Develop or update national policies and action plans on occupational safety and health (28, 31, 32).
Labour, health, other sectors
National
Regulation
UER.WJ.ZZ
Policy change in relation to labour and employment services, systems and policies
UER.TB.ZZ
Planning in relation to labour and employment services, systems and policies
Support implementation of essential occupational health interventions for primary prevention of occupational and work-related diseases and injuries (28).
Such measures might include:
• integrated chemical management;
• elimination of second-hand tobacco smoke;
• improved occupational safety;
• Health Impact Assessment of new technologies, work processes and products at the design stage;
• regular assessment of workplace risks and the effectiveness of their control.
Labour, health
Workplace
Universal health coverage
Other management and control, assessment and surveillance
UER.TA.ZZ
Advocacy for labour and employment services, systems and policies
Enforce a basic set of occupational health standards to ensure that all workplaces comply with minimum requirements for health and safety protection (28).
This includes enacting regulations, workplace health inspections and collaboration between regulatory agencies.
Labour, health
National
Regulation, assessment and surveillance
UER.WI.QD
Enforcement of restrictions through laws or standards in relation to labour and employment services, systems and policies
Increase the capacity of the health sector; develop human resources for workers’ health (28).
This may be achieved through the following actions:
• extend postgraduate training in relevant disciplines;
• build capacity for basic occupational health services;
• incorporate workers’ health in the training of primary health care practitioners and other health professionals;
• create incentives for attracting and retaining human resources for workers’ health;
• encourage the establishment of networks of services an professional associations.
Labour, health
Health care, workplace
Universal health coverage
Information, education and communication
UEP.VA.ZZ&UER
Capacity building in relation t health services, systems and policies
Labour and employment services, systems and policies
Promote inclusion of workers’ health in other sectors’ policies (28).
Health
National
Governance
UEP.TD.ZZ&UE1
Collaborating in relation to labour and employment services, systems and policies
Services, systems and policies, unspecified
Ensure that workplaces, machinery, equipment and processes are safe and without risks to health (31).
Health, other sectors
Workplace
Universal health coverage
Other management and control
UER.TA.ZZ
Advocacy for labour and employment services, systems and policies
+
UER.WI.QD
Restrictions through laws or standards in relation to labour and employment services, systems and policies
Provide appropriate measures of protection, such as protective clothing, when handling chemical, physical and biological substances and agents that pose risks to health (31).
health, other sectors
Workplace
Universal health coverage
Infrastructure, technology and built environment
UER.RD.ZZ
Providing products in relation to labour and employment services, systems and policies
Provide measures to deal with emergencies and accidents in the workplace, including adequate first-aid arrangements, such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) (31).
Health
Workplace
Universal health coverage
Other management and control
UER.VA.ZZ&UEP
Capacity building in relation to labour and employment services, systems and policies
Health services, systems and policies
Strengthen primary prevention of occupational hazards, diseases and injuries through increased resources, training of workers and employers, introduction of healthy work practices, work organization and a healthpromoting culture at the workplace (28).
Health
Workplace
Universal health coverage
Information, education and communication, other management and control
UER.VA.ZZ
Capacity building in relation to labour and employment services, systems and policies
+
UER.PH.ZZ
Training in relation to labour and employment services, systems and policies
+
UER.VB.ZZ
Awareness raising in relation to labour and employment services, systems and policies
Implement appropriate occupational health services for all workers, including informal, migrant and contractual workers, in consultation with representative employer and worker organizations and groups (33).
Functions of occupational health services include the following.
• Assess occupational risks or hazards.
• Monitor worker’s health in relation to work.
• Monitor factors in the working environment that may affect health such as sanitary installations, canteens and housing.
• Advise on healthy work planning/organization including workplace design and work equipment.
• Participate in programme development for improving work practices and equipment according to health and safety.
• Advise on occupational health, safety and hygiene, on ergonomics and protective equipment.
• Contribute to measures of vocational rehabilitation.
• Collaborate in providing information, training and education about
• occupational health/hygiene and ergonomics.
• Organize and provide first aid and emergency treatment.
• Participate in analysis of occupational accidents and occupational diseases.
