Covenants in Occupational Health

Abstract

The right to a safe and healthy work environment is a fundamental human right. Two organizations within the United Nations system are directly concerned with occupational health: the International Labor Organization (ILO and the World Health Organization (WHO). In order to achieve this, the ILO formulates international standards in the form of Conventions and Recommendations, dealing with occupational health and safety and other work-related issues and administers the legal framework for occupational health protection in international law. Each covenant and convention is designed to be universally applicable, flexible, viable (feasible) and adaptable as needed. The ILO also develops Codes of Practice in the form of detailed technical specifications that apply to various problems and industries that governments, employers and workers’ organizations can use to determine what should be done. Occupational health and safety standards may be written as guidance for policies, to protect workers from unnecessary risks, to protect workers in certain industries. The WHO investigates the scientific basis for controlling occupational health problems and supports educational programs. Its primary means of doing is the Global Strategy in Occupational Health for All, which is intended to strengthen national infrastructure and services in occupational health and the development of occupational health standards based on scientific risk assessment.