cultural change”:
■ Reduce the impacts of risks at work.
■ Improve the capacity of business operators and workers to manage OHS effectively.
■ Prevent occupational disease more effectively.
■ Eliminate hazards at the design stage.
■ Strengthen the capacity of government to influence OHS outcomes.
To achieve its aims, the strategy is focusing on particular risks and industry sectors. The risks
targeted are musculoskeletal disorders, falls from heights, and hitting or being hit by objects.
These three risks account for more than half of workers’ compensation claims across Australia.
Building and construction, transport and storage, manufacturing, and health and community
services were the four target sectors originally chosen. A fifth has since been added: agricul-
ture, forestry and fisheries.
Preliminary analysis indicated considerable progress towards the National Strategy target for
work-related fatalities, with the provisional figures for 2001–2002 and 2003–2004 showing a
25 per cent reduction. But agriculture, forestry and fishing recorded the highest fatality inci-
dence rate for any industry: 10 claims per 100,000 employees, according to the preliminary
figures for 2003–2004. This was more than twice the rate recorded in 2001–2002.
The preliminary figures showed that the reduction in the incidence rate of injury and muscu-
loskeletal claims between 2001–2002 and 2003–2004 was 5.4 per cent. This was “well behind
the 8 per cent improvement required at this stage to meet the national target”.
Prepared by the National Occupational Health and Safety Commission (NOHSC), the Australian
strategy was approved by the federal and state employment ministers, the Australian Chamber
of Commerce and Industry and the Australian Council of Trade Unions.
The strategy is being periodically reviewed and evaluated “so that the national priorities and
actions may be adjusted or changed to meet current and future needs”. The first review, in
46 Plan Safe, Plan Healthy

2004–2005, noted that the strategy was contributing to improvements in OHS by setting targets
based on data, providing a focus for national efforts, and establishing a framework that encour-
ages the development of new relationships between governments, business and employees.
The review identified that all Australian OHS authorities had modelled business plans or strate-
gies on the National Strategy. It also recognized that all member organizations of the Austral-
ian Safety and Compensation Council were working on education and compliance campaigns
aimed at raising awareness of OHS, and engaging industry in activities that support the National
Strategy’s goals. As a result of the review, an additional National Strategy target was adopted:
to achieve the lowest rate of work-related traumatic fatalities in the world by 2009.
National OHS Strategy 2002–2012 © Commonwealth of Australia, 2002.

France – Four aims, 23 actions

France’s Health at Work Plan 2005–2009 had four objectives, subdivided into a total of 23
actions:

Develop knowledge of occupational hazards, risks and exposure

■ Build workplace health into the public health surveillance system.
■ Structure and develop public research on health and safety at work.
■ Organize knowledge access.
■ Develop and coordinate calls for research proposals on health at work.
■ Develop the OSH training of health-care professionals.

Strengthen the effectiveness of inspections

■ Create multidisciplinary regional structures.
■ Adapt inspection resources to local conditions.
■ Develop local knowledge, and strengthen the inspection system.
■ Strengthen the training of OSH inspection staff.

Reform the guiding structures, and break down the barriers

between different administrations’ approaches
■ Structure inter-ministerial cooperation on the prevention of occupational risks.
■ Reform the High Council for the Prevention of Occupational Risks (Conseil supérieur de
la prévention des risques professionnels).
■ Create regional consultative bodies.
■ Improve and harmonize technical regulation.

Encourage firms to be occupational health actors

■ Modernize and encourage the occupational health services’ preventive actions.
■ Mobilize occupational health services for better prevention of psychosocial risks.
■ Rethink the criteria on fitness for work.
 Appendix I: Coutries’experiences with national programmes 47

■ Reform employer insurance premium tariffs so that they once again become incentives for
prevention.
■ Encourage the development of in-house applied research.
■ Assist firms with the prior assessment of risks.
■ Promote the role of health and safety committees in all workplaces.
■ Develop the prevention of road accidents on the way to and from work.
■ Promote the substitution principle for the most hazardous chemicals.
■ Develop, in schools and in continuous training, OSH awareness-building among engi-
neers and technicians.
Each action is structured on the same grid, showing:
■ the precise aim that it is to achieve during the plan period, or in the longer term;
■ the justification for the action, by taking stock of the current situation;
■ the concrete means of achieving the stated aim; and
■ an indicative timetable for implementation, enabling all the actors to be given time frames
and guidance throughout the duration of the plan.
The French programme is a collective effort. It was drafted by the Labour Relations Directo-
rate under the authority of the Labour Relations Minister, in close cooperation with the High
Council for the Prevention of Occupational Risks. Closely associated with this work were the
Ministries of Ecology, Health, Research, Agriculture and Transport. Consultations were also
held with other ministerial departments and representatives of the organizations concerned.
Evaluation and follow-up were to be structured along the same lines. A mid-term assessment
was scheduled for the second half of 2007.
Plan Santé au travail 2005–2009, Ministry of Employment, Labour and Social Cohesion,
France.

India – Stakeholder commitment

The Directive Principles of State Policy under the Indian Constitution provide for:
■ securing the health and strength of workers, whether men or women;
■ opposing the abuse of children/child labour;
■ just and human conditions of work;
■ securing the participation of workers in management, etc.;
■ ensuring that citizens are not forced by economic necessity to enter avocations unsuited to
their age or strength.
On the basis of these Directive Principles, as well as international instruments, the government
of India is committed to regulating all economic activities to ensure management of safety
and health risks at workplaces, and to providing measures to ensure safe and healthy working
conditions for every working man and woman in the nation.
As a result of consistent persuasion at various levels in tripartite and bipartite forums, as well as
various seminars and workshops over the years, the Ministry of Labour and Employment drew
48 Plan Safe, Plan Healthy

