Speakers

Dr. Sameera Al-Tuwaijri

International Labour Organization
Director, International Program on Safety and Health at Work and the Environment (SAFEWORK)

“In the face of economic crisis, safe and healthy workplaces are more important than ever.”

Renate Hornung-Draus

Member of the International Labour Office (ILO) Governing Body and Director of European Union and International Social Policy, Confederation of German Employers (BDA), Berlin, Germany

Marina Schröder

Alternating Chairman of the Governing Committee of the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV), Berlin, Germany

“Safety and Health at Work is an essential Component in the Concept of Good Work”

Michele Patterson

President of the International Association of Labour Inspection (IALI) and Executive Director, SafeWork SA, Department of the Premier and Cabinet, South Australia

"Labour inspectorates are in a position to influence the development of safe, healthy, fair and productive working lives. IALI recognises that ethical practices and high professional standards are central to the ability of any labour inspectorate to provide the best possible services to the social partners and the wider community. As a catalyst for regional cooperation, a partner in decent work initiatives and a facilitator of good practice, IALI is working to assist labour inspectors everywhere in their pursuit of safe, healthy and decent working conditions for all." 

Hans-Horst Konkolewsky

Secretary General, International Social Security Association (ISSA),
Geneva, Switzerland

"The economic and financial crisis has prompted a major rethinking, as it has, hopefully, once and for all, demonstrated that social solidarity and social protection systems are indispensable for individuals, societies and economies. Social security plays an increasingly important role for the realisation of economic development and social progress, and has become a key driver for building a preventative safety and health culture, an aim that is enshrined in the Seoul Declaration." 

Armindo Silva

Acting Director for Social Dialogue, Social Rights, Working Conditions and Adaptation to Change, European Commission DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, Brussels, Belgium

"The world is living through a major economic and financial crisis that is already leaving behind a trail of increased unemployment and social exclusion. While the priority should be placed on helping people to keep or find a job, it is equally important to preserve high levels of quality in the workplace. Exiting from the crisis and avoiding a jobless recovery requires increased multilateralism, global governance and renewed efforts to ensure coherence between economic, environmental and social policies."

Dr.-Ing. Axel Stepken

CEO and President TÜV SÜD AG, Munich, Germany

"Investing in physically and mentally healthy employees as well as safe workplaces is an essential part of the commercial success of a company. This is why the focus must be placed on the human factor in particular if companies wish to do business in a way that saves resources as well as being efficient and socially responsible."

Assane Diop

Executive Director, Social Protection Sector, ILO Geneva, Switzerland

“This is an even more pressing need during the threatening economic times we are facing today. We strongly believe that investing in the well-being of workers is a wise venture for everyone.”

Wolfgang Heller

Director, International Labour Office (ILO), Office Berlin, Germany

“In times of a financial and economic crisis the commitment to OSH is a necessity.”

Michel Gisler

Vice-President IALI, Geneva, Switzerland

“Social cohesion and economic stability in the world depend on our capacity to make decent work a reality for everyone. It is a major challenge in a crisis and badly controlled globalization context which rather tends to worsen the situation of workers.”

Petra Ulshoefer

Regional Director, Europe and Central Asia, International Labour Office (ILO), Geneva, Switzerland

“Having a job in good and healthy conditions increases the quality of working life and contributes to higher productivity. Governments and social partners should develop integrated policies geared at reconciling work demands with family and private life. Growth recovery after the crisis is not enough unless it leads to generating good quality jobs. Investment in enterprise development and employability of workers should also address longer term goals and tackle inequalities in people’s access to Decent Work.”

Shi Yanping

Director, Department of International Cooperation, State Administration of Work Safety (SAWS), Beijing, P.R. China

“It is always valuable to share good practices with one another on promoting workplace safety and health!”

Sylvie Siffermann

Labour Director, Ministry of Labour, Departement L'Indre et Loire, Tours, France

“By analyzing barriers and the potential for bringing the health issue into the agenda of the management of complex organizational changes,there was one result, that the full process could be managed in a smoother way and the outcomes could be achieved more effectively, in case the health dimension was considered as a relevant issue from the beginning and if it was integrated into the social dialogue of the social actors.”