Health
Workplace
Universal health coverage
Assessment and surveillance, information, education and communication, other management and control
UER.RG.ZZ
Providing services in relation to labour and employment services, systems and policies
+
UER.PN.ZZ
Advising in relation to labour and employment services, systems and policies
+
UER.TD.ZZ
Collaborating in relation to labour and employment services, systems and policies
Inform all workers about health hazards involved in their work and provide information, instruction and training on occupational safety and health (33).
Health
Workplace
Universal health coverage
Information, education and communication
UER.VB.ZZ
Awareness raising in relation to labour and employment services, systems and policies
+
UER.VF.ZZ
Alerting in relation to labour and employment services, systems and policies
+
UER.PH.ZZ
Training in relation to labour and employment services, systems and policies
Promote health and prevent NCDs at the workplace (28).
Action points include the following.
• Promote a healthy diet.
• Introduce balanced working time arrangements.
• Support tobacco cessation and ban smoking at the workplace.
• Promote physical activity and active workplace arrangements to prevent sedentary work.
• Prevent work-related NCDs - occupational cancer and chronic
• respiratory diseases (asthma, COPD and pneumoconiosis).
• Promote mental health at work.
Health
Workplace
Universal health coverage
Information, education and communication, regulation
VE1.VB.ZZ
Awareness raising in relation to lifestyle behaviours
+
VDB.VB.ZZ
Awareness raising in relation to screening behaviours
Implement early detection, surveillance and reporting systems for major occupational risks, occupational accidents and diseases (28).
Health
Workplace
Universal health coverage
Assessment and surveillance
UER.VC.ZZ&VDB
Public health surveillance in relation to labour and employment services, systems and policies
Screening behaviours
Implement strategies to ensure reintegration of sick and injured workers (28).
Health
Workplace
Universal health coverage
Other management and control, regulation
UEP.VA.ZZ&UER&SUD
Capacity building in relation to health services, systems and policies
Labour and employment services, systems and policies
Acquiring, keeping and terminating a job
Build workplace resilience to public health threats and emergencies, such as chemical and radiological incidents, extreme weather events (heatwaves, floods), periods of severe air pollution and outbreaks of infectious diseases in all economic sectors (34).
Health, other sectors
Workplace
Universal health coverage
Other management and control
UER.VA.ZZ&UBF&UBG
Capacity building in relation to labour and employment services, systems and policies
Natural events
Human-caused events, not elsewhere specified
Establish occupational health policies and programmes in all health care facilities (35, 36).
The WHO-ILO Global Framework for National Occupational Health Programmes for Health Workers includes the following building blocks.
• Identify a responsible person with authority for occupational health at both the national and workplace levels.
• Develop a written policy on safety, health and working conditions for health workforce protection at the national and workplace levels.
• Ensure access to occupational health services by strengthening the existing, or establishing a new, occupational health programme, and allocate sufficient resources/budget to the programme, occupational health professional services and the procurement of necessary PPE and supplies.
• Create joint labour-management health and safety committees, with appropriate worker and management representation.
• Provide ongoing (or periodic) education and training that is appropriate to all parties, including occupational health practitioners, senior executives, front-line managers, health and safety committees, front-line workers and their representatives, and the general public.
• Identify hazards and hazardous working conditions in order to prevent and control them, and manage risks by applying the occupational health hierarchy of controls, which prioritizes elimination or control at the source.
• Provide pre-service and ongoing immunization against hepatitis B and other vaccine-preventable diseases in the workplace at no cost to the employee (this includes all three doses of the hepatitis B vaccine for all workers at risk of blood exposure, including cleaners and waste handlers).
• Promote exposure and incident reporting, eliminating barriers to reporting and providing a blame-free environment.
• Promote and ensure health worker access to diagnosis, treatment, care and support for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and viral hepatitis B and C.
• Utilize appropriate information systems to assist in the collection, tracking, analysing, reporting and acting upon data to promote health and safety of the health care workplace and health workforce.
• Ensure that health workers are entitled to compensation for work-related disability in accordance with national laws.
Health
Workplace, health care
Universal health coverage
Regulation
UER.WJ.ZZ&UEP
Policy change in relation to labour and employment services, systems and policies
Health services, systems and policies
Provide adequate infection prevention and control (IPC) and PPE, such as masks, gloves, goggles, gowns, hand sanitizer, soap and water, cleaning supplies, in sufficient quantities to health care staff and other workers at risk, such as cleaners, that are in contact with potential infectious patients or materials (35−37).