up a national policy on OSH. This was considered on 7 August 2008 by the government and
the social partners (employers, trade unions and NGOs). Several ideas and improvements were
suggested in order to strengthen the national policy, so as to make it really useful and purpose-
ful in the world of work. 2008 was declared the Year of Industrial Safety and Health.
Goals: The Indian government firmly believes that building and maintaining a national preven-
tive safety and health culture is the need of the hour. The policy aims at developing a culture
that helps to improve safety, health and the environment at the workplace by meeting certain
requirements, such as providing a statutory framework and administrative and technical support.
Objectives: The policy seeks to bring the national objectives into focus as a step towards
improvements in safety, health and the environment at the workplace. The objectives, inter alia,
are to achieve:
■ reductions in the incidence of work-related injuries, fatalities, diseases, disasters and loss
of national assets;
■ improved coverage of work-related injuries, fatalities and diseases, and a more compre-
hensive database to facilitate better performance and monitoring;
■ continuous enhancement of community awareness regarding safety, health and the envi-
ronment in work-related areas.
Action programme: To achieve the goals and objectives, an action programme was drawn up
and, wherever necessary, time-bound action was to be initiated.
National standard: The policy provides for the development of appropriate standards, codes
of practice and manuals on health, safety and the environment, consistent with international
standards.
Compliance: The policy makes provision for encouraging the appropriate state governments to
assume the fullest responsibility for the administration and enforcement of occupational safety,
health and the environment at the workplace, and for providing assistance in identifying their
needs and responsibilities in this field.
Awareness: The policy aims to increase awareness of safety, health and the environment at
workplaces through appropriate means.
Research and development: The policy emphasizes research in the field of safety, health and
the environment at the workplace, including the psychological factors involved, and the devel-
opment of innovative methods, techniques including computer-aided risk assessment tools and
approaches for dealing with workplace safety, health and environment problems, so as to help
in establishing standards.
OSH skills development: The policy provides, inter alia, for the development of occupa-
tional safety and health skills by building on the progress already made through employer
and employee initiatives, providing training, information and advice, establishing occupational
health services/centres, and adopting occupational safety and health training curricula in work-
place and industry programmes.
Data collection: Important parts of the policy are compiling statistics on health, safety and the
environment at the workplace, and conducting national studies, surveys or projects through
governmental and non-governmental organizations.
 Appendix I: Coutries’experiences with national programmes 49

Review: According to the policy, an initial review and analysis are to be carried out to ascer-
tain the current status of safety, health and the environment at the workplace, and build a
national occupational safety profile. It also provides for reviews of National Policy and Action
Programmes at least once every five years in order to assess the relevance of the national goals
and objectives.
Conclusion: There is a need to develop close involvement of social partners in meeting the chal-
lenges ahead in the assessment and control of workplace risks, by mobilizing local resources
and extending protection to working populations and vulnerable groups where social protection
is not adequate. Government stands committed to review the National Policy on Safety, Health
and Environment at the Workplace, and the legislation. The National Policy and Programme
envisage total commitment by all concerned stakeholders, such as government and the social
partners. The goals and objectives will be achieved through dedicated and concerted efforts.
The National Policy has only recently been framed. More time will be needed to implement
it throughout India, and to assess its effectiveness. However, various relevant existing laws,
such as the Factories Act, Mines Act, Dockworkers (Safety Health and Welfare) Act, and social
security legislation such as the ESIC Act, are already being implemented effectively.
Report prepared by B.C. Prabhakar, President of the KEA (Karnataka Employers’ Association),
India.

Indonesia – Synergy for safety

“The coming into being of an OSH culture in Indonesia” – that is the vision part of the coun-
try’s Vision, Mission, Policy, Strategy and Programme of National Occupational Safety and
Health 2007–2010. It is to be achieved through three missions:
■ enhancing synergistic coordination among stakeholders in OSH;
■ improving the independence of the world of business in applying occupational safety and
health; and
■ increasing competition among, and the competitiveness of, OSH workers.
Underpinning these commitments are five policies:
■ enhancing coordination based on mutually supportive partnership;
■ empowering entrepreneurs, workers and the government so that they are able to apply and
enhance OSH culture;
■ the government playing a role as both facilitator and regulator;
■ the application of the OSH management system SMK3 as an inseparable part of company
management;
■ understanding and application of sustainable OSH norms.
From the policies stem ten strategies:
■ increasing the commitment of employers and workers in the field of OSH;
■ enhancing the roles and functions of all sectors in the implementation of OSH;
■ enhancing employers’ and workers’ ability, understanding, attitude and behaviour in rela-
tion to OSH culture;
50 Plan Safe, Plan Healthy

■ implementing OSH through risk management and the management of risky behaviour;
■ developing an OSH assessment system (OSH audit) in the world of business;
■ accompanying and strengthening micro, small and medium-scale enterprises in applying
and enhancing OSH culture;
■ improving the application of an integrated OSH information system;
■ instilling understanding of OSH from an early age up to higher education;
■ enhancing the role of professional organizations, universities, practitioners and other
components of society in improving the understanding, ability, attitude and behaviour
associated with OSH culture; and
■ enhancing the integration of OSH in all scientific disciplines.
Concrete measures include:
■ revitalization of the independent National OSH Council;
■ evaluation and harmonization of all OSH laws and regulations;
■ the development of OSH guidelines and standards;
■ improvements in the role and functioning of OSH inspection agencies;
■ encouraging companies to develop OSH policies and establish OSH supervisory committees;
■ awards and incentives to companies;
■ the establishment of OSH competence standards and OSH training institutions; and
■ the establishment of an integrated national OSH information system.
Prepared by the National Occupational Safety and Health Council (DK3N), the Indonesian
strategy was facilitated by the ILO and supported by the Association of Indonesian Employers
(DPN APINDO).
Vision, Mission, Policy, Strategy and Programme of National Occupational Safety and Health
2007–2010, National Occupational Safety and Health Council (DK3N), Indonesia.