Dr. Amin Al-Wreidat

Chief Technical Adviser (CTA) of the Norwegian Project "Enhancing Labour
Inspection Effectiveness", ILO Office Beirut, Lebanon

“In spite of all efforts to promote working conditions and occupational safety and health standards in the garment sector, which is mostly subject to additional relevant standards imposed by the international buyers, millions of workers in this sector continue to suffer serious abusive and hazardous working conditions. A problem still waiting to be seriously addressed by all those concerned.”

Paul Weber

Director of the Labour Inspectorate Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg and
Secretary General IALI

First law of freedom: "A man can neither wound morally or physically another man, nor, by his inaction, allow that a man is wounded" ( I ROBOT - Isaac Asimov )

Playing working, as we went in former times to playing, we go for working, whithout stress, with the idea of amusing ourselves.

„It is possible to pull the world out from the hands of the crazy people“ (Patti Smith). The future is not written down. We have the obligation to take it in possession.

Bernd Treichel

ISSA, Geneva, Switzerland

“To live up to the full potential of prevention is not only an organisational, technical and individual challenge; it is also the responsibility of society as a whole and a basic requirement on our way towards a safe and healthy future”

Choi Dae-Yul

Director General for Training and Public Relations, Korean Occupational Safety and Health Agency, Korea

Olaf Petermann

Chair of the ISSA Special Commission on Prevention, Germany

“Every signature in favour of the Seoul Declaration is a major benefit for safety and health at work worldwide.”

Dr. Walter Eichendorf

Deputy Director General, German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV), Berlin, Germany

“The Seoul declaration was signed by the chairman of the board of DGUV and everybody at DGUV is strongly committed to ensure that it will become reality in Germany. Using its intensive international contacts DGUV supports every effort to strengthen national preventive cultures all around the world. One of the most important steps towards a preventive culture in any country is the Seoul declaration as a cornerstone for safety and health at work. For governments, social partners, OSH institutions and social security systems the Seoul declaration is the perfect base to define safety and health at work. (statement as speaker).”

Jorge Marín Rodríguez Díaz

Minister of Labour, Industry and Commerce in the Canary Island Government, Canary Islands, Spain

“The experience in divulgation of the labour risks prevention in the Canary Islands.”

Lothar Szych

Alternating Chairman of the Governing Committee of the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV), Berlin, Germany

“Young employees secure their own future and that of society - but only if they have safe and healthy workplaces. That's why the current financial and economic crisis is precisely the time to step up investment in prevention activities for young people entering the world of work.”

Dr. Ivan Ivanov

Scientist, Interventions for Healthy Environments in the Department of Public Health and Environment, World Health Organization, Switzerland

“WHO supports the Seoul Declaration as a tool for achieving global public health objectives in
the world of work”

Alexander Niemetz

Journalist and Media Consultant, Germany/Switzerland

Dr. Hans-Joachim Wolff

Chairman of the Governing Committee of the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV), Berlin, Germany

Dr. Ralf Steinberg

E.ON AG, Corporate Health and Safety Manager, Düsseldorf, Germany

“Corporations are requested to contribute regionally with their corporate knowledge wherever they do operate. Uniform corporate OSH standards will increase the role of companies acting as responsible organisations.”

Walter Cerfeda

Confederal Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation, Belgium

Kris de Meester

Chairman of Business Europe Health and Safety Represenative, Belgium

Maurice Dhooge

Senior Vice-President Health-Safety & Security Global Human Resources, Schneider Electric, Paris, France

“Schneider Electric choose ILO-OSH standard because it strongly emphasises the involvement of all Safety Stakeholders. A management system is a good way to capitalize on experience and achievements.....however the daily and direct involvement of managers is a key condition for continuous improvement: they must be the embodiment of their safety management system!”

Dr. Dulce P. Estrella-Gust

Consultant on Occupational Safety and Health, formerly Executive Director
of the Occupational Safety and Health Center of the Department of Labour and
Employment in the Philippines

“The Conference will raise OSH issues of general interest and highlight gaps with regards to policies and programs in the areas of prevention, enforcement and compensation for the purpose of improving OSH systems and programs.”

