Every year April 28 is celebrated in more than 100 countries of the world as World Occupational Health and Safety Day.

This holiday was initiated by the International Labor Organization (ILO) in order to draw the attention of society and authorities to the problem of human safety at the workplace. One of the main aspects of the work of the ILO is the development of measures to reduce the level of mortality at work.

The Labor Day was celebrated for the first time in 2003, but as early as 1989, American and Canadian workers celebrated Memorial Day in honor of those killed in the workplace. After that, similar events were organized all over the world.

According to ILO estimates, every day in the world, on average, about 5,000 people die as a result of accidents and illnesses at work, reaching a total of 2 to 2.3 million cases of work-related mortality per year. About 350,000 cases are fatal accidents.

In addition, every year workers suffer from approximately 270 million accidents at work that lead to absence from the workplace for more than 3 days, and from approximately 160 million cases of occupational diseases.

According to the Decree of the President of Ukraine dated August 18, 2006 No. 685/200, National Day of Labor Protection was established. It is held on April 28 at enterprises, institutions, organizations of all forms of ownership and branches of economic activity in Ukraine.

With the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, the issue of labor safety has gained new importance. Thousands of businesses continue to operate despite additional daily risks and challenges. The organization of labor protection under martial law is an extremely difficult task that requires proper preparation.

The motto of the World Day for Safety and Health at Work in 2023:
“A safe and healthy working environment is a basic principle and right at work”
(A Safe and healthy working environment as a fundamental principle and right at work)