How many people are killed or injured at work?

The ILO estimates approximately 2 million work-related deaths per year — about 5,500 per day — and 374 million non-fatal work-related injuries and illnesses. Crucially, 86% of work-related deaths are from occupational diseases (cardiovascular, respiratory, cancer) rather than traumatic accidents. The economic cost is estimated at 4% of global GDP — over $2.8 trillion annually.

What are the most dangerous industries?

Agriculture, construction and mining consistently record the highest rates of fatal and serious occupational injuries. Agriculture alone employs about 1.3 billion people, including many children, exposed to pesticides, machinery, heat stress and musculoskeletal injury. Construction workers face falls, electrocution and collapsing structures. Miners face dust diseases, explosions and collapse. Healthcare workers face biological hazards, needlestick injuries, violence and now pandemic-related risks.

What is silicosis and why is it still common?

Silicosis is a potentially fatal occupational lung disease caused by inhaling crystalline silica dust — found in mining, quarrying, construction (cutting concrete, sandblasting), ceramics and foundry work. It causes irreversible lung scarring (fibrosis) that progresses even after exposure ends. An estimated 40 million workers worldwide are exposed to silica at dangerous levels, and hundreds of thousands develop silicosis each year. It is entirely preventable with engineering controls and respiratory protection — but remains common because enforcement is weak, particularly in LMICs.

What is the WHO-ILO Joint Burden of Work-related Disease?

The WHO-ILO Joint Estimates of the Work-Related Burden of Disease and Injury (2021) is the most comprehensive global assessment of occupational health burden ever conducted. It estimated that long working hours (>55 hours/week) was the single largest occupational risk factor, causing 745,000 deaths per year from ischaemic heart disease and stroke. Particulate matter, gases and fumes were the second most important factor (450,000 deaths). The estimates highlighted occupational health as a vastly underappreciated public health priority.

What protections do informal workers have?

Informal workers — those outside formal employment contracts, labour law protections and social security systems — represent the majority of the workforce in LMICs. They have virtually no formal OSH protection: no medical surveillance, no workplace inspections, no compensation for occupational disease or injury. Agricultural smallholders, domestic workers, street vendors, construction day-labourers and gig economy workers all fall into this category. Extending OSH protections to informal workers is a major ILO and WHO policy priority.

What is work-related stress and how common is it?

Work-related psychosocial hazards — job insecurity, excessive workload, low control, poor support, workplace violence and harassment — cause significant psychological harm. Work-related stress is associated with depression, anxiety, cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal disorders and harmful substance use. WHO includes "burnout" in ICD-11 as an occupational phenomenon. Healthcare workers are at particularly high risk — a factor heavily studied since the COVID-19 pandemic.

What is the ILO Framework Convention on OSH (C187)?

ILO Convention C187 (Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health, 2006) is the most recent ILO OSH framework, calling for every ratifying member state to develop a national OSH policy, OSH system and OSH programme — in consultation with employers and workers. It complements C155 (Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981). Fewer than half of ILO member states have ratified C187, leaving significant portions of the global workforce without adequate national OSH frameworks.

How does asbestos cause disease?

Asbestos fibres — inhaled from asbestos-containing materials during construction, demolition, renovation or mining — cause three main diseases: asbestosis (progressive lung fibrosis); mesothelioma (a rare but highly lethal cancer of the pleura/peritoneum, almost exclusively caused by asbestos); and lung cancer. There is no safe level of asbestos exposure. WHO and ILO call for a global ban on all forms of asbestos; over 60 countries have banned it, but asbestos remains widely used in LMICs.

What is occupational cancer?

Approximately 5-8% of all cancers are attributed to occupational exposures — responsible for approximately 150,000 deaths per year. Leading occupational carcinogens include asbestos (mesothelioma, lung cancer), benzene (leukaemia), vinyl chloride (liver angiosarcoma), carcinogenic metals (arsenic, chromium VI, nickel compounds), diesel exhaust (lung cancer) and shiftwork (possibly breast cancer). The IARC classifies occupational carcinogens through its Monographs programme.

What is healthcare workers' occupational health?

Healthcare workers face a unique set of occupational hazards: biological risks (bloodborne pathogens, tuberculosis, COVID-19); chemical exposures (chemotherapy drugs, disinfectants, anaesthetic gases); physical hazards (radiation, musculoskeletal injury from patient handling); and psychosocial risks (burnout, moral distress, violence from patients or relatives). The COVID-19 pandemic brought global attention to healthcare worker OSH: over 180,000 healthcare workers died from COVID-19, and burnout rates among physicians and nurses reached crisis levels.

How does GMJ News cover occupational health?

GMJ News tracks ILO and WHO occupational health data releases, new silicosis and asbestos research, healthcare worker burnout and OSH policy developments. PHIG's accreditation work directly addresses occupational health and safety standards in Georgian healthcare settings, and the Georgian Medical Journal has published research on work-related health in Georgia.

