First industrial safety manifesto set to be unveiled

Launched as a partnership with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), Lloyd’s Register Foundation and the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (GMIS), in collaboration with Cambridge University’s Cambridge Industrial Innovation Policy (CIIP), Global Initiative for Industrial Safety (GIFIS) has brought together industry leaders from across the world to develop the first-ever Industrial Safety Manifesto, representing a multidisciplinary consensus on pioneering a safer world through the safe adoption of technology.

Set to be launched at the inaugural US edition of the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (GMIS America) on Sept.29, 2022, in the city of Pitsburgh, the Industrial Safety Manifesto offers a blueprint for industry, government, and civil society to solve the global industrial safety challenge.

The International Labour Organisation estimates that, globally, around three million deaths each year are directly atributed to inadequate safety measures and hazardous work environments, with — according to UNIDO — a loss of 3.9% of worldwide GDP.

In a collaboration between UNIDO, Lloyd’s Register Foundation, and the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit, the Industrial Safety Manifesto will set out guiding principles for the safe adoption of new technologies and the rapid deployment of technology-enabled safety solutions.

The Global Initiative for Industrial Safety hosted two virtual workshops with key industry stakeholders to identify and prioritise the principles underpinning the manifesto. The first workshop on Sept.6 was atended by more than 20 industry experts, predominantly from the private sector, while the second workshop on Sept.22 was hosted by UNIDO.

Bernardo Calzadilla-sarmiento, Director, Division of Fair Production, Sustainability Standards and Trade, UNIDO, said: “Industrial safety gaps can cause significant hazards, both on a human and financial level, and in the ever-changing landscape in which we operate, there is an essential need for the policy solutions proposed by the Industrial Safety Manifesto.”

“As industries adopt new technologies, new safety risks are emerging: robots interacting with humans can lead to new types of accidents; industrial processes connected to the internet are more vulnerable to cyber-atacks; and continuous worker supervision can lead to negative stress-related health impacts. However, while technology involves new challenges, it is also enabling new solutions. We hope to be able to harness these in realising a vision of a safer world enabled by technology.”