Kenya – A programme anchored in law

Kenya has a national programme on OSH that is entrenched in labour law – the Occupational
Safety and Health Act, 2007. This Act of Parliament is a ratification of ILO Convention 155
(Occupational Safety and Health). It provides for the safety, health and welfare of workers and
of people lawfully present at workplaces, and also for the establishment of the National Coun-
cil for Occupational Safety and Health, and related matters.
Those involved: In the process of developing the national programme, the OSH issue was
approached objectively, with a view to protecting workers’ fundamental rights as well as improv-
ing their working conditions. This objective could not be achieved without tripartite involve-
ment: the Directorate of Occupational Health and Safety Services (DOHSS), the Federation of
Kenya Employers (FKE), and the Central Organization of Trade Unions (Kenya), COTU (K).
They adopted a proactive ideology of “prevention and control of workplace risks” as an effec-
tive method for the prevention and control of accidents.
How it was developed: According to the Department of Labour report for 2005, 296,416
work accidents were taken into account by people claiming compensation for medical expenses
 Appendix I: Coutries’experiences with national programmes 51

and other economic losses. For this and other reasons, there was a need to protect health and
safety and maintain the Kenyan labour force’s ability to work until well beyond pension. So the
DOHSS (government), FKE (employers) and COTU (K) (workers) each committed themselves
to rights and duties in connection with preventive and control mechanisms.
Case study prepared by Meshack Khisa, for and on behalf of the Kenya Plantation and Agri-
cultural Workers Union.

Mauritius – Tripartism for safety and health

Mauritius adopted its first health, safety and welfare regulation in 1980. Then a comprehensive
Act on OSH was created in 1988. This legislation was replaced by a modern piece of legislation
in 2005 – the Occupational Safety and Health Act 2005.
Mauritius has had a national occupational safety and health policy since 2001, when it was
prepared through national tripartite consultation. A National Occupational Safety and Health
Profile for Mauritius has been prepared with the help and support of ILO consultants. The
National Occupational Safety and Health Profile was validated at a tripartite workshop held in
cooperation with the ILO. The workshop also developed a National Occupational Safety and
Health Programme.
The Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment currently has a department, the
Occupational Safety and Health Inspectorate, that enforces occupational safety and health legis-
lation in order to ensure compliance by employers. This is achieved through such ­activities as:
■ preventive inspections at workplaces;
■ investigations into complaints and accidents;
■ ensuring that some dangerous machines are subject to regular examinations;
■ health surveillance, including medical surveillance for employees exposed or liable to be
exposed to a substance hazardous to health;
■ prosecution of employers for breach of the law.
Furthermore, a special unit provides training to employers and employees. It also manages a
CIS information centre and a documentation unit, and gives information on occupational safety
and health to any person who requests it.
A tripartite Advisory Council for Occupational Safety and Health was set up under the Occu-
pational Safety and Health Act 2005. It addresses new and pertinent issues on occupational
safety and health, and advises the Minister. With a view to creating a safety culture in the
Mauritian workforce, the Occupational Safety and Health Inspectorate has, in cooperation with
the ILO, organized several national seminars on subject areas such as accident prevention,
chemical safety and electrical safety. Furthermore, programmes on occupational safety and
health are regularly broadcast on the radio and TV. Posters, stickers and information pamphlets
are also prepared and distributed widely among employers and trade unions with a view to
creating general safety awareness. Every year the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and
Employment celebrates the World Day for Safety and Health at Work. The two public universi-
ties of Mauritius, which were previously running an occupational safety and health diploma
programme, are now running the course at degree level, so that future safety professionals are
well qualified and competent to perform their duties.
52 Plan Safe, Plan Healthy

The efforts made over the years have had a positive effect on occupational safety and health at
national level. One of the indicators, workplace accidents (accidents reported to the Ministry of
Social Security, National Solidarity and Senior Citizens Welfare and Reform Institutions), has
shown a downward trend, decreasing from 10,234 (1991) to 2,659 (2007).
Case study prepared by Khindev Gunputh, OSH Officer for the Ministry of Labour, Industrial
Relations and Employment, Mauritius.

Mexico – Enterprise quality labelling

Mexico does not have a national programme on OSH in place; however, it does have a National
Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Hygiene called COCONASHT (Comisión
Consultiva Nacional de Seguridad e Higiene en el Trabajo), which dates back to 1970.
The coordinators responsible for this committee are the Secretary of Labour and Social Secu-
rity and the Mexican Institute of Social Security. They act as consultants, giving advice to
enterprises and helping them to achieve a self-managed OSH system.
COCONASHT acts as an advisory body for the government. It is also in charge of conduct-
ing research and proposing new laws on occupational safety and health. Its tripartite structure
allows it to meet both workers’ and employers’ demands.
Mexico also has a self-managed programme on occupational safety and health that is respon-
sible for deciding whether enterprises deserve a “Safe Enterprise” (Empresa segura) quality
label. This practice is aimed at promoting an OSH policy through the provision of technical
assistance frameworks and the implementation of administrative systems.
Any enterprise or activity can join the programme on a voluntary basis. There are different types
of “Safe Enterprise” quality labels, depending on the type of standard that should be met: that
is, the level of legal compliance, the efforts for continuous progress on the issue, and the results
obtained in administration of OSH. This latter recognition is renewable after three years for the
first time, and then every five years with the quality label of “effective OSH administration”.
Case study prepared by Leticia del Rocio, legal consultant, Mexico

Mongolia – ILO links for a national programme

Mongolia aims to build and maintain a preventive safety and health culture. Its national
programme on improving occupational safety and health and the working environment also
sets out to:
■ decrease the number of work-related injuries and occupational diseases;
■ provide favourable conditions for safety and health at work;
■ develop a legal environment for protecting employees from work-related hazards and risks;
and
■ promote social protection and tripartism in the OSH area.
A two-phase programme was implemented in 1997–2000 and 2001–2004. During that period,
Mongolia ratified ILO Convention 155 on OSH, and developed the OSH Article within its
Labour Code in line with that ILO instrument. The 2005–2010 programme was drawn up
 Appendix I: Coutries’experiences with national programmes 53