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Occupational Safety and Health

Q: What are work-related musculoskeletal disorders?

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WR-MSDs) — including low back pain, repetitive strain injuries and carpal tunnel syndrome — are the most common occupational health problem globally, affecting over 470 million workers. They are caused by repetitive movements, awkward postures, heavy lifting, vibration and static postures. WR-MSDs are the leading cause of work-related disability and lost working days. Ergonomic workplace design, job rotation and workstation assessment are effective preventive measures.

GMJ News knowledge hub · last reviewed September 2026 · Georgian Medical Journal

Summary Statistics Glossary GMJ news FAQ Documents Organizations Research

The ILO estimates nearly 3 million work-related deaths every year, the great majority caused by occupational diseases rather than accidents — losses equal to almost 4% of global GDP. In 2022 the International Labour Conference elevated a safe and healthy working environment to a fundamental principle and right at work, making ILO Conventions No. 155 (Occupational Safety and Health, 1981) and No. 187 (Promotional Framework, 2006) fundamental Conventions, now advanced through the ILO Global Strategy on OSH 2024–2030 and the joint WHO/ILO estimates of the work-related burden of disease. GMJ News reports on occupational disease, workplace risk and labour inspection; see also the Georgian Medical Journal OSH Knowledge Hub for the standards library.

Key messages

Scale

Work-related diseases and injuries cause approximately 2 million deaths per year, with 374 million non-fatal work-related injuries and illnesses annually — representing 4% of global GDP in economic losses (ILO).

Most deaths are from disease, not injury

About 86% of work-related deaths are from occupational diseases (cardiovascular disease from workplace stress, carcinogens and physical hazards; respiratory diseases; cancers) rather than traumatic accidents.

ILO Conventions

The ILO Framework Convention on Occupational Safety and Health (C187, 2006) and Convention C155 (1981) provide the international legal architecture. Less than half of ILO member states have ratified C187 — a major governance gap.

Vulnerable groups

Agricultural workers, construction workers, miners, healthcare workers and domestic workers face the highest occupational risks. Informal workers — the majority of the workforce in LMICs — are almost entirely outside formal OSH protections.

WHO-ILO joint initiative

The WHO-ILO Joint Estimates of the Work-Related Burden of Disease and Injury, published in 2021, provided the most comprehensive global OSH burden assessment to date — a foundation for evidence-based policy.

Essential health services

WHO recommends that all workers have access to occupational health services: exposure assessment, medical surveillance, health promotion at work, and emergency response. Currently, fewer than 15% of workers globally have access to such services.

Key statistics

work-related deaths/year

ILO

374M

non-fatal work injuries/year

ILO

of global GDP in economic losses

ILO

86%

of work deaths from disease not injury

ILO/WHO 2021

<15%

of workers with occupational health services

WHO

400K

asbestos-related deaths/year globally

WHO/ILO

Work-related deaths by risk factor (thousands) globally — WHO-ILO Joint Estimates 2017

Source: WHO-ILO Joint Estimates of the Work-Related Burden of Disease and Injury. 2017 data, published 2021.

Glossary of key terms

Occupational disease
ILO/WHOA disease contracted primarily as a result of an exposure to risk factors arising from work activity. Distinguished from occupational injury (which results from an acute event). Leading occupational diseases include musculoskeletal disorders, noise-induced hearing loss, occupational asthma, pneumoconioses (dust diseases) and work-related cancers.

Occupational exposure limit (OEL)
WHO/ACGIHThe maximum concentration of a hazardous substance (chemical, dust, noise) to which workers may be exposed during working hours without adverse health effects. OELs are set by national authorities (e.g. OSHA PEL) and independent bodies (ACGIH TLVs); they vary internationally.

Pneumoconiosis
ILO/WHOA category of occupational lung diseases caused by inhalation of dust — including silicosis (silicon dioxide), coal workers' pneumoconiosis ("black lung") and asbestosis (asbestos fibres). All are irreversible and disabling. Silicosis remains the most prevalent occupational lung disease globally.

Work-related musculoskeletal disorder (WR-MSD)
ILO/WHOThe most prevalent category of occupational disease — affecting over 470 million workers globally. Caused by repetitive movements, awkward postures, heavy lifting, vibration and static work. Leading cause of work-related disability and lost productivity.

Burnout
WHO ICD-11An occupational phenomenon (not a medical condition) characterised by feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion, increased mental distance from one's job, and reduced professional efficacy. Included in the ICD-11 as an occupational phenomenon. Most prevalent in healthcare, education and social work.

ILO C187
ILOThe Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention (2006) — the ILO's most recent OSH framework convention, calling for a national OSH policy, system and programme in all ratifying member states. The global architecture for government OSH obligations.