Note: Adequate IPC and PPE depend on the procedure performed and on the suspected disease (see section 12.4 Health care facilities for more information).
Health
Workplace, health care
Universal health coverage
Infrastructure, technology and built environment
UEP.VE.ZZ
Infection control measures in relation to health services, systems and policies
Promote hand hygiene and respiratory hygiene as essential preventive measures (37).
Health
Workplace, health care
Universal health coverage
Information, education and communication
VED.TA.ZZ
Advocacy in relation to hygiene behaviours
VED.VB.ZZ
Awareness raising in relation to hygiene behaviours
Ensure single-use of syringes and injection devices if possible by procuring syringes with a sharps injury protection feature (SIP devices) and with a re-use prevention feature (RUP devices). Provide puncture-resistant sharps’ containers for safe sharps disposal (37, 38).
Health
Workplace, Health care
Universal health coverage
Infrastructure, technology and built environment
UEP.VE.ZZ#CPC Class 4815
Infection control measures in relation to health services, systems and policies
Other instruments and appliances used in medical, surgical or veterinary sciences (including syringes inter alia)
Provide information, instruction and training on occupational safety and health including training on IPC, on the correct use of PPE, and on safe patient handling for prevention of back injuries (37).
Health
Workplace, health care
Universal health coverage
Information, education and communication
VCB.VE.ZZ
Infection control measures in relation to workplace safety behaviours
+
VCB.VB.ZZ
Awareness raising in relation to workplace safety behaviours
+
VCB.PH.ZZ
Training in relation to workplace safety behaviours
• WHO 2020: Awareness-raising and educational material on how to hand-wash, how to hand-rub and when and how to perform hand hygiene in health care settings (39)
• WHO 2020: Immunization of health care workers – summary of WHO Position Papers (40)
• WHO 2020: How to put on and take off personal protective equipment (41)
• WHO 2020: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak: rights, roles and responsibilities of health workers, including key considerations for occupational safety and health (40)
• WHO 2020: Infection prevention and control during health care when novel coronavirus (nCoV) infection is suspected (41)
• WHO 2019: WHO guidelines on tuberculosis infection prevention and control – 2019 update (42)
• WHO 2019: Minimum requirements for infection prevention and control (IPC) programmes (43)
• WHO 2019: How to implement seasonal influenza vaccination of health workers. An introduction manual for national immunization programme managers and policy makers (42)
• WHO 2018: Occupational safety and health in public health emergencies: a manual for protecting health workers and responders (44)
• WHO 2017: Prevention of HIV transmission in health care settings (45)
• WHO 2016: Guidelines on core components of infection prevention and control programmes at the national and acute health care facility level (37)
• WHO 2014: Guidelines on infection prevention and control of epidemic- and pandemicprone acute respiratory infections in health care (46)
• ILO/WHO 2014: HealthWISE – Work Improvement in Health Services (47)
• WHO/ILO/UNAIDS 2011: Joint WHO‐ILO‐UNAIDS policy guidelines on improving health workers’ access to HIV and TB prevention, treatment, care and support services: a guidance note (48)
• Pan American Health Organization 2009: Aide memoire 2009: hepatitis B immunization of health workers (49)
• WHO 2003: Aide-memoire for a strategy to protect health workers from bloodborne viruses (50) This guidance includes a checklist.
• ILO/International Council of Nurses/WHO/Populations Services International 2002: Framework guidelines for addressing workplace violence in the health sector (51)
• ILO 2018: Safety and health in opencast mines. Second (revised) edition (52)
• ILO 2013: Safety and health in the use of machinery (53)
• ILO 2009: Safety and health in underground coalmines (54)
• ILO 2005: Code of practice on safety and health in the iron and steel industry (55)
• ILO 2003: Safety and health in the non-ferrous metals industries (56)
• ILO 2001: Ambient factors in the workplace (57)
• Factors include radiation, EMF, heat and cold, noise and vibration.
• ILO 2001: Safety in the use of synthetic vitreous fibre insulation wools (glass wool, rock wool, slag wool) (58)
• ILO 2004: Safety and health in shipbreaking: guidelines for Asian countries and Turkey (59)