In a world increasingly shaped by interconnected crises – pandemics, wars, climate change, natural disasters, growing social inequality, and digital violence – we face new challenges in risk prevention and education.
How do young people perceive today’s global crises? What is needed to foster, strengthen, and sustain their resilience as a transformative force?
Our event invites you to explore exciting approaches to collective learning and resilience building. The program includes:
The event is designed as an open forum to encourage dialogue on these challenges from a youth perspective. In the run-up to the event, videos were recorded to make young peoples voices heard.
Join us to discover groundbreaking approaches to addressing global crises through education, collaboration, and resilience building.
Since 2019, the traditional role of the Occupational, Safety and Health (OSH) professional has steadily changed, now regularly incorporating the environment as one of its pillars, meaning the role focus regularly becomes that of an Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) professional.
In such a changing world of work, where we face so many challenges, it is necessary to continuously update our experience, competencies and responsibilities to create safe and healthy work environments. Currently, it can be said that digitalisation and sustainability are the greatest challenges we face as EHS professionals, alongside the changes in the world of work and the policies and guidelines that are being introduced or are ever evolving, affecting workplaces, societies and our environment.
By the year 2025, at the European level, several Directives will be in force that will have a profound impact on the EHS profession and its further development:
This session will address these aspects and challenges from the perspective of professional EHS.
The symposium aims to bring together global leaders and experts to discuss critical issues related to workplace safety, particularly focusing on youth protection, mental health, harassment, and violence. It features a comprehensive agenda that includes keynotes, sessions, and moderated discussions, fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing across various sectors.
Mental health significantly impacts both businesses, job performance, productivity and mental wellbeing at the workplace.
A negative psychosocial working environment can lead to both physical and mental health issues, increased absenteeism, and lost productivity. Conversely, workplaces that prioritize mental wellbeing and social support to employees with mental disorders are more likely to experience reduced absenteeism, heightened productivity, and related economic benefits. Thus, there are compelling human and economic reasons for businesses to enhance mental wellbeing programs and foster a culture of safety, health, and wellbeing.
The COVID-19 pandemic has raised awareness about the importance of mental wellbeing at the workplace and many companies have tried out new working forms that considers both the needs of the work and the needs of the individual work life balance. This situation presents strong incentives to redesign work organization, by fx. increasing flexibility and provide support through mental health and wellbeing programs.
Recently, several key initiatives have been launched by organizations such as the ILO, WHO, ISSA, and EU-OSHA to offer guidance and practical tools for managing mental health and wellbeing within companies. The Vision Zero Wellbeing Guide, developed by ISSA, will be presented alongside practical business cases of successfully managing mental health and wellbeing shared by senior SHE managers from renowned enterprises.
As the workforce has evolved, and continues to evolve, so must the world of occupational safety and health and its leadership. Globally, on average around 40% of the world’s workforce are female and, in many countries, this is increasingly close to or more than 50%.
Once a male-dominated area, women increasingly play important roles, at every level, across the wider HSE landscape - as engineers, doctors, inspectors, leaders and more.
This panel discussion will explore how women are increasingly trailblazing, reshaping approaches to health and safety and how modern leadership can encourage and support this growth. Panellists will discuss their own experiences, as leaders and innovators, and explore how a progressive approach from industry can bear fruit.
The discussion will also consider how employers can help to promote women’s voices and facilitate an inclusive environment.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all. Yet progress towards SDG 8 is not advancing at the speed or scale required and we are still seeing millions of workers suffering from injuries, ill health and disease caused or made worse by their work, with 2.78 million fatal injuries every year. The ILO’s Global Strategy on Occupational Safety and Health 2024-2030 is a strategy for action, which includes the need to strengthen investment in occupational safety and health. Whereby sustainable financing at the national, sectoral and workplace level is essential if we want to reduce occupational fatalities, injuries and diseases globally.
The financial sector – specifically the institutional investor capital community, philanthropy investment, private finance from multilateral development banks (MDBs) and development finance institutions (DFIs) - play a crucial role to catalyse finance to achieve SDGs. We know that instruments of this kind are already in existence and contributing to sustainable development – however, they are not necessarily effectively integrated to close the financing gap when it comes to combating social issues. These social issues includes occupational safety and health (as well as labour protection and modern slavery in supply chains).
This leads to so many questions. For example, what is sustainable funding? What is needed at a national level to provide an inclusive and coordinated sustainable financing model for occupational safety and health? How can we mobilise private finance, philanthropy investment and institutional investor capital to lead to a positive economic structural transformation? What models are already available and how can they be used to ensure impact at the workplace level and importantly, ensure a positive impact on individual workers? How do we shift economic investment for social-aligned development in middle- and low-income countries and hard-to-reach sectors of the global economy?