in accordance with ILO recommendations and Mongolia’s present OSH needs. It is being
implemented with the active participation of government authorities at all levels, the tripartite
constituents, NGOs, employers, employees and the general public. The plan mobilizes national
and local financial and human resources, as well as expanded international support.
The programme is structured around six objectives, each with a corresponding expected outcome:
Objective: Implement the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work,
and improve the legal environment for OSH in line with the OSH-related ILO Conventions.
Outcome: OSH legal environment improved, and increased employer, employee and public
awareness of this issue.
Objective: Develop and implement the legislation on OSH and the prevention of work injuries
and occupational diseases. Outcome: Legislation implemented, and number of work injuries
and occupational disease cases reduced.
Objective: Establish an OSH information system; develop OSH research. Outcome: Develop-
ment of OSH information and statistics, and expansion of OSH-related research and d­ evelopment.
Objective: Improve knowledge development and raise public awareness of OSH, meeting employ-
ers’ and employees’ needs. Outcome: Systematic development of OSH training and advocacy.
Objective: Improve the national OSH management and monitoring system. Outcome: National
OSH management and organizational structure improved appropriately.
Objective: Strengthen tripartite OSH mechanisms at the national and sectoral levels; capacity-
building for the social partners’ representative organizations at the local level; improve public
awareness of social partnership. Outcome: Social partnership in OSH expanded.
Outputs from the programme are expected to include an efficient and flexible dual labour
inspection system, improved OSH statistics, and an annual OSH report.
The plan is to be monitored and evaluated with broad participation. Its overall management and
organizational structure are to be reviewed, lessons are to be drawn from its experiences, and
donors are to receive reports on its financial efficiency.
National Programme on Improving Occupational Safety and Health and the Working Environ-
ment (2005–2010), Mongolian Government.

New Zealand – Motivating OSH self-management

The strategy of New Zealand’s Occupational Safety and Health Service (OSH) for 2004–2009
is to create social and economic motivation for workplace participants in New Zealand, so that
an increasing percentage of enterprises actively self-manage occupational safety and health in
order to achieve best practice. The action plan falls under five main headings. (In what follows,
“OSH” means the NZ Occupational Safety and Health Service.)

Engage
Society will demand healthy and safe workplaces and will be intolerant of poor health and
safety practices in New Zealand.
54 Plan Safe, Plan Healthy

■ OSH will lead the development of national initiatives across government and industry
sectors to promote health and safety in workplaces.
■ OSH will invest a greater proportion of its current and future funding in raising general
awareness of the benefits of workplace health and safety.
Results expected by 2009:
■ Higher levels of public awareness of the social and economic benefits of best-practice
health and safety in the workplace.
■ Heightened intolerance of poorly performing workplaces/industry sectors, in terms of
community, government and industry support.

Educate
Workplace participants and sectors will be knowledgeable about the benefits of, and approaches
to, health and safety.
■ OSH communications will be more relevant, understandable and accessible to target
audiences.
■ OSH advice and assistance will be practical and relevant.
■ OSH will encourage and support key influencers to promote workplace health and safety.
■ OSH will facilitate the promotion of best practice across workplaces, sectors and clusters.
Results expected by 2009:
■ Higher levels of health and safety knowledge and skills among workplace participants.
■ Comprehensive guidance materials developed and promoted by targeted sectors, with
support from OSH.
■ A move from seeing good health and safety as a cost to business, to regarding it as an
investment in productivity.

Enable
Workplace participants, sectors and clusters will take proactive actions towards improving
health and safety in and around the workplace.
■ OSH will work collaboratively with other agencies.
■ OSH will target key client groups and market segments.
■ OSH will provide added-value support for industry health and safety groups.
Results expected by 2009:
■ An increase in the number of industry sectors or enterprise clusters that are actively work-
ing together to promote best-practice health and safety.
■ Systematic management of health and safety by an increased proportion of businesses.

Enforce
Purposeful or serious breaches of minimum standards will reduce as a result of targeted enforce-
ment actions.
 Appendix I: Coutries’experiences with national programmes 55

■ OSH enforcement activity will be strategically focused on purposeful or serious breaches.

■ OSH will apply penalties that will lead to changes in behaviour.
■ OSH-administered sanctions will be fairly applied, consistent and transparent.
Results expected by 2009:
■ Organizations that blatantly disregard health and safety will be publicly acknowledged as
industrial criminals.
■ Significant reduction in repeat prosecutions across industry sectors and employers.

Capability
OSH will be a high-performance service within the NZ Department of Labour, with the capabil-
ity and capacity to deliver world-class health and safety outcomes in the New Zealand context.
■ OSH will actively seek opportunities to work with other Department of Labour services
to enhance service delivery and client outcomes.
■ Staff will be client-focused in everything they say and do.
■ Staff and services will be responsive to the needs of all client groups, including Maori,
Pacific people and people with disabilities.
■ Resources will be efficiently and effectively deployed to maximize outcomes.
■ OSH will consult positively with all key stakeholders.
■ OSH will be a model of excellent health and safety work practice.
Results expected by 2009:
■ OSH being confirmed as a credible, fair and valued government service.
■ OSH taking a full leadership role for workplace health and safety throughout New Zealand.
■ OSH recognized as an international leader in best-practice health and safety.

United Kingdom – Consulting for change

A strategy for change in the UK’s OSH system up to 2010 and beyond was developed by the
country’s Health and Safety Commission (HSC). The aim was to debate with others how the
system might be strengthened and, where there are gaps and limitations, how they might be filled.
The key drivers for change are:
■ A perception that there is no coherent direction to the overall OSH and system. The HSC,
the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Britain’s local authorities, which are also
responsible for enforcing OSH regulations, “cannot/should not do it all”.
■ HSE and local authority resources are limited, are spread too thinly, and need to be targeted
where they can have the most impact.
■ HSC, HSE and the local authorities “have done a great job on safety but there is still a
huge job to do on health.” Forty million British working days were lost to occupational ill
health and injury in 2001–2002. Of these, 33 million were attributable to ill health. “Our
traditional interventions may be less effective when dealing with health than when dealing
with safety.”
56 Plan Safe, Plan Healthy

