UN tells firms to enact safety measures

As some countries begin to ease their lockdown restrictions, governments and employers must prepare workplaces and ensure people can return safely to prevent a resurgence of COVID-19, the UN said Tuesday.

In a new study, the International Labour Organization (ILO) stressed the importance of ensuring that workplaces meet strict occupational safety and health criteria before allowing people to return to their jobs, in order to minimize their exposure to the coronavirus.

“Without such controls, countries face the very real risk of a resurgence of the virus,” the UN agency said.

The ILO’s report comes as a number of European countries are beginning to gingerly scale back lockdown measures amid fears that a second COVID-19 wave could be looming.

The report stressed that by putting in place a range of measures, employers can minimize the risk of a second wave of contagion contracted at the workplace.

“The safety and health of our entire workforce is paramount,” ILO chief Guy Ryder said in the statement.

“In the face of an infectious disease outbreak, how we protect our workers now clearly dictates how safe our communities are, and how resilient our businesses will be, as this pandemic evolves,” he stressed.

“It is only by implementing occupational safety and health measures that we can protect the lives of workers, their families and the larger communities, ensure work continuity and economic survival.”

The pandemic, which has killed more than 211,000 people worldwide and infected more than 3 million, has taken a devastating toll on economies and businesses around the globe.