Occupational safety and health at work are vital components of decent work. The physical conditions and mental demands of the workplace determine to a great extent workers’ conditions. Occupational accidents have a significant human, social and economic cost, which we should thrive to eliminate by ensuring that all workplaces are safe.

Statistics on occupational injuries are essential to assess the extent to which workers are protected from work-related hazards and risks. In this regard, indicators on occupational injuries are complementary to those on labour inspection, given that labour inspection is one of the main mechanisms to monitor occupational safety. Labour inspection statistics play an important role in the development of national policies, systems, programmes and strategies for labour inspection. Labour inspection statistics allow governments to observe trends in labour markets and to better analyse compliance issues.