■ Research shows that many organizations do not contact HSE or the local authorities about
OSH matters. Some are fearful of doing so.
The mission for HSC and HSE, working with local authorities, is to “protect people’s health
and safety by ensuring that risks in the changing workplace are properly controlled”.
They intend to do so by continuing with their present aims of:
■ protecting people by providing information and advice, promoting and assuring a goal-
setting system of regulation, undertaking and encouraging research, and enforcing the law
where necessary;
■ influencing organizations to embrace high OSH standards and recognize the social and
economic benefits;
■ working with business to prevent catastrophic failures in major hazard industries;
■ optimizing the use of resources.
To these, they add the new aims of:
■ developing new ways to establish and maintain an effective OSH culture in a changing
economy, so that all employers take their responsibilities seriously, the workforce is fully
involved, and risks are properly managed;
■ doing more to address the new and emerging work-related health issues;
■ achieving higher levels of recognition and respect for OSH as an integral part of a modern,
competitive business and public sector, and as a contribution to social justice and inclusion;
■ exemplifying public sector best practice in the management of their own resources.
The strategy was developed through a consultation process and the examination of the available
evidence on the effectiveness of OSH interventions. Over 200 people responded to the consul-
tation on the draft strategy. A telephone survey and regional events were also held, so that HSC
spoke to more than 2,500 people in all about the strategy.
A strategy for workplace health and safety in Great Britain to 2010 and beyond, Health and
Safety Commission (HSC), UK.

Vietnam – Five aims by 2010

Through its programme, Vietnam has set itself five specific targets to reach by 2010:
■ reducing serious and fatal occupational accidents – to include a 5 per cent decrease in the
annual occupational accident frequency rate in particularly hazardous sectors (mining,
construction, electricity supply);
■ a 10 per cent reduction in newly contracted cases of occupational disease, and ensuring
that more than 80 per cent of workers in production units with a high risk of occupational
disease have health checks;
■ ensuring that 100 per cent of workers diagnosed with occupational accidents and occupa-
tional diseases are treated and are provided with health-care and rehabilitation services;
■ ensuring that more than 80 per cent of workers in sectors and jobs with strict OSH require-
ments, and OSH officers, are trained in OSH;
■ ensuring that 100 per cent of fatal occupational accidents and serious occupational acci-
dents are investigated.
 Appendix I: Coutries’experiences with national programmes 57

The lifespan of each project within the five-year programme is based on the objectives, and can
be adjusted.
Implementation policies are:
■ continuing to implement and institutionalize the policies and guidelines of the Communist
Party and the State on labour protection, revising the Labour Code provisions on OSH,
developing an Act on Occupational Safety and Health, and establishing a Compensation
Fund for occupational accidents and diseases;
■ setting up policies to encourage workers to improve working conditions;
■ studying and consolidating policies to reward achievements and penalize violations as
regards OSH;
■ studying and developing policies and mechanisms to encourage the development of
services for consultancy, verification, education and training in OSH.
There is to be self-monitoring and evaluation by ministries and state agencies, independent
monitoring and evaluation by consultancy and science organizations, and monitoring and eval-
uation by representative organizations of workers and employers. Evaluation indicators are
built into the project activities.
National Programme on Labour Protection, Occupational Safety and Occupational Health up
to 2010, Government of Vietnam.
 Appendix II
ILO Convention and Recommendation
on a Promotional Framework for Occupational
Safety and Health

ILO Conventions are ratifiable by Member States and are binding once ratified. ILO Recom-
mendations, often linked to a Convention, fill in extra detail and give additional advice.

Promotional Framework
for Occupational Safety and Health Convention No. 187, 2006

The General Conference of the International Noting the Occupational Safety and Health
Labour Organization, Convention, 1981 (No. 155), the Occupa-
Having been convened at Geneva by the tional Safety and Health Recommendation,
Governing Body of the International Labour 1981 (No. 164), and other instruments of the
Office, and having met in its Ninety-fifth International Labour Organization relevant to
Session on 31 May 2006, the promotional framework for occupational
safety and health, and
Recognizing the global magnitude of occu-
pational injuries, diseases and deaths, and the Recalling that the promotion of occupational
need for further action to reduce them, and safety and health is part of the International
Labour Organization’s agenda of decent work
Recalling that the protection of workers for all, and
against sickness, disease and injury arising
out of employment is among the objectives of Recalling the Conclusions concerning ILO
the International Labour Organization as set standards-related activities in the area of occu-
out in its Constitution, and pational safety and health – a global strategy,
adopted by the International Labour Confer-
Recognizing that occupational injuries,
ence at its 91st Session (2003), in particular
diseases and deaths have a negative effect
relating to ensuring that priority be given to
on productivity and on economic and social
occupational safety and health in national
development, and
agendas, and
Noting paragraph III(g) of the Declaration of
Stressing the importance of the continuous
Philadelphia, which provides that the Inter-
promotion of a national preventative safety
national Labour Organization has the solemn
and health culture, and
obligation to further among the nations of
the world programmes which will achieve Having decided upon the adoption of certain
adequate protection for the life and health of proposals with regard to occupational safety
workers in all occupations, and and health, which is the fourth item on the
Mindful of the ILO Declaration on Funda- agenda of the session, and
mental Principles and Rights at Work and its Having determined that these proposals shall
Follow-Up, 1998, and take the form of an international Convention;
60 Plan Safe, Plan Healthy

