Workers in lower income countries are more than twice as likely to experience serious workplace harm as those in wealthier nations, according to research from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).
The report, funded by Lloyd’s Register Foundation, identifies national wealth as the strongest predictor of workplace injury and concerns about safety.
Workplace harm worldwide
Around 395 million people experience work related injuries globally each year, while occupational injuries and illnesses are estimated to account for losses equivalent to 6% of global GDP.
RoSPA said that if injury rates in lower income countries matched those in wealthier nations, up to two million lives could be saved and more than $750 billion in economic losses avoided annually.
The research draws on data from the Lloyd’s Register Foundation World Risk Poll 2023.
Regional safety differences
Workplace harm varied considerably between World Health Organization regions.
In the Western Pacific region, 37% of workers had experienced workplace harm or knew somebody who had during the previous two years. This compared with 31% in Africa, 30% in South East Asia and 22% in the Eastern Mediterranean. The Americas and Europe both recorded 21%.
The report found that individual improvements in household income and education offered some protection, but their effect was considerably smaller than national prosperity.
Safety training remains limited
RoSPA also identified gaps in occupational safety provision, reporting that more than six in ten workers worldwide have never received occupational safety and health training.
Fewer than half of International Labour Organization member states have an up to date occupational safety and health policy, according to the report.
RoSPA said informal employment in higher risk industries including agriculture and mining may contribute to disparities, alongside differences in investment, regulation and safety infrastructure.
The charity is calling for stronger occupational safety systems, improved reporting and data collection, greater accountability throughout global supply chains and expanded protection for informal workers.
Becky Hickman, Chief Executive Officer, RoSPA said: “Every worker, regardless of where they live, deserves the right to return home safe and healthy at the end of the day.
“These findings demonstrate that workplace safety is not simply a matter of individual behaviour or personal circumstances. Strong national systems, effective regulation and investment in occupational safety and health are critical in reducing harm and protecting workers.”
Nancy Hey OBE, Director of Evidence and Insight, Lloyd’s Register Foundation Global Safety Evidence Centre, said: “The finding that it is national wealth – rather than any individual circumstances or behaviours – that currently presents the hardest ceiling to improved workplace safety, is a compelling and important one.
“In lower income countries, demographic factors that might otherwise be protective hold little sway. This reinforces the importance of fundamental systemic, structural and regulatory improvements, as well as established safety leadership and governance, in reducing the global burden of workplace harm.”
