Occupational health

Why is occupational health a human rights issue?

The global workforce comprises nearly four billion people, with two billion people working in the informal economy.[1] Even though international human rights law recognizes the right to a safe, healthy work place as a fundamental human right, more than 60% of the world’s employed population lack social protection, rights at work and decent working conditions.[1] A paper published by Georgetown University’s O’Neil Institute noted staggering statistics:[2]

• One worker dies from a work-related accident or disease every 15 seconds.
• 153 workers have a work-related accident every 15 seconds.
• 6,300 people die as a result of occupational accidents or work-related diseases every day.
• Approximately 317 million accidents occur on the job every year, many of these resulting in extended absences from work, and millions more are permanently or temporarily disabled.

 

Why is it important that health workers are involved in this topic?

Health workers play an essential role in safeguarding the human rights of workers. Health workers are often the first to identify instances of work-related abuse and exploitation. Health workers also identify hazards, track injuries, diagnose/treat work-related illnesses, and provide training on safety protocols.

In addition to the care they provide to others, health workers themselves face infringement on their human rights while working. These infringements include infections due to negligence/supply shortages, lack of protection from violence, mandated stays/long hours, and lack of resources for mental health. Health workers and their colleagues can form associations and unions to increase protections and augment their role in policy-making, which is especially important for vulnerable groups like community health workers.

 

What are the most relevant resources?

The right to a safe, healthy work place is enshrined in international human rights law and is explicitly mentioned in the following:

• UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), General Comment No. 23 (2016), Article 7, provides detailed guidance on “safe and healthy working conditions” and State duties.[3]
• ILO Convention No. 155 (1981) — Occupational Safety and Health and the Working Environment (includes a foundational OHS treaty: national policy, enforcement/inspection, employer/worker duties).[4]
• ILO Convention No. 190 (2019) — Violence and Harassment (explicitly connects violence/harassment to psychosocial OSH risks and prevention duties).[5]
• ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (1998), as amended (2022) — recognizes the right to a safe and healthy working environment as a fundamental principle/right at work.[6]
• ILO Convention No. 187 (2006) — Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health (outlines a systems approach: national OSH system/programme, preventive culture).[7]
• ILO Convention No. 161 (1985) — Occupational Health Services (this convention provides a framework for workplace occupational health services).[8]
• UN Human Rights Council. (2019). Principles on human rights and the protection of workers from exposure to toxic substances.[9]
• Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) — Article 27 includes the right to safe and healthy working conditions and protection from harassment for persons with disabilities.[10]
• International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (ICRMW) outlines human rights protections for migrants’ rights at work.[11]
• Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) — Article 11(1)(f) protects women’s right to health protection and safety in working conditions.[12]
• Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) — Article 32 requires protection from work harmful to a child’s health and development.[13]

 

What are the human rights-related problems with regard to occupational health?

Many people face danger while working. These dangers include:

• Unsafe working conditions. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), 2.7 million people die from unsafe working conditions every year. The WHO states that the most common injuries include slips, trips and falls, electric shock, explosions and fire.[14] Human Rights Watch and other organizations have documented how workers have been forced to work long hours in extreme temperatures, lift heavy loads and repeat forceful motions thousands of times each time each day, all of which can cause severe and disabling injuries.[15]
• Exposure to toxic substances. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights recognizes workers as the most vulnerable group to toxic exposures. Among workers, there are groups that face even higher risk and those include people living in poverty, women of reproductive age, and children. Workers are often not informed of their exposure to toxic substances or not given adequate protection.[16]
• Many workers, particularly those working outside their country of origin, report wage theft, underpayment, and exorbitant recruitment fees. Workers are often unable to leave their employer, and being forced to work in unsafe conditions can also worsen other dangers such as not having sufficient access to food or personal protective equipment.
• Occupational illnesses. Workers, particularly those engaged in health care or emergency services, may face a higher exposure to infectious disease. For this reason, appropriate protection and controls are necessary to safeguard occupational health. WHO notes that tuberculosis, hepatitis B, HIV/AIDS and respiratory illness are the most common occupational infections.[17]
• Heat stress. Many workers are already feeling the health impacts of rising temperatures, but the WHO estimates that the threat of heat stress will increase significantly over the next 20 years. In particular, manual workers in sectors such as agriculture, construction and fisheries are most vulnerable to extreme heat.[18]

 

What can individual health workers do to improve the situation?

