International Cooperation

Selçuk Yaşar

Head of International Collaboration Unit, DGOSH, Ministry for Labour and Social Security, Türkiye – ENETOSH Ambassador in Türkiye

The G20 OSH Network, co-led by Türkiye and the United States, continues to be a vital platform for advancing occupational safety and health (OSH) standards worldwide. Established in 2015, the Network fosters collaboration among governments, worker and employer organizations, and international bodies to address global policy and technical challenges in OSH.

Recent Activities and Initiatives

The Network has been actively engaging its members through annual meetings, workshops, and targeted initiatives:

2020-2021: Virtual discussions focused on adapting effective OSH policies in response to pandemic-related challenges.

2022: Held in Bali, Indonesia, culminating in the declaration on "Promoting OSH as a Fundamental Principle and Right at Work."

2023: Hosted in Sydney, Australia, addressing the safety of gig and platform workers, resulting in a declaration aimed at enhancing health and safety measures in these sectors.

2024: The latest meeting took place in Fortaleza, Brazil, alongside the G20 Labor and Employment Ministers' Meeting, emphasizing the urgency of addressing climate-related risks, particularly hazardous heat stress in the workplace.

Focus on Hazardous Heat at Work

With the growing impact of climate change, heat stress has emerged as a significant occupational hazard. During the 2024 Annual Meeting, the G20 OSH Network highlighted the need for comprehensive approaches to heat stress prevention. The Fortaleza meeting saw the adoption of the "G20 Approaches to Safety and Health at Work" declaration, emphasizing:

Heat Management Policies: Implementing flexible work schedules during extreme heat events, especially in high-risk sectors like agriculture, construction, and mining. This includes modifying working hours and incorporating regular breaks to reduce exposure during peak temperatures. Meaningful dialogue and collaboration between workers and managers are key.

Technological Innovations: Showcasing tools such as Brazil's IBUTG Monitor app, which utilizes meteorological data and Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) indices to provide real-time heat stress assessments. The app helps employers and workers anticipate risks and adjust work practices accordingly.

Health Monitoring and Emergency Preparedness: Emphasizing regular health checks to detect early signs of heat stress and updating workplace emergency plans to include heat-related response measures. Training programs to raise workers' awareness of heat stress recognition and first aid measures were also highlighted.

Global Collaboration: The Network is committed to sharing knowledge and experiences on heat stress management among G20 countries and supporting global initiatives such as the US-Brazil Partnership for Worker Rights Heat Campaign and the Vision Zero Fund, which contribute to advancing heat stress prevention worldwide.

Strategic Initiatives and Broader Achievements

The G20 OSH Network has made significant progress in several other key areas:

Pandemic Response Campaign (2020-2021): Led by Türkiye, focusing on "The Changing World of Work and OSH During the Pandemic." This involved a survey of 13 countries on the impact of COVID-19 on OSH, with findings featured in the ILO's report for World Day for Safety and Health at Work. Awareness materials were developed in multiple languages, allowing for a broader reach.

Workshops and Knowledge Exchange: In 2024, workshops such as the occupational lung disease data collection event in Australia and the workplace harassment and violence prevention workshop hosted by Canada underscored the Network’s commitment to tackling emerging OSH issues through collaborative learning.

Building a Stronger OSH Community: The Network’s declarations have been consistently integrated into G20 labor ministerial documents, reaffirming OSH as a priority in global labor and employment agendas.

Promoting Lifelong Learning in Occupational Safety and Health: A Potential G20 OSH Network and ENETOSH Collaboration

The G20 OSH Network could play a pivotal role in advancing occupational safety and health (OSH) through lifelong learning by collaborating with ENETOSH. This collaboration could encourage G20 countries to integrate OSH education into their lifelong learning systems, ensuring that safety and health are taught throughout workers’ careers. By embedding OSH into education at all levels, this partnership could help build a global culture of safety and prevention.

Together, the Network and ENETOSH could highlight best practices and promote training programs for high-risk sectors such as agriculture, construction, and mining. These programs could focus on practical strategies for managing critical risks like heat stress, providing workers with the tools they need to stay safe. By sharing success stories and leveraging ENETOSH’s expertise, the collaboration could help countries develop effective, engaging, and accessible training solutions.

Accessibility and inclusivity would be central to this initiative. The collaboration could advocate for training materials that are culturally sensitive, multilingual, and accessible to workers in remote or underserved areas. This approach ensures that safety education reaches all workers, regardless of their background or location, aligning with ENETOSH’s mission to promote inclusive education.

