The Global Initiative for Industrial Safety (GIFIS) has launched a first-of-its-kind Manifesto for Global Industrial Safety through technology adoption.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) reported that annually, about three million industrial workers die globally as a result of occupational accidents.
The GIFIS Manifesto was developed in collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Lloyd’s Register Foundation, the Global Manufacturing and Industrialization Summit (GMIS), and the Cambridge Industrial Innovation Policy (CIIP).
In a statement, Mr. Ciyong Zou, Deputy to the Director General and Managing Director of the Directorate of Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Industrial Development, UNIDO, said that the Manifesto marks a significant step towards addressing emerging and long-standing safety risks affecting workers across the world.
The Manifesto for Global Industrial Safety provides a strategic blueprint for stakeholders to harness technology and effectively tackle safety risks for workers across the world.
He said : ” Advanced technologies are reshaping industries at an unprecedented pace, introducing both innovative solutions and new challenges to industrial safety.
The GIFIS Manifesto for Global Industrial Safety provides a unified approach to address complex safety challenges, signifying a critical first step toward a safe and more secure industrial future.
He urged the industrial sector, governments, regulators, and international organizations to act upon industrial safety regulations that are very much needed for transformative and sustainable industrial development.”
David Reid, Director of Global Advocacy and Partnership Campaigns, Lloyd’s Register Foundation, added: “Emerging technologies such as big data, cloud computing, robotics, and 3D printing, are rapidly changing the industrial landscape. While they bring significant opportunities, they also pose new risks to the safety of workers, especially in the developing world.
The GIFIS Manifesto serves as a beacon to ensure new technologies are adopted safely across industrial processes. We hope that governments, regulators, and business leaders will embrace the Manifesto, creating a safe, sustainable future for all.”
Mr. Carlos Lopez, Head of Unit at the Institute for Manufacturing’s Cambridge Industrial Innovation Policy (CIIP) group, added: “Cutting-edge technologies allow us to engineer more innovative products, intelligent factories, and adaptable supply chains.
These technologies also bring new opportunities to confront global industrial safety challenges. It is the perfect time for the Global Initiative for Industrial Safety to launch the manifesto and start a global movement to address emerging safety issues and leverage technology to find solutions.”
Mr. Carlos Lopez, Head of Unit at the Institute for Manufacturing’s Cambridge Industrial Innovation Policy (CIIP) group, added: “Cutting-edge technologies allow us to engineer more innovative products, intelligent factories, and adaptable supply chains. These technologies also bring new opportunities to confront global industrial safety challenges.
It is the perfect time for the Global Initiative for Industrial Safety to launch the manifesto and start a global movement to address emerging safety issues and leverage technology to find solutions.”
He disclosed that several key organizations have contributed to the development of the Manifesto, including the International Labour Organization (ILO), the National Safety Council, Cranfield University, Safetytech Accelerator Limited, the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), the British Standards Institution (BSI), and various private-sector organizations from a range of industrial sectors across the world.
Namir Hourani, Managing Director of the Global Manufacturing and Industrialization Summit, said: “The Manifesto published by the Global Initiative for Industrial Safety (GIFIS) is more than just a set of guiding principles for the industrial sector; it is a call to action to address longstanding industrial safety challenges through innovative and collaborative efforts, which we hope will catalyze change in industrial standards and best practices across the world, ensuring that industries prioritize the safety and well-being of every single worker.
With key partners like the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, Lloyd’s Register Foundation, and the University of Cambridge Industrial Innovation Policy unit, we aim to spread global awareness around the importance of industrial safety and save as many lives as possible.”