A worker has an occupational accident every 15 seconds across the world

Cyprus International University (CIU) Faculty of Health Sciences Vice Dean Assist. Prof. Dr. Cem Dikmen, speaking within the scope of 28th April, World Occupational Health and Safety Day stated, "According to the data released by the International Labor Organization (ILO), every 15 seconds, 160 workers in the world have an occupational accident. In addition to this, each year more than two million people die due to work-related reasons”.

Pointing out the necessity of establishing a healthy and safe working environment, while protecting employees against risks and ensuring the continuity of production, Assist. Prof. Dr. Dikmen also went on to emphasize the necessity of taking necessary precautions with relation to factors that may harm the health of the employees, by determining them in advance.

Noting that the issue of occupational health and safety is one of the most important problems across the world, Dikmen stated that Occupational Health and Safety Day has been celebrated each year on 28th April since 2003, with the decision taken by the ILO to prevent occupational diseases and occupational accidents, in an effort to draw attention to the importance of this matter.

Explaining that the numbers are revealing as to the great scale of the problem, Assist. Prof. Dr. Dikmen reminded that this related day is an awareness campaign in relation to developing a health and safety culture, to reduce occupational deaths and injuries.

Reminding that the occupational health and safety legislation in the TRNC was passed by the Assembly of the Republic in 2008, Dikmen stated that the actual implementation began in 2012.

Stating that from associate degree to doctorate programs, CIU provides education in this field to students from the TRNC and other countries, Assist. Prof. Dr. Dikmen concluded, “As humanity as a whole, we must aim to provide safer working environments and a healthier future for the future generations, with the lessons obtained from the past, especially from the Covid-19 environment we find ourselves in”.