In concert with the United Nation’s SDGs for 2030 and the ILO’s Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, the ISSA’s Vision Zero strategy and mind-set is essential for the Global Initiative’s objective to promote ‘Safety, Health and Well-being for All’.
The Vision Zero prevention mind-set was for the first time presented in 2014 during the World Congress on Safety and Health at Work in Frankfurt, Germany. After the launch of the ISSA’s Vision Zero campaign at the next World Congress in 2017 in Singapore, it rapidly developed into the leading international movement to promote workplace safety, health and well-being, supported by the most prominent international, regional and national safety and health organizations, as well as more than 16.000 companies worldwide.
At the first Vision Zero Summit in Helsinki in 2019, hosted by the Finnish Institute for Occupational Safety and (FIOH), the ‘Global Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health at Work’ was founded to give new impetus to international occupational risk prevention efforts. The Coalition’s Task Force on Vision Zero at the Enterprise Level initiated the second Summit in May 2022, hosted by the Institute of Global Safety Promotion (IGSAP).
With nearly 8,000 attendees, 215 speakers from leading international OSH-organisations, networks and institutions addressing a wide range of OSH-challenges and presenting innovative strategies and solutions, the Vision Zero Summit Japan 2022 was a resounding success.
One important outcome was the adoption of the Tokyo Declaration on Vision Zero For All, an eleven-point manifesto calling on international organisations, governments, trade unions, employers’ associations, social security institutions and companies to adhere to Vision Zero as a “compass” for future occupational safety, health and wellbeing strategies and programmes.
Following the successful Vision Zero Summit, eyes are now set on the EXPO 2025 taking place in Osaka, Japan, as the theme of the Expo, ‘Designing Future Society for Our Lives’, fully aligns with Vision Zero’s objective to build a safe, healthy and socially sustainable business culture.
To further enhance the outreach of the ‘Vision Zero for All’ mind-set, which is that all accidents, diseases and harm at work can be prevented if the safety, health, and well-being of people comes first, IGSAP initiated the “Global Initiative for Safety, Health and Well-being at the EXPO2025 and Beyond”, which rapidly has gained wide support by the international OSH-Community and been joined by the leading OSH-organizations, such as the ILO, WHO and ISSA.
Importantly, the Global Initiative is committed to continuing the Vision Zero journey beyond the EXPO2025 and has initiated a promising collaboration with partners in Osaka and Germany to celebrate an annual International Safety, Health and Well-being Congress and Exhibition.
