Do you feel safe at your workplace?

Do you feel safe at your workplace? (Photo: iStock)

Major disasters in work environments aren't unheard of in our part of the world. Buildings have collapsed, ferries have sunk and umpteenth fires have all made horrid headlines at some point. Is it bad luck, negligence or purely an act of God that such disasters keep recurring?

It has long been recognised that workplaces are fraught with all sorts of risks to health. In fact, the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the WHO have shared a common definition of occupational health since 1950. And in 1998, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) created guidelines on Environment, Health and Safety with regulatory codes that promote the health of employees in organisations and corporates.