When we talk about occupational safety and health, the focus is still too often on formal workplaces: those with contracts, clear employer–employee relationships and established regulatory oversight. Yet globally, the reality of work looks very different. Around 60% of global employment is in the informal economy, often without basic protections, consistent income or access to occupational safety and health support. That gap should concern all of us working to prevent harm.

IOSH’s recent report on the informal economy, published with RAND Europe, seeks to address this imbalance by shining a light on risks that are routinely overlooked or which are often hard to manage from a distance. Informal workers, including street vendors, informal agriculture workers and domestic family carers, are exposed to many of the same hazards as those in formal employment – and often to greater extent – but without the systems, resources or enforcement mechanisms designed to control them. Falls from height, exposure to hazardous substances, extreme heat and unsafe machinery are common features of informal work, compounded by job insecurity, long hours and limited bargaining power.

These themes were brought to life at a joint IOSH and Lloyd’s Register Foundation round table held in London on 5 May, which I had the opportunity to contribute to. Experts from across policy, research and practice gathered to discuss what the evidence is telling us, where progress is being made and, just as importantly, where it is stalling. One clear message from the discussion was that while innovative approaches do exist, they are often fragmented, localised and insufficiently scaled.

There is no shortage of commitment among those working in this space. NGOs, trade unions, community organisations and some regulators are developing creative interventions that reflect the realities of informal work. However, these efforts frequently operate in isolation, with limited coordination or shared learning. As a result, promising interventions struggle to travel, adapt or endure.

Another challenge identified in both the report and the round-table discussion is the damaging myth of a “one-size-fits-all” solution. Informal work takes many forms, shaped by geography, culture, gender, migration status and economic necessity. What works for street vendors in one context may be entirely unsuitable for agricultural workers or domestic labourers in another. Effective prevention must be grounded in local realities, while still guided by universal principles of decent, safe and healthy work.

The growing impact of the climate crisis adds further urgency. Informal workers are often on the frontline of extreme heat, flooding and environmental degradation, yet least equipped to manage these risks. Without targeted action, climate change will deepen existing inequalities and further entrench unsafe conditions.

For the occupational safety and health profession, this presents both a challenge and an opportunity. The challenge is to rethink traditional assumptions about who OSH is for and how it is delivered. The opportunity lies in applying our expertise in risk prevention, systems thinking and worker engagement to contexts where it is desperately needed.

Progress will require better collaboration across sectors, disciplines and borders. It will also require investment in research to strengthen the evidence base, particularly around what works, for whom and under what conditions. Above all, it will require a shift in mindset: from seeing informal work as an intractable problem to recognising it as a space where prevention is not only possible, but essential.

The informal economy cannot remain a blind spot. If occupational safety and health is to live up to its purpose, it must meet workers where they are – not only where regulation finds it easiest to look.

Dr Christopher Davis is thought leadership manager of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health. For more information, visit www.iosh.com