Maureen Shaw

International Advisor and formerly President and CEO of IAPA (Industrial Accident Prevention Association), Ontario, Canada

“Productive people equal productive organizations. When an individual suffers whether it be in their personal or professional lives, then their productivity suffers and as a result, so too can an organization’s productivity suffer. The most progressive organizations realize this. They know that health and safety isn’t a program, it’s a core business value. In fact, it’s a culture. Such organizations set their own high standards, often exceeding regulatory compliance. Doing so, is seen as part of operational excellence. Effective Management Systems will recognize that it’s the people who will make the system a culture - one that is effective or not.”

Bert Römer

IG Metall Management Board, Branch Office for Steel, Düsseldorf, Germany

“Workers' participation, strong unions and works councils are key for effectively implementing Occupational Safety and Health Standards.”

Michael Breidbach

Member of the Global Joint Health and Safety Committee of ArcelorMittal, Luxemburg

Roberto Ocon

Specialist in Occupational Safety and Health, SafeWork, International Labour Office (ILO), Geneva, Switzerland

Katrin Boege

Senior Expert, International Cooperation, Institute Work and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV), Dresden, Germany

“There is an implicit assumption that once a policy has been formulated the policy will be implemented. Putting the issue at the centre of this conference can contribute to foster the implementation of occupational safety and health standards globally.”

Dr. Jukka Takala

Director, European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, Bilbao, Spain

“Healthy Workplaces:
Good for You, Good for Business!”

Carlos Aníbal Rodriguez

Minister of Labour and Social Protection, Santa Fe, Argentina

“Improving working conditions and employee health through decent work. Within the framework of a tripartite strategic agreement, the province of Santa Fe in Argentina has taken on the responsibility for creating healthier and safer working conditions in a bid to protect employees’ lives and their mental and physical health. This is the primary objective of the Santa Fe “Decent Work” Agenda. The province is the second sub-national unit in the Americas to establish this instrument on the basis of social consultation and dialogue.”

Kasim Özer

Director General, General Directorate of Occupational Health and Safety, Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Ankara, Turkey

“Occupational Health and Safety trainings for shipyard workers.”

Herbert Mai

Member of the Executive Board of Fraport AG and Executive Director, Labour Relations, Germany

"Best practice examples show that prevention as well as good prevailing and working conditions are a strengthening force for companies as well as leading to higher levels of employee satisfaction. Further training both in professional and personal areas opens up opportunities for the individual and at the same time provides the prerequisites necessary for competitiveness and innovation. Professional and effective employee leadership is the focus of the paradigm shift required in corporate culture. Consistent and long-term investment in preventive activities is therefore of the essence, especially in these times of economic crisis, and provides long-term benefit for employees and companies. "

Pawel Rozowski

Deputy Director of the Department of Prevention and Promotion, Chief Labour Inspectorate, Poland

“Widely understood prevention in the area of labour protection means shaping safety culture to achieve high standards of work safety, not only by way of supervision but also by various forms of social communication and developing engagement of employers, employees and social partners in safety issues and labour protection.”

Gabriele Sommer

Managing Director TÜV SÜD Life Service GmbH, Munich, Germany

"Ensuring occupational safety and health demands the participation of all levels and divisions of a company. In addition, each and every employee must be addressed in such a way that the idea of occupational safety and health becomes anchored in their minds and any action taken has the intended impact. In this process, both psychological aspects and occupational safety and health marketing play a role."

Catherine Bråkenhielm Hansell

Coordinator, Occupational Safety and Health Team, International Labour Standards Department, International Labour Office (ILO), Geneva, Switzerland

“The core ILO Conventions on OSH contributes to the instauration of a dynamic, systemic approach to OSH. This approach is a vital framework for deveoping, globally, a preventative safety and health culture.”

Dr. Thomas Kohstall (Speaker)
and Dr. Annekatrin Wetzstein

Head of Organization and Finance Department
Head of Section Evaluation of Prevention Measures
Institute Work and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV)

“Campaigns serving as emphasis activities for targeted prevention activities in occupational safety and health gain increasingly in importance. This lecture illuminates the use of campaigns starting from the development of purposeful topics via the presentation of criteria for the implementationof successful campaigns through to the inspection of the effectiveness of campaigns. These remarks will then be completed by international examples of successful campaigns in the field of occupational safety and health.”

