Hazardous chemicals are a vital part of many industries, but lax and inconsistent safety standards put workers' health and lives at risk all over the world, writes Christian Friis Bach.
Christian Friis Bach is Under Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.
Millions of workers are exposed every day to hazardous chemicals around the globe, in developing and developed countries. These chemicals are purchased and shipped from all over the world and differences in language and labelling could make them even more dangerous. However, thanks to a true success story of international cooperation, the danger is abating every day. This is worth celebrating on the World Day for Safety and Health at Work
Hazardous chemicals are a vital part of many industries, but lax and inconsistent safety standards put workers' health and lives at risk all over the world, writes Christian Friis Bach.
Christian Friis Bach is Under Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.
Millions of workers are exposed every day to hazardous chemicals around the globe, in developing and developed countries. These chemicals are purchased and shipped from all over the world and differences in language and labelling could make them even more dangerous. However, thanks to a true success story of international cooperation, the danger is abating every day. This is worth celebrating on the World Day for Safety and Health at Work
In the European Union alone, up to 15 % of workers handle hazardous chemicals on a daily basis. And an astonishing 19 % of workers report being exposed to toxic vapours for a quarter or more of their working time! Exposure to dangerous chemicals in the work place can cause cancer, reproductive, mutagenic and respiratory disorders, permanent or transient damage to organs or skin diseases. Harm can occur either from a single short exposure, multiple exposures or by the long-term accumulation of chemicals in the body.
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimates that more than two million people die each year from occupational and work-related diseases and that most occupational diseases are caused by chemical agents. Globally, the annual number of cases of non-fatal work-related diseases is estimated to be 160 million. Aside from the human and personal consequences of this, the associated economic costs are estimated to be some 4% of the world gross domestic product!
While this shows the danger of this type of work, we must also recognise the many benefits these chemicals bring us. They are present in our soap and other hygiene products, our medicines, our clothes and even our food. They are also part of many industrial processes used to develop products that we use every day to make our lives easier, safer and more comfortable.
Businessman with protective mask image via Shutterstock.
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