Integrating OSH into vocational and technical education (VET) is another potential focus area. By embedding safety principles into apprenticeships and certification programs, the collaboration could help new workers begin their careers with a strong emphasis on safety. This proactive approach would prepare them to meet current industry standards and adapt to emerging workplace risks.

By fostering this collaboration, the G20 OSH Network and ENETOSH could drive significant progress in workplace safety. Promoting lifelong learning and continuous improvement in OSH practices across G20 countries could lead to safer, healthier working environments for all.

The two networks are discussing how best to co-operate to realise this potential.

Ongoing Impact and Future Directions

The G20 OSH Network’s efforts have had a substantial impact on raising awareness and promoting best practices for safer workplaces:

Strengthening International Partnerships: Collaborations with EU-OSHA, ILO, and other international organizations have facilitated the exchange of OSH expertise and fostered collective action on issues such as musculoskeletal disorders and climate-related occupational hazards.

Innovative Solutions for Workplace Safety: The integration of technology, such as heat stress monitoring apps, highlights the Network’s approach to using modern tools to tackle traditional safety challenges.

Preparing for the Future: Looking ahead to 2025, with South Africa as the next Term President, the Network will continue to focus on climate-related risks and the adoption of cutting-edge safety practices. Efforts will be made to advance a culture of prevention and incorporate new risk management methods, tailored to national circumstances.

The G20 OSH Network remains committed to enhancing OSH standards across its member states and invites stakeholders to participate in upcoming initiatives.

Dingani Moyo^1,2,3 & Muzimkhulu Zungu^4,5

¹ Faculty of Medicine, National University of Science and Technology, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
² School of Public Health, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
³ Baines Occupational Health Services
⁴School of Health Systems and Public Health, University of Pretoria, South Africa
⁵ National Institute for Occupational Health, a division of the National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa

Globally, access to occupational safety and health (OSH) remains critically low at below 15%. Most African states do not have a National OSH Policy and very few countries have ratified the International Labour Organization (ILO) Conventions 155 on OSH and 161 on Occupational Health Services. On the continent, the biggest obstacles to OSH are due to political and legal inadequacies, a lack of priority for OSH, a scarcity of resources (financial, human and infrastructural), a lack of information and capacities for research and decision-making, and the lack of or limited availability of training and continuing education. The authors report on their OSH experiences in Southern Africa, where they have worked on several occupational health projects funded by the Global Fund, the African Union Development Agency – NEPAD (AUDA-NEPAD), the East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the National Institute for Occupational Health in South Africa and Baines Occupational Health Services in Zimbabwe.

There are several challenges that negatively affect the development of OSH in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Lack of education and training programs in OSH is a major challenge constraining the development of OSH in SSA. Education involves acquiring new knowledge and skills in a specific subject, like OSH, through formal programs that lead to certificates, diplomas, or degrees. In contrast, OSH training focuses on equipping individuals with specific skills and knowledge tailored to their organization, job role, or tasks, typically conducted in the workplace. This is despite the fact that countries such as Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe and many others offer training in the field of OSH, but the number of academic institutions at the country level remains critically low. For example, in the whole of the Eastern, Central and Southern Africa region, only South Africa offers specialized training in Occupational Medicine, Occupational Hygiene and Occupational Health. In most countries in the region, authorities have still not recognized Occupational Medicine and Occupational Health as disciplines requiring independent medical specialty registration, which hinders the development of occupational health services.

The development of good OSH policies and legal frameworks requires competent professionals in the field of OSH. In most SSA countries, OSH legislation is fragmented and inadequate, with few countries having ratified the key ILO Conventions 155 and 161 on OSH and Occupational Health Services respectively. For example, in Southern Africa, only Zimbabwe has ratified both ILO Convention 155 and 161, and almost all the countries have not yet ratified ILO Convention 161. This reflects the poor stewardship, leadership and OSH commitment by ILO member states in Southern Africa on OSH. There is a severe shortage of human resources in the field of Occupational Medicine. With the exception of South Africa and Mozambique, most countries in Southern Africa have fewer than five qualified occupational health physicians.

As mentioned above, most of the aforementioned challenges in OSH that SSA faces are largely due to the lack of education and training. This further complicates the development of institutional and organizational memory in most settings leading to a lack of improvements and lessons learnt in the field. Training and education play a critical role in transforming the landscape of OSH practice. Policy and legal reforms in OSH can only be championed by competent OSH practitioners and professionals. Ministries require strong advocacy on OSH and this can be positively driven by competent OSH practitioners and professionals.

