Towards a Paradigm Shift for Prevention

The world of work is changing rapidly due to megatrends such as globalisation, population ageing, digitalisation, climate change and lately the pandemic. These developments bring about both new risks and new opportunities for workplace safety, health and well-being.

My presentation will summarise the results of an international discussion about the 'Great Reset’ highlighting the important potential of prevention to contribute to a world where people and the planet come first. However, to unlock this potential four key areas for innovation need to be addressed: a new prevention mind-set based on Vision Zero and the SDGs for 2030; motivation of management to promote a healthy and sustainable business culture; digitalisation in the service of prevention and new concepts to measure a prevention culture.

The final part of the presentation will argue in favour of a paradigm-shift for prevention in view of

• high-level interest in prevention as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic,
• international consensus reached as regards Vision Zero as a global OSH-strategy,
• last year’s International Labour Conference (ILC) resolution about safety and health at a new basic principle and right at work,
• importance of a company’s OSH-performance for management, investors and clients