Symposia

S1

Innovation of OSH governance – Institutions responsible for standards setting and compliance

In the context of rapidly changing forms of work organization and work practices, this session will overview innovations in safety and health administration in institutions responsible for OSH compliance.

ILO

1,2

S2

Violence and harassment at work

This session will focus on the prevention of violence and harassment in the workplace, including international legislative developments, case studies, and tools for prevention and return to work.

Canada

1

S3

Psychosocial factors and developments in mental health at work

This symposium will focus on the prevention of psychosocial risks at work, as well as the challenges of managing mental health in the workplace. Leading examples involving standards, regulations and workplace practices will be highlighted.

ILO / Canada

1,2

S4

OSH Data – at the global, national and enterprise level

When reliable OSH data is not available, policy-makers, employers, and workers lack crucial knowledge for the prevention of occupational injuries and disease. This session will examine data gaps at the global, national and enterprise level and will highlight new and innovative tools for collecting and using OSH data.

ILO

1,2

S5

Designing for safety and health

Designing materials, structures and processes to protect worker health and safety can eliminate or minimize the introduction of occupational hazards, risks and exposures. This session will explore current opportunities and challenges in designing for safety and health from technical and regulatory perspectives.

ILO

1,2

S6

No injured workers left behind: Workers’ compensation and employment injury insurance are essential part to better prevention outcomes

The role of workers’ compensation and employment injury insurance in supporting workplace efforts to prevent occupational injury and illness continues to evolve. This session will highlight innovative approaches in developing and developed country settings that integrate work disability insurance schemes in OSH programs and strategies.

ILO

1,2

S7

Lessons learnt in promotion of preventive safety and health culture – What we learned and how it is applied

What have we learned about the promotion of safety and health culture since the adoption of the Global Strategy on Occupational Safety and Health in 2003 and the Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 2006 (No. 187). What more needs to be done to strengthen worker health and safety implementation of global OSH instruments?

ILO

3

S8

Integrating workplace injury prevention with community prevention strategies

This session will focus on examples of evidence-focused, population-based approaches aimed at changing attitudes and behaviours to build cultures of injury prevention at work, at home and in the community.

Canada

3

S9

Building a strong OSH culture: workplace stories

This session will profile stories from Canada and around the world illustrating successful approaches to building strong workplace prevention cultures.

Canada

3

S10

Global Collaborative Efforts for Advancing Culture of Prevention

Safety and health is the responsibility of society as a whole.  This session will showcase prevention culture initiatives and will discuss how these efforts can contribute to improve the culture around occupational safety and health in the future.

ISSA

3

S11

Real Time OSH: Digital tools and knowledge

Information technology can improve workplace recognition, control, and regulation of OSH hazard, risks and working conditions. This session will focus on leading digital OSH tools and evidence-based online prevention resources.

Canada / ILO

2

S12

Successful digital communication and information strategies to advance occupational safety and health

State-of-the-art information and communication campaigns can be powerful tools for raising OSH knowledge, awareness and action. This symposium will focus on effective campaigns, including Vision Zero and social and digital media interventions, and illustrate effective techniques and strategies.

ISSA

1

S13

New thinking about the prevention of occupational cancer

The burden of occupational cancer continues to grow, despite the fact exposures responsible for occupational cancer are well known and solutions are available to control these exposures. This session will focus on innovative approaches to applying these solutions to achieve safe and healthy work for all.

Canada

1

S14

Strengthening worker health protection in global supply chains

Global supply chains cross national borders with varying standards for worker health protection. The symposium will highlight challenges and solutions for strengthening worker health protection across diverse market systems, regulatory regimes and safety cultures.

Canada

2

S15

Integrating people with disabilities in the world of work

There are opportunities for greater progress in integrating people with disability in the world of work. This session will highlight successful approaches in different countries and economic sectors to support work participation among those with disabilities.

Canada

2

S16

The future world of work: OSH prevention in social security systems

This symposium will examine the implications for OSH prevention in social security systems as the world of work is transformed by demographic changes and informational technology.

