In the world there are 3 million deaths per year due to work-related illnesses or accidents.

Workplace accidents and work-related illnesses cause the death of some three million people each year and injuries to another 395 million, a report from the International Labor Organization (ILO) indicated today.

The study, published to coincide with the XXIII World Congress on Safety and Work that opens in Sydney (Australia), indicates that the majority of annual deaths (about 2.6 million) are caused by work-related illnesses, while workplace accidents cause about 330,000.

Work-related deaths caused by cardiovascular diseases represent 32.3% of the total, while malignant neoplasms (tumors) cause 27.5% of these deaths, respiratory ailments 14.2% and injuries in work accidents 11.2%.

The study also shows the main occupational risks that can lead to work-related deaths, the greatest being exposure to long hours ( more than 55 hours per week), which is estimated to have contributed to 744,000 deaths in 2016.

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The study indicates that occupational mortality is much higher in men (108.3 cases per 100,000 workers) than in women (48.4 cases), and indicates that 63% of these deaths are concentrated in the Asia-Pacific region, also the region with the largest active population in the world.

In order to stop these trends, the ILO has adopted the new Global Strategy of Safety and Health at Work for the period 2024-2030, with the objective of “promote, respect and progressively realize the fundamental right to a safe and healthy work environment,”, the organization highlighted in a statement .

The strategy rests on three pillars: improving national occupational health and safety frameworks, strengthening coordination, partnership and investment in this area, and optimizing management systems in workplaces, better adapting them to the specific risks of each occupation.

Job stress

According to the CDC, the nature of work is changing with the rapidity of a whirlwind. Perhaps now more than ever, stress caused by work represents a threat to the health of workers and, as a consequence, to the health of organizations.

Work stress can be defined as the harmful physical and emotional reactions that occur when the demands of the job do not match the worker's abilities, resources, or needs. Work stress can lead to poor health and even injury.

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The concept of work stress is often confused with the challenge, but these concepts are not the same. The challenge invigorates us psychologically and physically, and motivates us to learn new skills and master our jobs.

However, the brain's reaction is to prepare the body for defensive action. The nervous system awakens and hormones are released to sharpen the senses, quicken the pulse, deepen breathing, and tense muscles.

Short-lived or infrequent episodes of stress pose little risk. But when stressful situations remain unresolved, the body is left in a constant state of activation, which increases the rate of wear and tear on biological systems. Ultimately, fatigue or damage results, and the body's ability to fix itself and defend itself can be seriously compromised. As a result, the risk of injury or illness increases.