Dr. Bernd Brückner

Vice-President IALI, Deputy Director, Depatment for Health and Safety, Hessian Ministry for Labour, Familiy and Health, Wiesbaden, Germany

“Labour Inspection - The Advocate for Health and Decent Work, being challenged by new emerging risks and increasing precarious working conditions.”

Nils-Peter Wedege

IALI Advisor, Oslo, Norway

Maria-Luz Vega

Senior Labour Administration/ Inspection Specialist, Labour Administration
and Inspection Programme (LAB/ADMIN), ILO Geneva, Switzerland

“Today the basic pillars of an inspector's functions are the effective enforcement of legal provisions, providing advice to social actors with regard to the most efficient manner of enforcement, communicating deficiencies with regard to a number of worker employment and health conditions as well as presenting proposals to improve the existing legislation It is then clear that Labour inspection is at the core of existing effective labour laws and the a main administrative function for governance.”

Kevin Myers

Vice-President IALI, Deputy Chief Executive, Health and Safety Executive, Merseyside, United Kingdom

“IALI/ILO share a common view that effective management and control of of health and safety risks is a fundamental and integral part of a successful business. The economic downturn in fact reinforces the importance of this sentiment, but in difficult times not all businesses may see this. Thus a key goal of labour inspection is to encourage strong leadership in business, to champion the importance of, and a common-sense approach to, health and safety in the workplace; and to drive the achievement of good performance, for the benefit of the business as well as its employees and society.We also need to put the assessment of such leadership at the heart of inspection and regulation. Some recent experiences of work with the major hazard industries have shown how such leadership can be effectively mobilised.”

Erika Hui

Deputy Commissioner (Occupational Safety and Health) Labour Department, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region Government, Hong Kong, China

“Legislation at best prescribes the minimum standards which should be observed to ensure a safe environment for our working population. Our ultimate goal is self-regulation by employers and employees to achieve sustained improvements in safety standards through the adoption of safety management systems.”

Yuri Gertsiy

Director General of the Federal Service on Labour and Employment (Rostrud) and State Labour Inspector General of Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia

“Providing decent labour conditions in times of crisis is a guarantee of maintaining social balance among the workforce of an enterprise.”

Cecilia Mulindeti

Director, African Regional Labour Administration Centre (ARLAC), Harare, Zimbabwe

“The crisis is a wake up call for labour inspections to intensify efforts in promoting compliance with Occupational Safety and Health regulations beyond the formal structures to the mushrooming informal economy.The informal economy is forseen as the engine of the economy that provides current and future jobs.”

Junia Maria de Almeida Barreto

Director of the Department of Occupational Safety and Health, Labour Inspection Bureau, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Brazil

“Labour Inspection must define effective intervention strategies and make clear plans to face the challenge of promoting sustainable health and safe workplaces.”

Wolfgang von Richthofen

IALI Advisor, International Consultant, France

“Labour Inspection needs to make more determined effort to extend the full range of its services and the protection of the law to all categories of vulnerable workers.”

Paulo Morgado de Carvalho

Director General ACT, Lisbon, Portugal

“Labour Inspection has, according to ILO Conventions 81 and 129, a role in enforcement and prevention through information and control. Migrations are, within the trends of globalization, a reality all labour inspectors have to face in their daily routines. The Authority for Working Conditions has set as core principles the protection of immigrants rights at work and the fight against illegal work, for these are important elements in any adequate policy or strategie to reduce work related accidents. The presentation will share with participants information and inspection strategies dealing with these problems developed by the Portuguese Labour Inspection.”

Carmen Bueno

Chief Technical Advisor for the Project “Enhancing Labour Inspection Effectiveness”, International Labour Office (ILO), Office Budapest

“It is widely recognized that modern and efficient labour inspectorates have a vital role in the attainment of decent work.”

