New Delhi, April 5, 2025 – Over 200 participants from across India and abroad came together for an intensive six-hour virtual Global Symposium on Occupational Safety and Health (OSH): Risks and Strategies, jointly organized by the UN Global Compact Network India (UN GCNI), PHDCCI, Indo-German Focal Point (IGFP), and CTAG/NLUD. The symposium served as a collaborative platform to explore practical strategies, cutting-edge innovations, and regulatory frameworks for building safer, healthier, and more inclusive workplaces across sectors.
Dr. Somnath Singh, Deputy Director, UN GCNI, emphasized the intrinsic link between OSH and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), urging all stakeholders to embed safety and well-being at the core of business, governance, and policy frameworks. He called for a rights-based, inclusive approach that prioritizes both physical and psychosocial safety in workplaces across sectors.
The inaugural session opened with a welcome address by Shri Ashish Wig, Chair, HR & IR Committee, PHDCCI, who stressed the strategic importance of OSH as a driver of productivity and long-term industrial growth. The session also featured international and technical perspectives, including Dr. Fuelleman from Switzerland, who emphasized the need for India to contextualize global OSH standards, and Prof. Bimal Sahu, Director, IGFP, who highlighted Vision Zero and the transformative power of digitized safety training.
The symposium highlighted the urgent need to reposition OSH from a compliance-driven obligation to a strategic business imperative linked to sustainable development. It emphasized integrating occupational safety and health into the broader framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in relation to good health and well-being, decent work, and responsible industry practices.
In a series of four technical sessions, the symposium brought together a diverse and eminent panel of experts from India, Germany, Switzerland, and Denmark, who shared experiences, case studies, and actionable insights on:
- Digital innovations and AI-driven accident prevention in high-risk sectors (Dr. Jatinder Singh, Deputy Secretary General, PHDCCI; Kristina Eger, BG BAU Germany; Mr. Srinivas Bhoospure)
- Global safety leadership and behavior-based safety systems (Dr. Helmut Ehnes, ISSA Mining)
- Occupational diseases, psychosocial health, and underreporting of work-related illnesses (Dr. Somnath Singh, Deputy Director, UN GCNI; Dr. Shyam Pingle, ICOH)
- Worker empowerment and the role of trade unions in OSH governance (Adv. Saji Narayanan; Mr. S. P. Rana)
- Legal enforcement, inspection policies, and safety culture transformation (Dr. Ramesh VM; Mr. J.S. Mann; Mr. V. Shashi Kumar)
- Academic research, decentralized safety governance, and mental well-being (Prof. Subhasis Sahu; Dr. Florence; Mr. Promod P.; Ms. Pernille Thau)
One of the key takeaways from the symposium was the growing recognition that occupational safety must encompass both physical and mental well-being, particularly in today’s evolving work environments shaped by digitization, climate change, and informal labor dynamics. The discussions called for an integrated and inclusive approach, bringing together policy-makers, industries, academia, and worker representatives.
Participants appreciated the meaningful nature of the event, which addressed not only conventional safety compliance but also emerging OSH challenges, such as AI risks, workplace stress, decentralized enforcement, and the need for psychosocial support systems. The event was widely acknowledged as a valuable contribution to shaping a national OSH strategy and fostering a culture of safety ownership.
The symposium concluded with a collective call to action for strengthening cross-sector collaboration, scaling capacity-building initiatives, and aligning OSH policies with global sustainability goals. Organizers reaffirmed their commitment to translating the symposium’s insights into concrete actions through training, advocacy, and stakeholder engagement.
