The ILO’s Normative Framework for OSH

Putting OSH into context

The International Labour Organization (ILO) was established in 1919 as part of the Treaty of Versailles following World War I, driven by diplomats, labour activists, and politicians from several nations.  It was created out of the belief that universal and lasting peace could only be accomplished if based on social justice, primarily to improve working conditions worldwide.

The ILO comes under the umbrella of the United Nations and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.  It brings together representatives of governments, employers, and workers from 187 member states to set labour standards and promote decent work.

The safety and health at work section of their website states that:

• 2.93 million workers die each year as a result of work-related factors.
• 395 million workers worldwide sustain a non-fatal work injury each year.
• 2.41 billion workers are exposed to excessive heat each year.
• $361 billion could be saved globally by implementing improved safety and health measures to prevent injuries from excessive heat in the workplace.

Two fundamental Conventions

The bedrock of the ILO's OSH normative architecture¹ are two fundamental Conventions:

• Convention No. 155 (Occupational Safety and Health, 1981) and 
• Convention No. 187 (Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health, 2006).

These conventions embed a safe and healthy working environment as the fifth category of fundamental principles and rights at work². All ILO member states have an obligation to respect, promote and realise these principles in good faith. 

The Global Strategy 2024–30

Through its Global Strategy on Occupational Safety and Health 2024–30, the ILO supports action to: 

• strengthen national systems, 
• improve workplace practices, and 
• respond to both longstanding and emerging risks, including those linked to climate change, new technologies, and changing forms of work. 

Technical guidelines and codes of practice are also being developed or updated, furthering their harmonisation and consistency with international labour standards.  EU states have seen similar harmonisations on a smaller geographical scale.

The most significant recent normative development came in June 2025.  The International Labour Conference (ILC) is the annual, supreme legislative body of the ILO.  The ILC adopted Convention No. 192, the first-ever international labour standard specifically addressing 

biological hazards

in the workplace.  This groundbreaking convention aims to equip countries and employers with the tools to protect workers from infectious agents - a threat underscored by the COVID-19 pandemic.  Convention No. 192 calls on member states to establish national OSH policies that include biological hazard prevention. 

Chemical Hazards Consolidation

New standards are being developed or revised to complement the existing normative framework. These include new standards on biological, chemical and ergonomic hazards, and the safeguarding of machinery.

The ILO has prepared a White Report (a preliminary, technical document) on 

chemical hazards

. This is one of the major normative exercises currently underway, aimed at rationalising the ILO's various older chemical-related instruments into a more coherent and up-to-date framework. 

Addressing the “gig” economy

In June 2026, government, employer, and worker representatives from all 187 ILO member states will gather at the International Labour Conference to discuss world-of-work issues including decent work in the 

platform economy

(i.e. economic and social activities facilitated by digital platforms, such as Amazon, Uber, Airbnb, etc.), a transformative agenda for gender equality at work, and social dialogue and tripartism. 

In summary, 2026 is a particularly active year normatively: the ILO is carrying forward a newly adopted biological hazards convention, pursuing a major consolidation of chemical instruments, and is poised to adopt the first global standard on platform work — all within the overarching architecture of the Global Strategy 2024–30 and the two fundamental OSH Conventions. 

How Arinite helps

Arinite provides its clients with Health and Safety for Directors and Managers Training to help your leadership team understand, and act on, their responsibilities.