Global estimates of the burden of injury and illness at work in 2012.

This article reviews the present indicators, trends, and recent solutions and strategies to tackle major global and country problems in safety and health at work. The article is based on the Yant Award Lecture of the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) at its 2013 Congress. We reviewed employment figures, mortality rates, occupational burden of disease and injuries, reported accidents, surveys on self-reported occupational illnesses and injuries, attributable fractions, national economic cost estimates of work-related injuries and ill health, and the most recent information on the problems from published papers, documents, and electronic data sources of international and regional organizations, in particular the International Labor Organization (ILO), World Health Organization (WHO), and European Union (EU), institutions, agencies, and public websites. We identified and analyzed successful solutions, programs, and strategies to reduce the work-related negative outcomes at various levels. Work-related illnesses that have a long latency period and are linked to ageing are clearly on the increase, while the number of occupational injuries has gone down in industrialized countries thanks to both better prevention and structural changes. We have estimated that globally there are 2.3 million deaths annually for reasons attributed to work. The biggest component is linked to work-related diseases, 2.0 million, and 0.3 million linked to occupational injuries. However, the division of these two factors varies depending on the level of development. In industrialized countries the share of deaths caused by occupational injuries and work-related communicable diseases is very low while non-communicable diseases are the overwhelming causes in those countries. Economic costs of work-related injury and illness vary between 1.8 and 6.0% of GDP in country estimates, the average being 4% according to the ILO. Singapore's economic costs were estimated to be equivalent to 3.2% of GDP based on a preliminary study. If economic losses would take into account involuntary early retirement then costs may be considerably higher, for example, in Finland up to 15% of GDP, while this estimate covers various disorders where work and working conditions may be just one factor of many or where work may aggravate the disease, injury, or disorders, such as traffic injuries, mental disorders, alcoholism, and genetically induced problems. Workplace health promotion, services, and safety and health management, however, may have a major preventive impact on those as well. Leadership and management at all levels, and engagement of workers are key issues in changing the workplace culture. Vision Zero is a useful concept and philosophy in gradually eliminating any harm at work. Legal and enforcement measures that themselves support companies and organizations need to be supplemented with economic justification and convincing arguments to reduce corner-cutting in risk management, and to avoid short- and long-term disabilities, premature retirement, and corporate closures due to mismanagement and poor and unsustainable work life. We consider that a new paradigm is needed where good work is not just considered a daily activity. We need to foster stable conditions and circumstances and sustainable work life where the objective is to maintain your health and work ability beyond the legal retirement age. We need safe and healthy work, for life.

Global estimates of fatal work-related diseases by region and disease group, 2002.

Work-related and occupational diseases are multifactorial diseases among the working population that have a heavy impact on workers, enterprises, and society. We calculated estimates for 2002, using global regional estimates of disease mortality, and adjusted attributable fractions produced for work-related diseases in Finland. The estimated number of fatal work-related diseases is about 2 million worldwide. The most common fatal work-related disease groups are cancers (25%), circulatory diseases (21%), and communicable diseases (28%). Though estimates of fatal work-related diseases have some limitations, they are needed for prevention.

Global estimates of fatal work-related diseases.

BACKGROUND: Work-related mortality is a relatively new concept which aims to widen occupational health and safety; to take into account not only recognized fatal occupational accidents and diseases but also other work-related deaths. Few countries in the world have a register for work-related diseases. METHODS: Estimates are calculated using baseline world mortality scenarios of all diseases for the year 2000 and attributable fractions made for work-related diseases in Finland, as adjusted. RESULTS: It is estimated that about 2 million work-related deaths take place annually. Men suffer two thirds of those deaths. The biggest groups of work-related diseases are cancers, circulatory diseases and communicable diseases. CONCLUSIONS: Information about work-related diseases is needed for prevention, as people in developed countries are working longer, and the age of retirement is being raised in many countries. As a result, workers are being exposed to different kinds of substances and working conditions for a longer time. In developing countries, work exposures may already start in infancy. Due to industrialization, workers in developing countries are facing new conditions with a lack of relevant knowledge and skills. With the help of information, nations can direct resources and skills for appropriate purposes such as regulatory measures on health and safety at work.