International Health and Safety Workbook
- Each year, an estimated 2 million women and men die as a result of occupational accidents and work-related diseases - that is 5,000 people every day
- Each year 22,000 children are killed by work accidents
- Four percent of the worlds gross domestic product is lost due to the cost of injury, death and disease, absence from work, sickness treatment, disability and survivor benefits
- Ten percent of all skin cancers are estimated to be attributable to workplace exposure to hazardous substances
Health and Safety matters. It affects a country’s workforce and its chances for growth and development. Heath and safety at work has increasingly become a major focus for trade union activity worldwide because the operations of Multinational Companies means that workers on different continents are susceptible to similar hazards.
This International Health and Safety Work Book arises from a Strategic Grant Agreement that the TUC signed in 2003 with DFID to raise awareness about International Development issues within the UK trade union movement. It aims for trade union representatives and those working with trade unions to:
- Identify why international health and safety issues are relevant to them and their members
- Raise awareness about international health and safety
- Find out about international union initiatives on health and safety
- Use international health and safety standards
- Keep up to date with union and wider international development activities
- Develop future union strategy on international health and safety
Designed for easy use, it is structured in a logical way into seven sections. In each of the sections there are activities for Safety Reps to do in small groups and Fact Sheets, which follow the activities and provide some key information about the topic to help with each activity. It also offers ideas for how to use the workbook and plan sample programmes.
The book can be bought from TUC Publications
Issued: 19 April, 2005