This session will start the dialogue on sustainable funding and investment programs that are needed at the national level for occupational health and safety. It will also discuss how the right model can have an influence and impact at a workplace level, worker level, and within hard-to-reach sectors. Each panellist will bring their own perspectives and expertise to talk about the system approach that is needed.
This session will explore the impact of meaningful work on mental health and well-being, addressing both theoretical and practical perspectives. The session will begin by introducing the concept of meaningful work, focusing on its psychosocial components beyond legal minimums, such as dignity of labor and social cohesion.
Theoretical insights will highlight how work can foster a deeper connection between individuals and their environment, contributing to a sense of belonging, identity, and social cohesion.
The discussion will then shift to the real-world implications, examining the gap between ideal workplace conditions and the reality of many environments, where safety may be ensured but psychosocial needs are often overlooked, leading to stress and burnout.
A panel discussion will focus on practical strategies for creating meaningful work, including fostering engagement, psychological safety, and addressing the disconnect between employee expectations and actual experiences.
The session will conclude with actionable takeaways, encouraging participants to implement changes for more resonant work environments.
In an era of rapid technological advancements, climate change, and evolving industries, workers face a future fraught with uncertainties that could impact their health, safety and wellbeing. These challenges, alongside the opportunities they bring, require a transformative approach to workplace safety and culture.
This session will explore how Vision Zero, a framework focused on eliminating workplace accidents, injuries and fatalities, can be effectively applied across all sectors of business. Attendees will learn how the adaptability of Vision Zero extends beyond traditional safety measures to influence company-wide attitudes, processes and outcomes.
Through real-world examples and case studies, the session will showcase how Vision Zero is more than just a safety initiative—it is a strategic tool that drives cultural change, fosters leadership commitment and enables businesses to adapt to new risks and opportunities.
Attendees will also hear how integrating Vision Zero principles into training, education and day-to-day operations leads to a sustainable, safety-conscious mindset that shapes both short-term and long-term business success.
Discover how Vision Zero’s holistic approach can transform the way businesses engage with safety, improve decision-making processes and ultimately lead to better outcomes for both workers and organisations across the globe.
All around the globe humans are longing for a good life for themselves and their families. Modern technology opens new opportunities for a better life, but in a connected world, the global economy and growing living standards depend on sustainable supply chains, which begin either in agriculture or in mining.
As a logical consequence, mining all over the world must go ahead and demonstrate its responsibility for humans and for nature – meaning safety, health, wellbeing for humans and sustainable care for nature begin in mines and extraction of natural resources all around the world.
However, the actual situation all over the world shows a big variety: advanced multinational mining corporations are setting good examples already, but there are still human suffering and environmental disasters caused by mining activities and fatalities and fatal disease rates in mining are far above the average for other sectors of the economy.
To improve this situation and to promote a new mindset of responsibility and care, the VISION ZERO Strategy and its fundamental 7 Golden Rules have first been developed for the mining sector and became meanwhile the new prevention culture strategy beyond compliance for all workplaces in any sector.
The session will demonstrate exemplary practical solutions to implement a new prevention culture at the various work situations in mining and to promote change in leadership and sustainable care to protect lives and health of all workers.
The Section on Prevention in the Construction Industry was founded in 1968 and is one of the fourteen International Sections on Prevention coordinated by the ISSA.
Our goal is to improve safety and health protection on construction sites worldwide with the help of our global network through international exchange.
The aim of the session is to demonstrate how the construction sector plays a central role in achieving the goal of a world without serious or fatal accidents at work and occupational diseases via the use of innovative solutions and the Vision Zero strategy.
The rapid digitalization of work processes is reshaping occupational safety, health, and security, introducing both transformative opportunities and unprecedented challenges. As industries embrace automation, connectivity, and immersive technologies, it is essential to understand the evolving risks and best practices necessary to ensure a safe and resilient workplace.
The integration of digital tools has the potential to enhance worker safety, improve well-being, and foster more flexible, inclusive work environments. From intelligent safety technologies to AI-driven avatars and human-machine interfaces, innovative solutions are redefining training, risk assessment, and hazard prevention. Immersive technologies such as Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Extended Reality (XR) are revolutionizing safety training, allowing workers to engage with high-risk scenarios in controlled, simulated environments. These cutting-edge advancements enable organizations to proactively identify and mitigate risks before they manifest in real-world settings.
However, alongside these advancements, new challenges emerge. Digitalization is accelerating work intensification, increasing screen exposure, and altering social interactions in the workplace. Furthermore, as industries become more interconnected, cybersecurity threats pose an increasing risk to operational safety. Industrial systems are now prime targets for cyberattacks, with the potential for significant financial losses, data breaches, and even physical harm to workers. Understanding and addressing these vulnerabilities is crucial to ensuring the integrity of digital safety infrastructures.