An expansion in education and training in OSH is a critical process that can lead SSA into improving access to OSH. Countries must implement education and training programs in the multiple disciplines of OSH, including Safety, Occupational Hygiene, Occupational Health Nursing (OHN), Occupational Medicine (OM) and many others. Developing a critical mass of multi-professional disciplines in OSH through education and training can positively transform systems at country level in a number of ways. This can lead to improved and intelligent advocacy for the ratification of ILO conventions and improvements in OSH policy and legal frameworks. Competent OSH professionals will be able to conduct quality workplace hazard identification and risk assessments.

The complete article is published in ENETOSH Factsheet 06.

Johanna Mai

Institute for Work and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV), in cooperation with the National University of Science and Technology of Zimbabwe

Workplaces are rapidly changing due to technological developments and climate change, presenting new challenges to occupational safety and health (OSH). In emerging economies, promoting decent and healthy work is imperative yet often challenging, as social protection measures (e.g. health protection, employment injury protection, maternity protection) are not always well-established. This raises questions about the preparedness of future OSH-professionals to address these issues, particularly in the context of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 8 set by the United Nations (UN) to foster inclusive economic growth and decent work. Given the central role universities play in training future OSH practitioners and professionals, assessing the integration of SDG 8 into university programs becomes crucial.

The research project “Integrating UN Sustainable Development Goal No. 8 into Education: Promoting Good Work and Sustainable Economic Development (SDG 8) at African Universities” is an initiative aimed at addressing the challenges faced in the world of work through academic programs. This project, led by Prof Dr Dingani Moyo from the National University of Science and Technology in Zimbabwe and Dr Ulrike Bollmann from the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV), supported by Prof Dr (em) Johannes Siegrist from Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Germany, seeks to integrate the principles of SDG 8 into higher education curricula across Africa.

The project was presented for the first time at the 12^th International Conference Working on Safety (WOS2024), DGUV, Dresden (picture: Johanna Mai, DGUV & Ehi Iden, OSHAfrica).

Building upon a previous study among European universities (Siegrist & Bollmann 2023) this research assesses the consideration of SDG 8 mainly in relevant Master’s and PhD programs related to OSH, occupational hygiene, occupational medicine, nursing, and human resource management, as well as in broader university strategies and organizational structures. The objective is to shed light on the overall approach to promoting decent and healthy workplaces in Africa.

The study explores four core aspects of SDG 8:

• Impact of economic growth on climate and the environment
• Increase in socio-economic inequalities
• Impact of digitalization on work and employment
• Occupational accidents and work-related diseases

A total of ten to twelve universities across the five sub-regions of Africa will finally be approached to participate in the study. The selection of universities is based on their offering of relevant degrees in OSH and related fields, while ensuring a distribution across all sub-regions of the African continent.

The study is based on interviews with directors and coordinators of study programs from respective universities. The first interviews have taken place and will continue until early 2025.

The project aims to achieve several key outcomes:

• An initial result of the project is an overview of universities in Africa that offer OSH-related degrees, describing which aspects of SDG 8 were considered and implemented in various areas of degrees and organizational structures.
• Identification of good practices for implementing SDG 8 in university curricula, as well as obstacles and needs to act.
• Promotion of decent work and sustainable economic development across Africa.
• Creation of a platform for exchange and networking among African and European experts and universities in the field of OSH and SDG 8.

This research project represents a significant effort to operationalize the implementation of good work and sustainable economic growth through education. By focusing on the integration of SDG 8 into academic programs, the project not only aims to enhance the preparedness of future OSH professionals but also to foster a commitment to sustainable practices within universities themselves. The collaboration between African and European institutions further emphasizes the global importance of this initiative and its potential to drive meaningful change in the world of work. The results will help educators to prepare future OSH professionals for today's health and safety challenges, and by comparing the results from the European context, they offer the opportunity for reflection, exchange and further development.

Reference

Siegrist, J & Bollmann, U (2023) academic.oup.com/occmed/article/73/2/61/6573922 Occupational Medicine (73) 2, 61–65.

Lucie Kocůrková

VSB-Technical University of Ostrava, Czech Republic

The COLOSH project - Collaborative Online International Learning in Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) - is set to redefine how OSH education is delivered across borders. As higher education shifts toward digitalization and international collaboration, COLOSH brings a fresh approach to bridging these two trends, offering a solution to challenges faced by educators and students alike.

Traditionally, OSH education relies on practical training, site visits, and face-to-face interactions with industry professionals. However, with the increasing need for digital learning, especially during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, COLOSH seeks to innovate how we teach OSH in a digital space. The project harnesses the COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) model, an approach that allows educators and students to collaborate virtually across countries.