Canada

2

S17

Manufacturing machine safety in the digital age

The increasing control of manufacturing processes by computer and information technology can cause OSH risks. This symposium will discuss promising approaches to managing these risks, including wearable devices in machine/human interfaces and the reliability of computer-controlled processes.

ISSA

1

S18

Ensuring health and safety in virtual work

Virtual work, enabled by digital platforms, brings new questions about potential health and safety risks. This symposium will explore the implications of new forms of work, often among self-employed or distance workers, for occupational health and safety.

ISSA

2,3

S19

Worker safety on roadways in the age of automated vehicles

Automated vehicles raise new questions about OSH risks and responsibilities for workers and employers. This symposium will examine emerging issues, in the near future when traffic is partly automated, and in the subsequent era of totally driverless traffic.

ISSA/ German Road Safety Council

2

S20

OSH challenges in the green economy

Employment in the renewable energy and recycling industries is growing rapidly in the developed and developing world. This symposium will overview OSH hazards in these sectors and highlight innovative control practices.

ISSA / Canada

2

S21

Vulnerability: the informal economy, migrant workers, and new & young workers

OSH vulnerability – defined by exposure to hazards in contexts of inadequate workplace policies and practices – is more common among specific groups of workers: migrants, new and young workers and workers in the informal economy. This symposium will examine regulatory innovations to strengthen protection in the context of vulnerability.

Canada

1,2

S22

Delivering OSH in construction and in large infrastructure projects

Traditionally a high-hazard sector, many large infrastructure construction projects have demonstrated exceptional OSH performance. This symposium will highlight innovative practices in the construction sector that meet the challenge of Vision Zero.

ISSA / Canada

2

S23

Training for Vision Zero

To what extent can training and education serve organizations on the road to Vision Zero? This symposium examines ways responsible organizations develop a positive, caring work culture and safe, healthy and productive workforces through training and education.

ISSA

3

S24

Responsible, Safe and Healthy. Sustainable Mining and Vision Zero

Although a high-hazard sector, the formal mining sector has made strong progress in OSH prevention. Yet globally, more than 40 million informal mining workers are not protected. This session will discuss the next steps for the global mining sector towards safe and healthy work for all.

ISSA

3

S25

The impact of digitalisation on OSH in global transportation and logistics – Possibilities for the success of the Vision Zero strategy

Every year the lives of approximately 1.25 million people are cut short as a result of a road traffic crash. Between 20 and 50 million more people suffer non-fatal injuries, with many incurring a disability as a result of their injury. This symposium will look to technological developments and to promising approaches to strengthening a culture of prevention for the way forward to Vision Zero.

ISSA

3

S26

Prevention strategies for health workers

This symposium will survey the state of occupational safety in health care and health services in various countries and look at recommendations on new and proven methods to prevent work-related injuries and illnesses in this sector.

ISSA

1

S27

Safety Culture in Farming: Growing from generation to generation

The themes of this session include good practices, innovative solutions and effective management to advance safety culture in agriculture.

ISSA / Canada

1

S28

Small and Medium Sized Enterprises

Workers in small organizations often face higher rates of critical injury and fatality rates than their counterparts in large organizations. Health and safety solutions designed for larger employers often have limited positive effect on small organizations. This symposium will highlight key OSH issues for small employers and showcase tools and methods that have proven successful for this sector. 

ISSA

1

S29

Forget the old safety framework approach:  Go for a great place to work

The core of workplace OSH management relies on detailed procedures, processes, and action plans. This session will draw on global examples to illustrate the potential of strong workplace OSH culture to strengthen the performance of OSH management in enterprises.

ILO

1,3

S30

Promoting prevention and protection in global supply chains

While the contribution of GSCs to global economic growth and job opportunities is evident, their impact on the living and working conditions and the safety and health of workers in developing countries raises important concerns. This session will look at the innovative means the ILO has developed to improve working conditions and OSH in global supply chains.

ILO

2,3

S31

Preventing occupational disease

Preventing occupational disease continues to challenge workplace parties, OSH professionals and regulators. This session will overview innovative tools and practices for the recognition, diagnosis and control of workplace exposures associated with occupational disease.

Canada

1