By understanding rights such as the right to safe and healthy working conditions, the right to health, and the rights to dignity and non-discrimination, individual health workers can frame workplace injuries and illnesses as preventable harms linked to legal and ethical obligations. In particular, health workers can make a strong contribution by carefully documenting occupational health risks and injuries through detailed medical records, which can serve as vital evidence for prevention, accountability, and systemic reform. Health workers also uphold human rights by providing care without discrimination, ensuring confidentiality, and protecting workers who may fear retaliation, particularly migrants and those engaged in informal employment.

Health workers can also have an impact through education by explaining workplace risks, preventive measures, and workers’ rights, and referring workers to appropriate support such as unions or legal services. Within their institutions, health workers can advocate for safer policies, adequate staffing, and protection against violence and retaliation, emphasizing prevention as a shared responsibility. By also defending their own rights as workers, health professionals model solidarity and reinforce the principle that safe and healthy working conditions are universal human rights.

This page was written by Tara Ornstein in 2026.

 

References

 [1] International Labour Organization. More than 60 per cent of world’s employed population are in the informal economy [Internet]. Available from: https://www.ilo.org/resource/news/more-60-cent-world%E2%80%99s-employed-population-are-informal-economy

[2] O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law. Human rights to health and safety at work: the International Labor Organization [Internet]. Available from: https://oneill.law.georgetown.edu/human-rights-to-health-and-safety-at-work-the-international-labor-organization/

[3] United Nations Human Rights. International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights [Internet]. Available from: https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/international-covenant-economic-social-and-cultural-rights

[4] International Labour Organization. Occupational Safety and Health Convention (No. 155) [Internet]. Available from: https://www.ilo.org/resource/other/occupational-safety-and-health-convention-no-155-fundamental-convention

[5] International Labour Organization. Violence and harassment in the world of work [Internet]. Available from: http://ilo.org/topics-and-sectors/violence-and-harassment-world-work

[6] International Labour Organization. ILO 1998 Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up [Internet]. Available from: https://www.ilo.org/resource/conference-paper/ilo-1998-declaration-fundamental-principles-and-rights-work-and-its-follow

[7] International Labour Organization. Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 2006 (No. 187) [Internet]. Available from: https://www.ilo.org/resource/other/promotional-framework-occupational-safety-and-health-convention-2006-no-187

[8] International Labour Organization. Occupational Health Services Convention, 1985 (No. 161) [Internet]. Available from: https://normlex.ilo.org/dyn/nrmlx_en/f?p=NORMLEXPUB:12100:0::NO::P12100_ILO_CODE\:C161

[9] United Nations Human Rights Council. Report of the Special Rapporteur on the issue of human rights obligations relating to the enjoyment of a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment [Internet]. 2019 Available from: https://docs.un.org/en/A/HRC/42/41

[10] United Nations Human Rights. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities [Internet]. Available from: https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/convention-rights-persons-disabilities

[11] United Nations Human Rights. International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families [Internet]. Available from: https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/international-convention-protection-rights-all-migrant-workers

[12] United Nations Human Rights. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women [Internet]. Available from: https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/convention-elimination-all-forms-discrimination-against-women

[13] United Nations Human Rights. Convention on the Rights of the Child [Internet]. Available from: https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/convention-rights-child

[14] World Health Organization. Occupational injuries [Internet]. Available from: https://www.who.int/tools/occupational-hazards-in-health-sector/occupational-injuries

[15] Human Rights Watch. “When We’re Dead and Buried, Our Bones Will Keep Hurting”: Workers’ Rights Under Threat [Internet]. 2019 Available from: https://www.hrw.org/report/2019/09/04/when-were-dead-and-buried-our-bones-will-keep-hurting/workers-rights-under-threat

[16] United Nations Human Rights. A human right to safe and healthy working conditions [Internet]. 2019 Available from: https://www.ohchr.org/en/stories/2019/10/human-right-safe-and-healthy-working-conditions

[17] World Health Organization. Occupational infections [Internet]. Available from: https://www.who.int/tools/occupational-hazards-in-health-sector/occupational-infections

[18] World Health Organization, World Meteorological Organization. WHO and WMO issue new report and guidance to protect workers from increasing heat stress [Internet]. 2025 Available from: https://www.who.int/news/item/22-08-2025-who-wmo-issue-new-report-and-guidance-to-protect-workers-from-increasing-heat-stress