International Day
For occupational safety and health
“The wise man's mistake
counts tenfold”
Alarming Statistics
billion
workers worldwide
%
of the global workforce is affected annually
million
deaths occur
annually
thousand
fatalities occur
daily
million
workers incur work-related injuries or illnesses annually
million
injuries occur
every day
Areas of Risk
Long working hours
The leading cause of occupational fatalities worldwide
Pollutants
(dust, gases, fumes)
A major threat to workers' health
Excessive heat annually
led to 22 million
injuries and
nearly
19 thousand fatalities
Air pollution
led to 860
field worker fatalities annually
Global Projects
Catastrophic Outcomes
- Suez Canal (Egypt, 1859)
120,000
worker fatalities out
of 1.5 million
- Panama Canal Construction (Panama, 1881)
5,609
worker fatalities out of
56 thousand
- Courrières Mine (France, 1906)
1,099
fatalities due to multiple
explosions
- Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster (Soviet Union, 1986)
30
immediate deaths and over 5 thousand
cases of thyroid cancer
- Piper Alpha (United Kingdom, 1988)
167
worker fatalities in an explosion
caused by a gas leak
- Deepwater Horizon (USA, 2010)
11
worker fatalities and an oil spill in the
Gulf of Mexico
- Rana Plaza Building Collapse (Bangladesh, 2013)
1,134
worker deaths
A Series of Terrifying
Health Conditions
Post-Traumatic
Stress Disorder (PTSD)
%30-40 of disaster victims develop mental illnesses—primarily PTSD
Respiratory Diseases
Respiratory conditions may develop due to acute inhalation of high concentrations of toxic gases or fumes, leading to direct injury to the respiratory tract tissues.
Acute Radiation Syndrome (ARS)
Radiation sickness is a serious and potentially fatal condition, though rare. Most cases of radiation sickness have occurred following industrial nuclear accidents.
Radiation-related thyroid cancer
This condition can develop following significant nuclear incidents, primarily due to the absorption of radioactive isotopes released into the environment, as seen in the Chernobyl disaster.
Saudi Arabia
On the Path to Safety
%72.6 compliance rate of establishments with occupational safety and health standards
0.94 deaths per 100,000 workers
%17.4 decrease compared to 2023
242.2 work-related injuries per 100,000 workers
%18.8 decrease compared to 2023
29,319 Saudi nationals are employed in the sector
71 % of workers are aware of workplace hazards
35+ awareness programs and campaigns have been launched since the establishment of the council in 2022
Expanding Safety
Horizons
The National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (NCOSH) was established in 2022 to serve as the national authority for sector governance
- Establishing governance of occupational safety and health at the national level
- Developing legislations and regulations
- Human capital development and capacity building
- Raising awareness among target groups
- Enhancing oversight and ensuring compliance across establishments
Raising awareness
to new heights
Conference on Occupational Safety and Health
May 4th – 6th, 2025
