In particular SDG 8, “promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all”.
A safe, healthy and productive workforce, and investment in robust safety and health provision at work will support economic growth. It will contribute to increasing business competitiveness and productivity through reducing the costs of accidents and incidents at work and work-related ill health, supporting and enhancing worker engagement, motivation and productivity.
OSH regulation is a driver of quality, safety and sustainability. Regulation also plays a crucial role in ensuring a level playing field for businesses, protecting workers and consumers from harm, and enhancing worker and public trust and confidence.
Britain’s Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 is 50 years’ old. Since its inception, there has been immense progress in OSH performance and standards, making the UK one of the safest places to work in the world.
However, as we reach this milestone and consider how the world of work is transforming, should it, and its secondary legislation, be updated and strengthened in the face of changes to how people work? Many OSH professionals believe that legislation should be implemented to manage the introduction of artificial intelligence and other changes at work.
Support delivery of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals by ensuring people are at the heart of the UK’s own agenda in this area alongside environmental and financial commitments.
Together, we can make work good for all by empowering employers and workers to be safer, healthier and happier.
This will benefit businesses, communities, society and our economy, reducing impacts on our NHS and supporting a sustainable economy. We call on our next Government to foster the right conditions for this to happen.