adopts this fifteenth day of June of the year occupational injuries, diseases and deaths,
two thousand and six the following Conven- by the development, in consultation with the
tion, which may be cited as the Promotional most representative organizations of employ-
Framework for Occupational Safety and ers and workers, of a national policy, national
Health Convention, 2006. system and national programme.
2. Each Member shall take active steps
I. Definitions towards achieving progressively a safe and
Article 1 healthy working environment through a
national system and national programmes on
For the purpose of this Convention:
occupational safety and health by taking into
(a) the term national policy refers to the account the principles set out in instruments
national policy on occupational safety and of the International Labour Organization
health and the working environment devel- (ILO) relevant to the promotional framework
oped in accordance with the principles of for occupational safety and health.
Article 4 of the Occupational Safety and
3. Each Member, in consultation with the
Health Convention, 1981 (No. 155);
most representative organizations of employ-
(b) the term national system for occupa- ers and workers, shall periodically consider
tional safety and health or national system what measures could be taken to ratify rele-
refers to the infrastructure which provides vant occupational safety and health Conven-
the main framework for implementing the tions of the ILO.
national policy and national programmes on
occupational safety and health;
III. National Policy
(c) the term national programme on occu-
Article 3
pational safety and health or national
programme refers to any national programme 1. Each Member shall promote a safe and
that includes objectives to be achieved in a healthy working environment by formulating
predetermined time frame, priorities and means a national policy.
of action formulated to improve occupational 2. Each Member shall promote and advance,
safety and health, and means to assess progress; at all relevant levels, the right of workers to a
(d) the term a national preventative safety safe and healthy working environment.
and health culture refers to a culture in 3. In formulating its national policy, each
which the right to a safe and healthy working Member, in light of national conditions and
environment is respected at all levels, where practice and in consultation with the most
government, employers and workers actively representative organizations of employers and
participate in securing a safe and healthy workers, shall promote basic principles such
working environment through a system of as assessing occupational risks or hazards;
defined rights, responsibilities and duties, and combating occupational risks or hazards at
where the principle of prevention is accorded source; and developing a national preventa-
the highest priority. tive safety and health culture that includes
information, consultation and training.
II. Objective
Article 2 IV. National System
1. Each Member which ratifies this Conven- Article 4
tion shall promote continuous improvement 1. Each Member shall establish, maintain,
of occupational safety and health to prevent progressively develop and periodically review
 Appendix II: ILO Convention and Recommendation on Promotional Framework 61

a national system for occupational safety and V. National Programme

health, in consultation with the most represent- Article 5
ative organizations of employers and workers.
1. Each Member shall formulate, implement,
2. The national system for occupational
monitor, evaluate and periodically review a
safety and health shall include among others:
national programme on occupational safety and
(a) laws and regulations, collective agreements health in consultation with the most representa-
where appropriate, and any other relevant tive organizations of employers and workers.
instruments on occupational safety and health;
2. The national programme shall:
(b) an authority or body, or authorities or
bodies, responsible for occupational safety (a) promote the development of a national
and health, designated in accordance with preventative safety and health culture;
national law and practice; (b) contribute to the protection of workers
(c) mechanisms for ensuring compliance by eliminating or minimizing, so far as is
with national laws and regulations, including reasonably practicable, work-related hazards
systems of inspection; and and risks, in accordance with national law
and practice, in order to prevent occupational
(d) arrangements to promote, at the level
injuries, diseases and deaths and promote
of the undertaking, cooperation between
safety and health in the workplace;
management, workers and their representa-
tives as an essential element of workplace- (c) be formulated and reviewed on the basis
related prevention measures. of analysis of the national situation regard-
3. The national system for occupational safety ing occupational safety and health, including
and health shall include, where appropriate: analysis of the national system for occupa-
tional safety and health;
(a) a national tripartite advisory body, or
bodies, addressing occupational safety and (d) include objectives, targets and indicators
health issues; of progress; and
(b) information and advisory services on (e) be supported, where possible, by other
occupational safety and health; complementary national programmes and
plans which will assist in achieving progres-
(c) the provision of occupational safety and
sively a safe and healthy working environment.
health training;
(d) occupational health services in accord- 3. The national programme shall be widely
ance with national law and practice; publicized and, to the extent possible,
endorsed and launched by the highest national
(e) research on occupational safety and health; authorities.
(f) a mechanism for the collection and analysis
of data on occupational injuries and diseases,
taking into account relevant ILO instruments; VI. Final Provisions
(g) provisions for collaboration with relevant Article 6
insurance or social security schemes covering This Convention does not revise any interna-
occupational injuries and diseases; and tional labour Conventions or Recommendations.
(h) support mechanisms for a progressive
improvement of occupational safety and
health conditions in micro-enterprises, in Article 7
small and medium-sized enterprises and in The formal ratifications of this Conven-
the informal economy. tion shall be communicated to the Director-
62 Plan Safe, Plan Healthy

General of the International Labour Office for 2. When notifying the Members of the
registration. Organization of the registration of the second
ratification that has been communicated, the
Article 8 Director-General shall draw the attention
of the Members of the Organization to the
1. This Convention shall be binding only
date upon which the Convention will come
upon those Members of the International
into force.
Labour Organization whose ratifications have
been registered with the Director-General of
the International Labour Office. Article 11
2. It shall come into force twelve months The Director-General of the International
after the date on which the ratifications of Labour Office shall communicate to the
two Members have been registered with the Secretary-General of the United Nations for
Director-General. registration in accordance with Article 102 of
3. Thereafter, this Convention shall come into the Charter of the United Nations full particu-
force for any Member twelve months after the lars of all ratifications and denunciations that
date on which its ratification is registered. have been registered.

Article 9 Article 12
1. A Member which has ratified this Conven- At such times as it may consider necessary,
tion may denounce it after the expiration of the Governing Body of the International
ten years from the date on which the Conven- Labour Office shall present to the General
tion first comes into force, by an act commu- Conference a report on the working of this
nicated to the Director-General of the Inter- Convention and shall examine the desirability
national Labour Office for registration. Such of placing on the agenda of the Conference
denunciation shall not take effect until one the question of its revision.
year after the date on which it is registered.
2. Each Member which has ratified this Article 13
Convention and which does not, within the 1. Should the Conference adopt a new Conven-
year following the expiration of the period tion revising this Convention, then, unless the
of ten years mentioned in the preceding para- new Convention otherwise provides:
graph, exercise the right of denunciation (a) the ratification by a Member of the new
provided for in this Article, will be bound for revising Convention shall ipso jure involve
another period of ten years and, thereafter, the immediate denunciation of this Conven-
may denounce this Convention within the first tion, notwithstanding the provisions of Arti-
year of each new period of ten years under the cle 9 above, if and when the new revising
terms provided for in this Article. Convention shall have come into force;
(b) as from the date when the new revising
Article 10 Convention comes into force, this Convention
1. The Director-General of the International shall cease to be open to ratification by the
Labour Office shall notify all Members of Members.
the International Labour Organization of the 2. This Convention shall in any case remain
registration of all ratifications and denun- in force in its actual form and content for
ciations that have been communicated by the those Members which have ratified it but have
Members of the Organization. not ratified the revising Convention.
 Appendix II: ILO Convention and Recommendation on Promotional Framework 63

Article 14
The English and French versions of the text
of this Convention are equally authoritative.

