Occupational safety and health literacy

Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) literacy is the degree to which individuals have the functional capacity to identify, process and use occupational safety and health (OSH) information, services and skills needed to protect people, property and the planet.[1]

Overview

OSH is the acronym for occupational safety and health. It is sometimes also referred to simply as health and safety (H&S), occupational health and safety (OHS) and workplace safety and health (WSH). In recent years the term has expanded to include environmental and quality assurance concepts. OSH is also referred to as occupational safety and health and environment (OSHE), safety, health and environment (SHE), environment, health and safety (EHS), Safety Health Environment and Quality (SHEQ), and by several other terms. However, OSH is the most established term and is used by many major national and international bodies working in the field of workplace safety and health such as OSHA and NIOSH (US), EU-OSHA (EU), ASEAN-OSHNET[2] (Asia), KOSHA[3] (South Korea) and IOSH (international).[4] The United Nations (UN),[5] Occupational Safety and Health | UN Global Compact,[6] International Labour Organization (ILO) Occupational safety and health[7] and World Health Organization (WHO),[8] also specifically use the term OSH when relating to workplace safety and health issues. The term is specifically used in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030[9] under SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth)[10] and is also closely tied to SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being).[11]

In the global Information Age, people use a system involving various shapes, colours, symbols, signals and specialized terminology to communicate information to prevent accidents.[12] This communication system has been standardized through the work of international organizations and national standards bodies, including the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), the United Nations' Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS), the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals, the United States' Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), and other international frameworks.[13][14][15][16][17] It is a common misconception that these safety and health signs are applicable only to occupational settings.


As with other "literacies", there are basic competencies that a person also needs to be classified as "literate" in that field. With OSH literacy these are knowledge, skills, behaviour and communication. Levels can be mapped to competency matrices from entry level to advanced.

Examples

Examples of OSH literacy can be found at home on everyday household products (cleaning chemicals, cosmetics, electrical appliances, food packaging, fuels, paints and pesticides), in public places (airports, shopping malls, sports and concert arenas, public roads, schools), and at work.[18][19] ISO Standard 7010:2019 prescribes safety signs for accident prevention, fire protection, health hazard information and emergency evacuation. It is applicable to all locations where safety issues related to people need to be addressed.[20] Safety signs, symbols, signals and terminology have become ubiquitous in daily life, yet most people have never been taught how to find, identify, evaluate or apply this essential information.

Effects of lack of OSH literacy and high-risk groups

The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that nearly 3 million people around the world die each year from work-related accidents or diseases; this corresponds to over 7,500 deaths every day. Worldwide, there are around 374 million occupational accidents and 160 million victims of work-related illnesses annually.[21] According to the World Health Organization (WHO), accidents are the leading cause of death and disability for young people aged 10–18 globally. Road traffic accidents, drowning, chemical poisoning, slips, trips and falls, electrocution, fires, burns and scalds are among the most significant causes.

Research shows that lack of safety and health education, poor communication and human factors are major causal elements in a large proportion of recorded accidents.[22] Particularly vulnerable groups include young workers,[23] older workers,[24] migrant workers,[25] persons with disabilities,[26] and people with low literacy or for whom English is a second language.[27]

In education

For many years, international organizations such as ENETOSH, OSHAfrica, EU-OSHA, OSHA, IOSH, the WHO and ILO have been advocating for safety and health to be mainstreamed into education.[28] These institutions highlight the lifelong socio-economic and health benefits that this can bring, and that it can act as a foundation for lifelong learning. It can be taught as a standalone subject or integrated into others. Whole-school approaches are also advocated.[29]

Research indicates that teaching OSH as a literacy increases understanding, engagement and compliance with OSH information and training. Teaching OSH literacy in classrooms also allows those who struggle with comprehension to be identified early, helping to prevent harm and improve safety outcomes.[30]

In June 2023, the International Organization for Standardization released Part One of its Plain Language Standard (ISO 24495-1:2023 – Plain language — Part 1: Governing principles and guidelines), providing cross-sector guidance for clear communication. In June 2022, the International Labour Conference added Safety and Health to its Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, requiring all ILO member states to promote safe and healthy working environments.[31]

