Sustainable cities and communities goal 11

The role of OSH professionals is to ensure the use of safe equipment and safe behaviour, and to oversee safe systems of work. But how do we define safety?

It will be different in a shop and in a nuclear power station, and different in a transport yard and a laboratory. The answer can be found by identifying what people are doing, and how they might be exposed to harm; in other words, by conducting a risk assessment and then managing the risks. Regardless of the variation in what safe looks like, the process of managing the risks facing workers is a key contributor to sustainable work.

Effective risk management contributes to the delivery of the following SDG targets:

• 3d strengthen the capacity of all countries, in particular developing countries, for early warning, risk reduction and management of national and global health risks
• 6.3 improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials
• 9.2 promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization
• 9.4 upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes
• 11.5 significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses
• 12.4 achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals…and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil to minimise their adverse impacts on human health
• 16.3 promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all.

The practice of risk management is built upon principles of anticipation, prevention, and improvement. While the immediate objective of occupational safety and health risk management is primarily to prevent injury and ill health among workers, the broader OSH benefit is the ongoing protection of communities and the environment.

As the world of work and business changes, new risks to workers will also emerge. Tackling these emergent risks with adaptable risk management will help build resilient, sustainable businesses.

The importance of risk management as part of good occupational safety and health provision is recognised by its inclusion in IOSH’s competency framework.

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Chemicals are used for a variety of workplace tasks, from simple cleaning to complex chemical processes.

They have the potential to harm health temporarily or permanently. They may be used in solid, liquid or gas form; they may be naturally occurring, manufactured, or created as a by-product of workplace processes. An effective OSH management system, including performance monitoring and governance, will control chemical hazards at work.

In the context of environmental concerns and increased focus on the need for responsible resource consumption, the sound management of chemicals throughout their lifecycle makes a valuable contribution to preserving the environment and protecting human health.

The effective management of occupational chemicals contributes to the delivery of the following SDG targets:

• 3.9 substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination
• 5.1 end all forms of discrimination against women and girls - this direct measure relates to research identifying higher exposure to pesticides and other OSH issues among women in agricultural work, particularly in developing economies.
• 11.6 air quality and…waste management
• 12.4 management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle…and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil in order to minimise their adverse impacts on human health
• 12.5 substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse.

People and planet share a symbiotic relationship, whereby the protection of one is likely to contribute to the protection of the other. Nevertheless, certain industries still depend on the use of potentially harmful chemicals, particularly so in developing countries where certain worker groups are already disproportionately vulnerable to safety and health risks. While the need to shift away from chemicals harmful to human health and the environment has been acknowledged, this transition may take time. In the meantime, the responsible management and disposal of chemicals will offer protection to workers exposed to them.

The importance of managing risk, including that from chemical hazards as part of good occupational safety and health is recognised by its inclusion in IOSH’s competency framework.

We've used an ellipsis to show where we've cut down sentences to focus on the safety and health content.

Business continuity plans allow organisations to prepare for situations that could adversely affect their core functions.

The plans aim to mitigate the disruption and loss an organisation would face if such a situation arose. Business continuity plans reflect the nature of an organisation’s activities, its geographical location, and its neighbours, among other factors. Continuity planning allows businesses to operate after a crisis or disaster and helps to ensure their survival.

Organisations have a responsibility to the health, safety, and wellbeing of their employees and to others who could be impacted by their activities. Business continuity plans should identify impacts on people of any threat to continuity, and address welfare matters and the management of OSH risks. The approach should be a preventative one, with arrangements for preparedness, response, and recovery.

Against the backdrop of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity in the modern world of work, rigorous and effective OSH management can have the additional benefit of informing business continuity planning and building more resilient organisations.

Business continuity contributes to the delivery of the following SDG targets:

• 1.5 build resilience and reduce exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events and other economic, social and environmental shocks and disasters
• 11.5 significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected by disasters
• 13.b raise capacity for effective climate change-related planning and management in least developed countries and small island developing States
• 13.1 strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters.

At its heart, OSH management is a forward-looking endeavour that encourages good preparation, identifying and accounting for unexpected events, and responding expediently and appropriately when such events do happen. In this sense, resilience and sustainability are embedded within the practice. In the context of emerging climate-related risks, the development of long-term perspectives, particularly those that consider the way workers may be impacted, will be part and parcel of both OSH and broader business continuity efforts.

The importance of a business continuity as part of good occupational safety and health provision is recognised by its inclusion in IOSH’s competency framework.