SS06 EFFECTIVE DELIVERY OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH SERVICES: PROMOTING SAFETY AND HEALTH AS A UNIVERSAL FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT AT WORK

• Published in: Occupational medicine (Oxford) 2024-07, Vol.74 (Supplement_1)
• Main Authors: Jain, Aditya, Shah, Divyang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0962-7480; 1471-8405
• DOI: 10.1093/occmed/kqae023.0071

High occupational safety and health (OSH) standards are of paramount importance for the Future of Work, and for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). While many countries have drawn up policies, strategies and programmes for occupational health (OH) service delivery, there are gaps in implementation, capacity, and coverage. These gaps mean that we still lag behind the goal of Universal Occupational Health Coverage through at least basic service provision. Obtaining a comprehensive understanding of similarities and variations in the context, systems, structure, coverage and capacity of OSH services will highlight key development needs internationally and help in addressing some of these gaps. This session therefore explores the scope, reach and effectiveness of OH service delivery in order to: (i) understand the influence of country economic status (e.g., HICs vs LMICs), national policy, laws and regulations (e.g., ratification of ILO conventions), organization size (e.g., large, medium, small and/or micro), models of work (e.g., formal and informal) and occupational sector; and (ii) identify the facilitators and barriers that influence OH service delivery and establish how this knowledge could be used to improve and promote access to OH services and promote OH as a universal fundamental right at work. The four presentations in this session will discuss the implications of the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) landmark decision on occupational health services, present examples of good practice to promote OH services in countries from different regions of the world, and provide insight into current and future approaches to OH service delivery.