Promotional Framework
for Occupational Safety and Health Recommendation, No. 197, 2006

The General Conference of the International health defined in Article 1(b) of the Conven-
Labour Organization, tion, Members:
Having been convened at Geneva by the (a) should take into account the instruments
Governing Body of the International Labour of the International Labour Organization
Office, and having met in its Ninety-fifth (ILO) relevant to the promotional framework
Session on 31 May 2006, for occupational safety and health listed in the
Annex to this Recommendation, in particular
Having decided upon the adoption of certain
the Occupational Safety and Health Conven-
proposals with regard to occupational safety
tion, 1981 (No. 155), the Labour Inspection
and health, which is the fourth item on the
Convention, 1947 (No. 81) and the Labour
agenda of the session, and
Inspection (Agriculture) Convention, 1969
Having determined that these proposals shall (No. 129); and
take the form of a Recommendation supple- (b) may extend the consultations provided
menting the Promotional Framework for Occu- for in Article 4(1) of the Convention to other
pational Safety and Health Convention, 2006 interested parties.
(hereinafter referred to as “the Convention”);
3. With a view to preventing occupational
adopts this fifteenth day of June of the year injuries, diseases and deaths, the national
two thousand and six the following Recom- system should provide appropriate measures
mendation, which may be cited as the Promo- for the protection of all workers, in particular,
tional Framework for Occupational Safety workers in high-risk sectors, and vulnerable
and Health Recommendation, 2006. workers such as those in the informal econ-
omy and migrant and young workers.
I. National Policy 4. Members should take measures to protect
the safety and health of workers of both
1. The national policy formulated under genders, including the protection of their
Article 3 of the Convention should take into reproductive health.
account Part II of the Occupational Safety and
Health Convention, 1981 (No. 155), as well 5. In promoting a national preventative safety
as the relevant rights, duties and responsibili- and health culture as defined in Article 1(d) of
ties of workers, employers and governments the Convention, Members should seek:
in that Convention. (a) to raise workplace and public awareness
on occupational safety and health through
national campaigns linked with, where appro-
II. National System priate, workplace and international initiatives;
2. In establishing, maintaining, progressively (b) to promote mechanisms for delivery of
developing and periodically reviewing the occupational safety and health education and
national system for occupational safety and training, in particular for management, super-
64 Plan Safe, Plan Healthy

visors, workers and their representatives and 9. In formulating and reviewing the national
government officials responsible for safety programme, Members may extend the consul-
and health; tations provided for in Article 5(1) of the
(c) to introduce occupational safety and Convention to other interested parties.
health concepts and, where appropriate, 10. With a view to giving effect to the provi-
competencies, in educational and vocational sions of Article 5 of the Convention, the
training programmes; national programme should actively promote
(d) to facilitate the exchange of occupational workplace prevention measures and activities
safety and health statistics and data among that include the participation of employers,
relevant authorities, employers, workers and workers and their representatives.
their representatives; 11. The national programme on occupa-
(e) to provide information and advice to tional safety and health should be coordi-
employers and workers and their respective nated, where appropriate, with other national
organizations and to promote or facilitate programmes and plans, such as those relating
cooperation among them with a view to elimi- to public health and economic development.
nating or minimizing, so far as is reasonably 12. In formulating and reviewing the national
practicable, work-related hazards and risks; programme, Members should take into
(f) to promote, at the level of the workplace, account the instruments of the ILO relevant to
the establishment of safety and health poli- the promotional framework for occupational
cies and joint safety and health committees safety and health, listed in the Annex to this
and the designation of workers’ occupational Recommendation, without prejudice to their
safety and health representatives, in accord- obligations under Conventions that they have
ance with national law and practice; and ratified.
(g) to address the constraints of micro-enter-
prises and small and medium-sized enter- IV. National Profile
prises and contractors in the implementation 13. Members should prepare and regularly
of occupational safety and health policies and update a national profile which summarizes
regulations, in accordance with national law the existing situation on occupational safety
and practice. and health and the progress made towards
6. Members should promote a management achieving a safe and healthy working envi-
systems approach to occupational safety and ronment. The profile should be used as a basis
health, such as the approach set out in the for formulating and reviewing the national
Guidelines on occupational safety and health programme.
management systems (ILO-OSH 2001).
14. (1) The national profile on occupational
safety and health should include information
III. National Programme on the following elements, as applicable:
7. The national programme on occupational (a) laws and regulations, collective agree-
safety and health as defined in Article 1(c) of ments where appropriate, and any other rele-
the Convention should be based on principles vant instruments on occupational safety and
of assessment and management of hazards health;
and risks, in particular at the workplace level. (b) the authority or body, or the authorities
8. The national programme should identify or bodies, responsible for occupational safety
priorities for action, which should be periodi- and health, designated in accordance with
cally reviewed and updated. national law and practice;
 Appendix II: ILO Convention and Recommendation on Promotional Framework 65