COLOSH unites a consortium of experienced institutions from across Europe:

• Technical University of Ostrava (Czechia)
• Instituto Politécnico do Porto (Portugal)
• Universita ta Malta (Malta)
• European University Cyprus (Cyprus)
• Artesis Plantijn Hogeschool Antwerpen (Belgium)
• Allgemeine Unfallversicherungsanstalt (AUVA, Austria)
• Universidade do Minho (Portugal)

Together, these partners are working on a shared mission: to improve digital learning capacities in OSH education while fostering global collaboration.

COLOSH aims to deliver three key outcomes:

1. Educational Guidelines and Training Programs:
Comprehensive guidelines will be created for university educators to help them integrate COIL methods into their OSH teaching. These will be supported by an online course and practical training workshops, designed to build educators’ digital competencies and support them in navigating the challenges of online OSH education.

2. Ready-to-Use Teaching Tools and COIL Templates:
To facilitate collaboration between students and educators from different countries, the project will develop teaching tools and templates. These resources will make it easier to run COIL projects and will be available for reuse by other institutions looking to adopt the COIL approach in their OSH programs.

3. An Online Community Platform for OSH Educators and Learners:
COLOSH will also launch an online community platform that connects educators and students from around the world, encouraging the sharing of knowledge, best practices, and fostering cross-border collaboration in the OSH field.

Additionally, the project will feature roundtable discussions, focus groups, and training workshops to gather insights and good practices from experts across the international consortium. These activities will help shape new, innovative methods for teaching OSH digitally.

Launched in November 2024, COLOSH will run for two and a half years, contributing to a global shift toward digital, internationally connected learning in OSH education. By the end of the project, we aim to provide valuable resources that will support educators worldwide in transforming their OSH courses to be more engaging and accessible in a digital format.

We invite you to follow our progress, join the discussions, and participate in our activities. For more information, feel free to contact lucie.kocurkova@vsb.cz or visit our website: COLOSH.vsb.cz.

Maren Jennings

Project Manager GHSI, Department of Education and Health, Leuphana GmbH, Lüneburg, Germany

We are excited to introduce the Good Healthy Schools Initiative (GHSI), a transformative, three-year international research project designed to enhance educational outcomes by integrating health into every aspect of school life.

Running from February 2023 to March 2026, this project is stewarded by Leuphana GmbH, under the Department of Education & Health, and is proudly sponsored by the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV). Our partners include ENETOSH and the UNESCO Chair for Global Health and Education, both of which bring critical expertise in safety and health in education to the project.

The academic direction of the project is led by Prof Dr Peter Paulus, from the Centre for Applied Health Sciences at Leuphana University Lüneburg, Germany. Maren Jennings manages the project and ensures the seamless connection between education and health.

While the GHSI is an independent project, it operates as part of the ENETOSH strategic framework, forming Task Force 1, which supports ENETOSH’s broader mission to promote an effective integration of safety, health, and well-being as an essential part of the development of a more connected, inclusive, innovative, digitally and green-oriented educational system. The initiative’s close connection to ENETOSH ensures that it contributes to a larger global movement dedicated to transforming education systems through health and well-being.

At the core of the GHSI is a vision of schools where health and education are deeply intertwined. We aim to create environments where mental, emotional, physical, and social well-being are embedded in school life, helping to make schools better places for students, teachers, and staff to learn, teach, and work. This comprehensive approach enhances not only health outcomes but also the quality of education, turning schools into vibrant learning communities.

The new GHSI webpage is an excellent resource to learn more about the initiative. You can discover the key aims and objectives of the project, explore how to become part of the community and the benefits of joining, and access publications and downloadable materials that dive deeper into the subjects of health and education. It’s a perfect place to stay informed about the ongoing work and to explore opportunities for collaboration.

As we work towards our vision, we are continually documenting best practices from around the world, refining our understanding of success, and connecting with professionals who can help us grow this initiative. GHSI’s success depends on the active engagement of like-minded educators, policymakers, and advocates who believe that health is a fundamental driver of educational quality.

We invite you to join us on this journey to create healthier and more effective learning environments. Our free community platform on Skool offers a collaborative space where you can engage with professionals from around the world, share best practices, and contribute to innovative solutions for improving both, health and education. It only takes 2 minutes to join and it’s free!

Please also visit our new webpage for more information: The Good Healthy Schools Initiative. We look forward to welcoming you to our growing community of experts and changemakers!