Almost three million workers die every year due to work-related accidents and diseases – an increase of more than 5% compared to 2015, according to new estimates by the International Labour Organisation. The toll underscores the persistent challenges in safeguarding the health and safety of workers, globally. 

 Most of these work-related fatalities, totalling 2.6 million, stem from work-related diseases. Accidents account for an additional 330,000 deaths, according to the analysis.  

Circulatory diseases, malignant neoplasms and respiratory diseases rank among the top three causes of work-related death. Together, these categories contribute more than three-quarters of total work-related mortality. 

More men die from work-related incidents (51.4 per 100,000 working-age adults) compared to women (17.2 per 100,000), according to ILO estimates. The Asia Pacific region has the highest work-related mortality (63% of the global total) because of the size of the region’s workforce. 
 
Agriculture, construction and forestry, along with fishing and manufacturing are the most hazardous sectors, accounting for 200,000 fatalities per year, representing approximately 60% of all fatal occupational injuries. In particular, one-in-three fatal occupational injuries worldwide occur among agricultural workers, the data showed. 

To improve global work environments, the ILO has introduced a new plan, the ‘Global Strategy on Occupational Safety and Health for 2024-2030’.  

“The goal is to prioritise the well-being of workers in line with the ILO's dedication to social justice and the promotion of decent work worldwide,” the ILO stated. 

The strategy encourages ILO members to act on three pillars. The first is to improve national occupational safety and health (OSH) frameworks by enhancing governance, promoting reliable data and building competency. The second is to strengthen coordination, partnerships and investment in OSH at national and global levels. The third is to enhance workplace OSH management systems by promoting ILO-OSH 2001 principles, developing gender-transformative guidance, as well as tailoring that guidance to specific hazards, risks, sectors and occupations.