References

  1. ↑ "ISO/IEC Guide 51:2014 – Safety aspects — Guidelines for their inclusion in standards". International Organization for Standardization. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  2. ↑ "OSH (OSHNET)". ASEAN-OSHNET. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
  3. ↑ "KOSHA". KOSHA. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
  4. ↑ Ehmann, Anna T.; Ög, Eylem; Rieger, Monika A.; Siegel, Achim (2021-09-22). "Work-Related Health Literacy: A Scoping Review to Clarify the Concept". International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 18 (19): 9945. doi:10.3390/ijerph18199945. ISSN 1661-7827. PMC 8507793. PMID 34639262.
  5. ↑ "Policy Portal". United Nations. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
  6. ↑ "Occupational Safety and Health". UN Global Compact. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
  7. ↑ "Occupational safety and health". International Labour Organization. 28 January 2024. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
  8. ↑ "WHO global strategy on health, environment and climate change: the transformation needed to improve lives and wellbeing sustainably through healthy environments" (PDF). World Health Organisation. hdl:10665/331959. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
  9. ↑ "THE 17 GOALS". United Nations - Sustainable Development. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
  10. ↑ "Goal 8". United Nations. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
  11. ↑ "Goal 3". United Nations. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
  12. ↑ "ISO 3864-1:2011 — Graphical symbols — Safety colours and safety signs — Part 1: Design principles for safety signs and safety markings". International Organization for Standardization. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  13. ↑ "Graphics and figures". International Electrotechnical Commission. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  14. ↑ "Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS, Rev. 10, 2023)". United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. 28 July 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  15. ↑ "Convention on Road Signs and Signals, of 8 November 1968". United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  16. ↑ "Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, 11th Edition with Revision 1". United States Department of Transportation. Federal Highway Administration. December 2025. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  17. ↑ "ANSI Z535 — Safety Collection". American National Standards Institute. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  18. ↑ "ISO/IEC Guide 41:2018(en)". ISO. Retrieved 2022-07-20.
  19. ↑ Nordin, Shahrina Md; Rizal, Ammar Redza Ahmad; Rashid, Rafidah Abd; Che Omar, Rohayu; Priyadi, Unggul (January 2021). "Incidents and Disaster Avoidance: The Role of Communication Management and the Organizational Communication Climate in High-Risk Environments". Sustainability. 13 (18) 10138. doi:10.3390/su131810138. ISSN 2071-1050.
  20. ↑ "ISO 7010:2011". ISO. Retrieved 2022-07-20.
  21. ↑ "World Statistic". ILO. 2011-07-13. Retrieved 2022-07-20.
  22. ↑ "Occupational Hazards in Organisations: A study on the Role of Communication in Stress Prevention".
  23. ↑ "Young Worker Safety and Health | NIOSH | CDC". CDC. 2022-04-15. Retrieved 2022-07-20.
  24. ↑ Peng, Lu; Chan, Alan H. S. (2019-02-01). "A meta-analysis of the relationship between ageing and occupational safety and health". Safety Science. 112: 162–172. doi:10.1016/j.ssci.2018.10.030. S2CID 116142338.
  25. ↑ "Protecting Migrant Workers" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-09-01. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  26. ↑ "Disabled Workers Experience Higher Rates of Occupational Injuries". EHS Today. Retrieved 2022-07-20.
  27. ↑ De Jesus-Rivas, Mayra; Conlon, Helen Acree; Burns, Candace (January 2016). "The Impact of Language and Culture Diversity in Occupational Safety". Workplace Health & Safety. 64 (1): 24–27. doi:10.1177/2165079915607872. PMID 26800895. S2CID 12476103.
  28. ↑ "Mainstreaming OSH into education | Safety and health at work EU-OSHA". EU-OSHA. Retrieved 2022-07-20.
  29. ↑ "Occupational safety and health and education: a whole-school approach". EU-OSHA. Retrieved 2022-07-20.
  30. ↑ "OSH Literacy – A life skill". OSHLiteracy.org. Retrieved 2022-07-20.
  31. ↑ "International Labour Conference adds safety and health to Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work". ILO. 2022-06-10. Retrieved 2022-07-20.
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