The International Labour Organisation has called for caution, as pressure mounts on countries to ease their lockdown restrictions, the ilo.org reported. The international body urged governments to take action to prevent and control COVID-19 in the workplace. It stated that all employers would need to carry out risk assessments and ensure their factories and workplaces meet strict occupational safety and health criteria beforehand, to minimise the risk of workers’ exposure to the deadly disease.
“Without such controls, countries face the very real risk of a resurgence of the virus. Putting in place the necessary measures will minimise the risk of a second wave of contagion contracted at the workplace. “The safety and health of our entire workforce is paramount today. In the face of an infectious disease outbreak, how we protect our workers now clearly dictates how safe our communities are, and how resilient our businesses will be, as this pandemic evolves,” said the Director-General of the ILO, Guy Ryder.
“It is only by implementing occupational safety and health measures that we can protect the lives of workers, their families and the larger communities, ensure work continuity and economic survival,” he added. The ILO also highlighted the needs of the most vulnerable workers and businesses, in particular those in the informal economy, migrant and domestic workers, arguing that measures to protect these workers should include – among others – education and training on safe and healthy work practices, free provision of personal protective equipment as needed, access to public health services and livelihood alternatives.
https://punchng.com/lockdown-ease-conduct-risk-assessment-at-workplaces-says-ilo/