(c) the mechanisms for ensuring compliance aspects of occupational safety and health,
with national laws and regulations, including including research institutes and laborato-
the systems of inspection; ries concerned with occupational safety and
(d) the arrangements to promote, at the level health;
of the undertaking, cooperation between (e) personnel engaged in the area of occupa-
management, workers and their representa- tional safety and health, such as inspectors,
tives as an essential element of workplace- safety and health officers, and occupational
related prevention measures; physicians and hygienists;
(e) the national tripartite advisory body, or (f) occupational injury and disease statistics;
bodies, addressing occupational safety and (g) occupational safety and health policies
health issues; and programmes of organizations of employ-
(f) the information and advisory services on ers and workers;
occupational safety and health; (h) regular or ongoing activities related to
(g) the provision of occupational safety and occupational safety and health, including
health training; international collaboration;
(h) the occupational health services in (i) financial and budgetary resources with
accordance with national law and practice; regard to occupational safety and health; and
(i) research on occupational safety and health; (j) data addressing demography, literacy,
(j) the mechanism for the collection and economy and employment, as available, as
analysis of data on occupational injuries and well as any other relevant information.
diseases and their causes, taking into account
relevant ILO instruments; V. International Cooperation and
(k) the provisions for collaboration with rele- Exchange Of Information
vant insurance or social security schemes cover- 15. The International Labour Organization
ing occupational injuries and diseases; and should:
(l) the support mechanisms for a progres- (a) facilitate international technical coopera-
sive improvement of occupational safety and tion on occupational safety and health with a
health conditions in micro-enterprises, in view to assisting countries, particularly devel-
small and medium-sized enterprises and in oping countries, for the following purposes:
the informal economy.
(i) to strengthen their capacity for the estab-
(2) In addition, the national profile on occu- lishment and maintenance of a national
pational safety and health should include preventative safety and health culture;
information on the following elements, where
(ii) to promote a management systems
appropriate:
approach to occupational safety and health;
(a) coordination and collaboration mecha- and
nisms at national and enterprise levels, includ-
(iii) to promote the ratification, in the case of
ing national programme review mechanisms;
Conventions, and implementation of instru-
(b) technical standards, codes of practice and ments of the ILO relevant to the promotional
guidelines on occupational safety and health; framework for occupational safety and health,
(c) educational and awareness-raising arrange- listed in the Annex to this Recommendation;
ments, including promotional ­initiatives; (b) facilitate the exchange of information
(d) specialized technical, medical and scien- on national policies within the meaning of
tific institutions with linkages to various Article 1(a) of the Convention, on national
66 Plan Safe, Plan Healthy

systems and programmes on occupational (c) provide information on progress made

safety and health, including on good practices towards achieving a safe and healthy working
and innovative approaches, and on the iden- environment.
tification of new and emerging hazards and
risks in the workplace; and
 Appendix III
ILO instruments on occupational safety and health

Conventions
■ Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81)
■ Radiation Protection Convention, 1960 (No. 115)
■ Hygiene (Commerce and Offices) Convention, 1964 (No. 120)
■ Employment Injury Benefits Convention, 1964 (No. 121)
■ Labour Inspection (Agriculture) Convention, 1969 (No. 129)
■ Occupational Cancer Convention, 1974 (No. 139)
■ Working Environment (Air Pollution, Noise and Vibration) Convention, 1977 (No. 148)
■ Occupational Safety and Health (Dock Work) Convention, 1979 (No. 152)
■ Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981 (No. 155)
■ Occupational Health Services Convention, 1985 (No. 161)
■ Asbestos Convention, 1986 (No. 162)
■ Safety and Health in Construction Convention, 1988 (No. 167)
■ Chemicals Convention, 1990 (No. 170)
■ Prevention of Major Industrial Accidents Convention, 1993 (No. 174)
■ Safety and Health in Mines Convention, 1995 (No. 176)
■ Protocol of 1995 to the Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81)
■ Safety and Health in Agriculture Convention, 2001 (No. 184)
■ Protocol of 2002 to the Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981 (No. 155)
■ Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 2006 (No. 187)
The texts of ILO Conventions are available online in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Russian, Portuguese and Spanish at
http://www.ilo.org/ilolex/english/convdisp1.htm

Recommendations
■ Labour Inspection Recommendation, 1947 (No. 81)
■ Labour Inspection (Mining and Transport) Recommendation, 1947 (No. 82)
■ Protection of Workers’ Health Recommendation, 1953 (No. 97)
■ Welfare Facilities Recommendation, 1956 (No. 102)
■ Radiation Protection Recommendation, 1960 (No. 114)
■ Workers’ Housing Recommendation, 1961 (No. 115)
■ Hygiene (Commerce and Offices) Recommendation, 1964 (No. 120)
■ Employment Injury Benefits Recommendation, 1964 (No. 121)
68 Plan Safe, Plan Healthy

■ Labour Inspection (Agriculture) Recommendation, 1969 (No. 133)

■ Occupational Cancer Recommendation, 1974 (No. 147)
■ Working Environment (Air Pollution, Noise and Vibration) Recommendation, 1977
(No. 156)
■ Occupational Safety and Health (Dock Work) Recommendation, 1979 (No. 160)
■ Occupational Safety and Health Recommendation, 1981 (No. 164)
■ Occupational Health Services Recommendation, 1985 (No. 171)
■ Asbestos Recommendation, 1986 (No. 172)
■ Safety and Health in Construction Recommendation, 1988 (No. 175)
■ Chemicals Recommendation, 1990 (No. 177)
■ Prevention of Major Industrial Accidents Recommendation, 1993 (No. 181)
■ Safety and Health in Mines Recommendation, 1995 (No. 183)
■ Safety and Health in Agriculture Recommendation, 2001 (No. 192)
■ List of Occupational Diseases Recommendation, 2002 (No. 194)
■ Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Recommendation, 2006
(No. 197)
The texts of ILO Recommendations are available online in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Russian, Portuguese and Spanish at
http://www.ilo.org/ilolex/english/recdisp1.htm
 International
Labour
Office
Geneva

Plan Safe, Plan Healthy:

Guidelines for Developing National

ILO Plan Safe, Plan Healthy : Guidelines for Developing National Programmes on Occupational Safety and Health
Programmes on Occupational
Safety and Health

Programme on Safety And Health at Work

and the Environment (SafeWork)
International Labour Organization
Route des Morillons 4
CH -1211 Genève 22
Suisse

TEL. + 41 22 7996715
FAX + 41 22 7996878

E-mail : safework @ ilo.org

www.ilo.org / safework

ISBN 978-92-2-127071-3

9 789221 270713