Dr. Giuseppe Casale

Director, Labour Administration and Inspection Programme (LAB/ADMIN)
ILO, Geneva, Switzerland

“ILO is convinced that an strength labour administration and inspection should be based on the main principles of governance-participation, transparency, credibility, responsibility and rule of law.Today labour administrations must find the means to redefine organization and intervention strategies to protect workers safety and health conditions so that they can better respond to expectations raised by globalized work and by the current financial and economic crisis”

Bettina Dolle

Programme Officer in the Unit Basic Policy Issues in the Field of OSH, Humanisation of Work, New Quality of Work Initiative, Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Berlin, Germany

“There is a chance to improve health and safety conditions in times of crisis. The quality of corporate culture is crucial for success.”

Dr. Janet Asherson

Adviser - Environment, Safety and Health, International Organization of Employers (IOE)

“Workplace safety and health is not a discretionary spend, it is an essential component of the management systems that keep businesses viable and people employed.

Now is not a time to distract businesses from their need to survive by having to field allegations that are all too easy for the critics to make and all too hard for business to spend time and scare resources in defending. This is a time for pulling together - not pulling apart.”

Siong Hin Ho

Commissioner for Workplace & Health, Divisional Director Occupational Safety and Health Ministry of Manpower, Singapore

“Raising workplace safety and health capabilities will enhance the business capacity to emerge out of the economic crisis faster and stronger.”

Seiji Machida

Coordinator Occupational Safety and Management Systems Cluster, International Programme on Safety and Health at Work (SafeWork), International Labour Office (ILO), Geneva, Switzerland

“Development of national OSH strategy and programme is essential for the systematic and effective improvement of safety and health at work. ILO Promotional Framework for OSH Convention and Recommendation facilitates national process in this connection. With national commitment for OSH and tripartite collaboration, all country could make substantial steps towards better working environment.”

Doan Minh Hoa

Director General, Bureau for Safe Work, Ministry of Labour Invalids and Social Affairs, Vietnam

“Ensuring the safety and health at work is the responsibility and duty of all levels and sectors, of each and every body in the society. Occupational safety and health is a socio ecnomic policy, to which the Party and State always pay due attention. This is meaningful in the context that Vietnam is pursuing to become an industrial country by 2020.”

Pedro Contador

Chile Advisor on Policy and OSH for the Secretary of Social Security in the MINLAB, Focal Point for the International Labour Office (ILO), DWCP for Chile

“La mejor forma para salir de la crisis económica mundial es aumentar la protección social. La seguridad y salud en el trabajo debe constituir la dimensión ética de la globalización de los procesos productivos”

Manal Azzi

Technical Occupational Safety and Health Officer, ILO SafeWork, Geneva, Switzerland

“Do not count the number of policies you have, count who is implementing them, and then ask why?”

Sayadi Fehmi

Labour Inspector and Member of the Executive Committee of the Tunisian Association of Labour Inspectors

“As a result of economic change and the impact of the global financial crisis, the labour inspectorates in the countries of the Maghreb (Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Mauritania) have repositioned themselves in terms of their relationship with the social partners. New problems have arisen above all with regard to working conditions, management of industrial relations and health and safety at the workplace. A new statutory framework facilitating a preventive approach has enabled inspection models in the Maghreb states to be adapted accordingly.”

Radovan Ristanovic

Director of the Labour Inspectorate of the Republic of Serbia and Chairperson of the Regional Alliance of Labour Inspectorate, South East Europe (RALI), Serbia

“The activities of the members of the Regional Alliance of Labour Inspectorates in South East Europe, Azerbaijan and Ukraine is focused to the regional cooperation in order to ensure safe and healthy working conditions, protect the labour rights of the working people, promoting the active role of the participating institutions in the exchange of good practices and experience in integrated labour inspection, mutual learning, capacity building and working in partnership.”

Wiking Husberg

International Labour Office (ILO), Subregional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Moscow, Russia

“Decent Work is Safe Work. Social dialogue as a part of the enterprise OSH management system, and supported by the labour inspection, can sustain safe and productive work in the time of crisis.”

Alison Elcock

Senior Safety and Health Officer (acting), Occupational Safety and Health Section, Labour Department, Warrens, St. Michael, Barbados

“A positive safety and health culture is the key to business and national economic viability, especially in times of financial crisis.”