UN's ILO tells world's employers to ensure safe return to work for people as Covid reigns

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, the United Nations on Tuesday said that the governments and employers must prepare workplaces and ensure people can return safely to prevent a resurgence of COVID-19. This comes after some countries have begun to ease their lockdown restrictions and allow workplaces to resume work with proper safety measures. 

The International Labor Organization in its study emphasised on the importance of ensuring that workplaces meet strict occupational safety and health criteria before allowing people to return to their jobs, in order to minimize their exposure to the novel coronavirus. The World Day for Safety and Health at Work will focus on addressing the outbreak of infectious diseases at work, focussing on the COVID-19 pandemic, the ILO stated.

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ILO report

In the report, the ILO said, "Concern is growing over the continuing rise in COVID-19 infections in some parts of the world and the ability to sustain declining rates in others. Governments, employers, workers, and their organizations face enormous challenges as they try to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and protect safety and health at work. Beyond the immediate crisis, there are also concerns about resuming activity in a manner that sustains progress made in suppressing transmission."

"The aim is to stimulate national tripartite dialogue on safety and health at work. The ILO is using this day to raise awareness on the adoption of safe practices in workplaces and the role that occupational safety and health (OSH) services play. It will also focus on the medium to long-term, including recovery and future preparedness, in particular, integrating measures into OSH management systems and policies at the national and enterprise levels," the United Nations agency said in a statement.

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The report stressed that by putting in place a range of measures, employers can minimize the risk of a second wave of contagion contracted at the workplace.

“We need special measures to protect the millions of health care workers and other workers who risk their own health for us every day. Teleworking offers new opportunities for workers to keep working... However, workers must be able to negotiate these arrangements so that they retain balance with other responsibilities, such as caring for children, the sick or the elderly, and of course themselves,” ILO Director-General, Guy Ryder stated.

Meanwhile, more than 3 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 2,11,609 have died by the virus.

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