World Day for Safety and Health at Work in 2020 urges response to the COVID-19 pandemic

“Stop the pandemic: safety and health at work can save lives” is the slogan of the 2020 World OSH Day, coordinated every 28 April by the International Labour Organization (ILO). More than ever, raising awareness on the adoption of safe practices in workplaces and the important role that occupational safety and health (OSH) services play must be the focus of this International Day.

In the face of a pandemic: ensuring safety and health at work highlights the risks posed by the spread of COVID-19. It also explores measures to prevent and control the risk of contagion, psychosocial, ergonomic and other occupational safety and health risks associated with the pandemic.

While everyone is affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic and the crisis, workers are on the front line. This is why ‘Stop the pandemic at work’ is the slogan of International Workers’ Memorial Day  in 2020, organized to support all workers and the memory of those deceased, disabled, injured or made unwell by their work.

The ILO Centenary Declaration, adopted in June 2019, declared that “safe and healthy working conditions are fundamental to decent work”. This is even more significant today, as ensuring occupational safety and health is essential in managing the pandemic and the ability to resume work. The concern for the continued growth of COVID-19 infections is in some parts of the world and the ability to keep rates down in others. Governments, employers, workers and their organizations face enormous challenges as they try to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and protect occupational safety and health.

The World Day for Safety and Health at Work will focus on addressing the outbreak of infectious diseases at work, focusing on the COVID-19 pandemic. 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.

Tripartite participation, the cornerstone of EU-OSHA’s work and the European social model are essential for the effective management of occupational safety and health, to protect workers during the current and long-term crisis, including recovery and future training.

In the context of the spread of the new Coronavirus infection, the Labor Inspectorate of Trade Unions, within the National Trade Union Confederation of Moldova, recommends that employers, workers, their representatives and other participants in the work process be informed and implement the measures ordered by the competent authorities for managing and limiting the spread of COVID-19.

It will only be possible to overcome this problem if we work together to stop the spread of this disease and provide a safe and healthy work environment for both workers who are currently working at home and those who return to their usual work.

INFORMATION

on the prevention of infection with the new Coronavirus at workplaces

Employers should consider the following priority measures to prevent the occurrence and spread of COVID-19 in workplaces:

• informing and training workers on disease prevention with the new Coronavirus;
• providing personal with protective equipment (for example: protective masks, protective gloves, protective visors, etc.) and the correct verification of their use and, in case of degradation or loss of protection qualities, in case of degradation or loss of protective qualities, the provision of new personal protective equipment in order to protect workers against COVID-19;
• establishing the hygienic-sanitary measures at the unit;
• providing hygienic-sanitary materials free of charge (soap, paper towels, disinfectants, etc.) to prevent the spread of the infection with the new Coronavirus;
• limiting working meetings to a minimum, and if they are absolutely necessary to take all protection and prevention measures (video conferencing meetings, safety distance between workers, etc.);
• limiting contact between people, taking measures to maintain a safe distance, avoiding collective activities (avoiding exposure of workers to direct contact / interaction with a large number of people, formation of crowded (congested) areas in work processes, etc.);
• reducing to a minimum the possible delegations/travels of workers in order to perform their tasks;
• ensuring the periodical medical control of the workers.

The employer has the obligation to ensure the safety and health of workers in all aspects related to work (Law on safety and health at work no. 186/2008).

Workers are obliged to carry out their work in accordance with the instructions received from the employer so as not to expose themselves to the danger of infection with the new Coronavirus and to prevent the exposure of other persons who may be affected by their actions/omissions.