The International Labor Organization (ILO) is an institution that aims to create global awareness about the magnitude and consequences of accidents, injuries and work-related diseases, placing the health and safety of workers among the priorities major international agendas and supporting action at all levels.

According to ILO estimates each year around 317 million people are victims of occupational accidents worldwide and 2.34 million people die due to accidents or occupational diseases. In the Americas region, the figures show that there are 11.1 fatal accidents per 100,000 workers in industry, 10.7 in agriculture, and 6.9 in the service sector. Some of the most important sectors for the economies of the region, such as mining, construction, agriculture and fishing, are also among those in which the highest incidence of accidents occurs.

The ILO considers that the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean need an adequate regulatory framework, better systems for registering and reporting accidents at work and occupational diseases to establish priorities and improve the design of prevention strategies; and that there is the promotion of prevention as a key to improving health and safety at work.

Likewise, the ILO establishes the importance of a social dialogue that involves governments and employers ‘and workers’ organizations in the creation of strategies to prevent accidents and occupational diseases, in order to minimize these estimates of work accidents in the region.

Source: The International Labor Organization (ILO)