Employment injury schemes and the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases

Employment injury schemes and the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases
Photo © Unsplash/Hush Naidoo

Employment injury schemes and the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases

19–30 mai 2025
Le cours est disponible en English
Présentation du cours

Employment injury schemes are part of the social security branch in charge of the workers' insurance for occupational accidents and diseases. Traditionally, they provide for compensation and coverage of the medical and rehabilitation costs of the injured and sick workers. Increasingly, the prevention of the occupational risks is becoming part of the mandate of these schemes and many world-wide experiences and best practices show that these schemes can play very important role to this purpose. In some countries the competencies, roles, responsibilities and spheres of action of these institutions in prevention activities have been already incorporated in the legal framework. These institutions are the main generators of information on occupational accidents and diseases. Many times, based on this information, research and analysis studies are undertaken and then that provide the basis for the decision- and policymaking processes at national and sectoral level. These institutions are key actors in the national governance of the OSH and in the planning and implementation of National Programmes of OSH. Another strategy frequently used by these institutions is the promotion of the economic benefits of investments in occupational safety and health. As set by ISSA, "linking prevention to accident insurance compensation can enable effective mechanisms to reduce both accidents at work and occupational diseases, to increase productivity and to provide an incentive for employers to boost preventive activities in an enterprise, as it directly impacts on the contribution rate paid exclusively by the employer". It could also have direct and immediate impact in the efficiency of the schemes. Other activities in which these institutions are involved are the organization of the information and awareness-raising campaigns directed to employers, workers and the general public, as well as the provision of technical advice and promotion of the compliance with the OSH regulations, the training and skills development on OSH and health promotion, the development of the recognition-based incentives, etc. To explore these strategies and to study them appropriately, the International Training Centre is organizing this course in cooperation with the International Labour Office. Through this course, the ILO intends to disseminate its international experience and facilitate knowledge sharing and discussion of selected innovative and successful strategies to promote OSH preventive and proactive approaches of the employment injury schemes.

Groupes cibles

The course is aimed at: - Decision-makers of ministries and institutions in charge of social security and occupational safety and health, employers' and workers' organizations representatives involved in the governance of the OSH and social security, - Technical staff from employment injury institutions, - Other people from training institutions involved in OSH and social security issues.

Objectives

The general objective of the course is to strengthen the capacity of employment injury institutions for the management of the occupational accidents and diseases and the promotion of the prevention approach on occupational safety and health based on ILO standards and best practices. Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

  • Describe the role and functions of employment injury schemes in international labour standards and other related instruments.
  • Describe the organizational models of the employment injury schemes of selected countries as well as their policies, strategies and best practices on prevention activities.
  • Advise in the implementation of policies, strategies and approaches of employment injury schemes addressed to the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases.
  • Establish conclusions and recommendations on the feasibility of applying different analysed approaches and experiences to national and institutional contexts.
  • Transfer knowledge on the different best practices on Employment injury schemes
Contents
  • The ILO experiences and the international labour standards on employment injury schemes with particular attention to Convention No. 121.
  • The employment injury institutions: structure and financing. Compensation, medical assistance and rehabilitation.
  • National OSH governance.
  • The employment injury institutions and the function of prevention.
  • The recording and notification of occupational accidents and diseases.
  • The list of occupational accidents and diseases.
  • The costs of accidents: impact at the national level and at the enterprise level.
  • The economic incentives for prevention.
  • Introduction to occupational safety and health: ILO principles and fundamentals.
  • Information and technical assistance strategies.
  • The experiences of different national institutions: organizational models and selected best practices.
  • Contemporary challenges.

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