This session will explore the intersection of digital transformation and occupational safety, providing insights into how businesses can leverage technology while managing associated risks. Attendees will gain practical knowledge from real-world applications of digital safety tools, witness a live demonstration of a cyberattack on a model factory, and engage in discussions on the future of workplace safety in an era of digital innovation. The session will conclude with a roundtable discussion, allowing experts and participants to explore collaborative solutions for integrating digital technologies into workplace safety strategies while mitigating emerging threats.
Join us for this engaging conversation on the future of safety in the digital age and discover how technology is shaping a more secure, intelligent, and resilient workplace.
Healthcare professionals are the backbone of our healthcare system, working tirelessly to care for patients in hospitals and long-term care facilities. As the demand for specialised care increases and the healthcare landscape becomes more complex, these professionals face critical challenges.
Additionally, the lack of healthcare workers is becoming a pressing issue in many parts of the world, including Japan and several countries in the European Union, where aging populations and rising care needs have intensified the demand for healthcare professionals.
These current challenges aggravate the fact that healthcare workers are exposed to significant risks in their profession, particularly in the areas of infections, musculoskeletal injuries, and high levels of mental stress. The pressure on healthcare workers is increasing and it's vital that we create safer, healthier workplaces to protect those who provide essential care.
This session headed by the ISSA Section for Occupational Risks in Health Services pinpoints stressors and provides practical tips on how to adjust prevention strategies.
This session explores how artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies are transforming occupational safety and health (OSH), with a focus on predictive prevention and worker well-being. Drawing from the experience of the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA), it highlights the development of AI-driven models that identify high-risk workplaces, detect early signs of health deterioration, and propose environmental improvements—particularly for small-scale enterprises. These advances are underpinned by big data but raise important issues around privacy, data quality, and ethics, calling for robust governance and interdisciplinary collaboration.
In parallel, the session examines how digital technologies—from smart wearables to algorithmic systems—are reshaping psychosocial risks at work. Constant connectivity, surveillance, and algorithmic management are intensifying mental stress, especially among platform and informal workers.
However, technology also offers new tools: predictive models for burnout, conversational AI for emotional support, and self-assessment tools for early psychosocial intervention. By integrating flexible, human-centred design and digital safeguards into daily work processes, organizations can ensure that innovation supports inclusion, resilience, and Decent Work—especially in the Global South.
The session advocates a balanced approach that aligns policy, leadership, and technology to harness the promise of the digital wave while safeguarding worker dignity and health.
Saudi Vision 2030 is a transformative roadmap to diversify the economy, enhance quality of life, and empower Saudi talent.
The energy sector—being the backbone of the Kingdom’s economy—must lead this transformation by integrating workplace wellbeing as a strategic priority, ensuring a resilient, innovative, and future-ready workforce.
This roundtable with will reflect about the future of OSH, from the perspective of large companies and leading occupational accident insurance companies from Latin America.
Senior managers will analyse and discuss policies, programmes and new approaches involving artificial intelligence and the extensive use of data analysis in OSH.
This session explores the latest advancements in Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) technologies that are transforming workplace safety standards worldwide.
As industries evolve, new tools and systems—such as wearable devices, AI-driven monitoring, and IoT integration—are helping to prevent accidents, enhance hazard detection, and support safer work environments.
This session delves into the cutting-edge innovations reshaping OSH practices, ensuring that future workplaces prioritize both productivity and the well-being of employees.
Due to global warming, workers all around the world are increasingly exposed to heat stress hazards. The session aims to share some system- wise monitoring and intervention alternatives as well as to tell a story on how to cherry-pick the optimal PPEs for heat stroke prevention.
CCVDs (cardiovascular/ cerebrovascular diseases) and MSDs are among the top health problem facing world-wide employees. This session also brings about some latest solutions in this area, including:
Ensuring safety and health of workers is a substantial element of work. Vision Zero, that serves as the basis for accident prevention and health promotion activities at work, was established based on several important principles. Among them, the philosophy recognizes that humans make mistakes. Even so Vision Zero insists that mistakes must never cost lives (Ehnes, Vision Zero -The Global Prevention Strategy for Life, ISSA 2019) and certainly not derangement from returning to work.
Therefore, it is important for health providers or social security to enable smooth medical treatment, disability management and rehabilitation. The flow of treatment and rehabilitation does not naturally occur, in fact requires a proactive and planned disability management process.
The session aims to highlight this important aspect of occupational safety and health, where systematic disability management may overcome an unwanted outcome following a workplace injury. The speakers will share their experience in managing and enhancing return to work programs, disability management and rehabilitation for injured workers.
