Historic manifesto for global industrial safety launched

Developed in collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Lloyd’s Register Foundation, the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (GMIS), and the Cambridge Industrial Innovation Policy (CIIP), the Manifesto marks a significant step towards addressing emerging and long-standing safety risks affecting workers across the world.

Annually, about three million global deaths are attributed to inadequate safety measures and hazardous work environments accounting for a loss of 3.9% of global GDP, according to International Labour Organizations. Advanced technologies including the Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, and Advanced Robotics are becoming integral to industrial processes, giving rise to intelligent factories and dynamic supply chains. While these innovations enhance workplace safety, they also present new health risks to workers. The Manifesto for Global Industrial Safety provides a strategic blueprint for stakeholders to harness technology and effectively tackle safety risks for workers across the world.

The Manifesto outlines five guiding principles and vital contributions required from industry, government, academia, regulators, and international organisations to accelerate the safe adoption of technology in new industrial processes and to integrate technology-enabled safety solutions in traditional industries. The GIFIS Manifesto’s principles are designed to uphold safe industrial working conditions as a fundamental human right, ensure safety considerations are central to all technology-related decisions, enhance cross-sector collaboration to advance technology-enabled safety solutions, and share, monitor, and promote safety lessons across industries. The Manifesto also underscores the need to support safety improvements in developing countries that are disproportionately affected by occupational accidents, advocating for a unified effort to address the unique challenges faced by these regions and the informal economy, such as women and migrant industrial workers.

Ciyong Zou, deputy to the director general and managing director of the directorate of technical Cooperation and sustainable industrial development at UNIDO said, “Advanced technologies are reshaping industries at an unprecedented pace, introducing both innovative solutions and new challenges to industrial safety. The GIFIS Manifesto for Global Industrial Safety provides a unified approach to address complex safety challenges, signifying a critical first step toward a safe and more secure industrial future. The industrial sector, governments, academia, regulators, and international organisations are encouraged to act upon industrial safety regulations that are very much needed for transformative and sustainable industrial development.”

David Reid, director of global advocacy and partnership campaigns at Lloyd’s Register Foundation added, “Emerging technologies such as big data, cloud computing, robotics, and 3D printing, are rapidly changing the industrial landscape. While they bring significant opportunities, they also pose new risks to the safety of workers, especially in the developing world. The GIFIS Manifesto serves as a beacon to ensure new technologies are adopted safely across industrial processes. We hope that governments, regulators, and business leaders will embrace the Manifesto, creating a safe, sustainable future for all.”

The launch of the Manifesto for Global Industrial Safety is an important moment in the collective pursuit of safer industrial environments across the world. It represents a unified call to action for all stakeholders to prioritise the well-being of workers and ensure that technological advancement goes hand in hand with safety and sustainability. Organisations have the opportunity to showcase their commitment to industrial safety, share insights and best practices that inform policy, and collaborate on initiatives that can drive meaningful change.

Several key organisations have contributed to the development of the Manifesto, including the International Labour Organization (ILO), the National Safety Council, Cranfield University, Safetytech Accelerator Limited, the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), the British Standards Institution (BSI), and various private-sector organisations from a range of industrial sectors across the world.

Namir Hourani, managing director of the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit said, “The Manifesto published by the Global Initiative for Industrial Safety (GIFIS) is more than just a set of guiding principles for the industrial sector; it is a call to action to address longstanding industrial safety challenges through innovative and collaborative efforts, which we hope will catalyse change in industrial standards and best practices across the world, ensuring that industries prioritise the safety and well-being of every single worker. With key partners like the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, Lloyd’s Register Foundation, and the University of Cambridge Industrial Innovation Policy unit, we aim to spread global awareness around the importance of industrial safety and save as many lives as possible.”

The Manifesto marks the first major milestone of the Global Initiative for Industrial Safety (GIFIS), launched as a key outcome of the 2021 edition of the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit, a high-profile event that convenes world leaders to promote Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development and advance global good.

The Manifesto for Global Industrial Safety is available for download at www.industrialsafetyinitiative.com/storage/GIFISManifesto2024.pdf