According to a charity, almost one in five (18%) workers worldwide have suffered damage at work, thus there needs to be more frequent, specialized health and safety training as well as improved reporting systems.
The figures come from the latest edition of the Lloyd’s Register Foundation World Risk Poll and are explored further in its latest report – Engineering Safer Workplaces: Global Trends in Occupational Safety and Health.
The global analytics firm Gallup gathered the data, conducting 147,000 interviews in 142 nations and territories worldwide. The poll’s findings indicate that workplace harm rates have not changed since it started in 2019 (19% in the previous two editions, comparable with 18% currently).
The research shows that rates of injury vary significantly between industries, with fishing being identified as the most hazardous activity, just ahead of mining and construction. Additionally, it was discovered that workplace injury rates were greater in low- and lower-middle-income nations (19% and 22%, respectively).
It is concerning to see that over two-thirds of workers worldwide (62%) have never received occupational safety and health (OSH) training regarding the risks they face at work.
The report lists a number of aggravating variables. It was discovered that people with less steady jobs, including part-timers, were more likely to be harmed than full-timers (20% versus 15%). This is made worse by the fact that training rates were lower for part-time workers than for full-time workers; only 23% of part-time workers reported having received workplace safety training in the previous two years, compared to 41% of full-time workers.
Low reporting rates
The study also reveals a significant correlation between OSH training and reporting rates, even though only half (51%) of workers worldwide who have suffered injury at work claim to have reported it. People are more likely to report workplace harm if they experience it if they have received training more recently. Compared to people who had never gotten any workplace safety training, those who had received it during the previous two years are 3.3 times more likely to report injuries. The likelihood is 1.8 times higher for those who received training but did not do so during the last two years.
As our most recent report demonstrates, work and income play a significant role in everyone’s life. Still, for too many, they can come at a very high human cost, said Nancy Hey, director of evidence and insight at Lloyd’s Register Foundation.
The full degree of workplace injury is rarely made public due to low reporting rates and possibly a lack of awareness brought on by poor training rates. Therefore, businesses and legislators must prioritize regular and customized safety and health interventions, as well as clear reporting methods for all employees, including full-time and part-time staff. Reaching individuals who are most at risk and ensuring that they have a comprehensive awareness of safety and health, along with a thorough comprehension of the crucial protocols in place to keep them safe, requires special efforts.
“The World Risk Poll results make sobering reading for all those working to encourage better occupational health and safety performance, as they highlight the scale of the ongoing challenge,” stated Martin Cottam, chair of ISO Technical Committee 283 on occupational health and safety management. The majority of the world’s workforce has never undergone any occupational safety and health training, which is startling given all the talk about the abundance of instruments and techniques available to lessen injury.
