The role of government, regulations, standards and new technologies
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The role of government, regulations, standards and new technologies
International Conference on
Ensuring Industrial Safety
The role of government, regulations,
standards and new technologies
© UNIDO 2019. All rights reserved. This document has been produced without formal United Nations editing. The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this document do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries, or its economic system or degree of development. Designations such as “developed”, “industrialized” or “developing” are intended for statistical convenience and do not necessarily express a judgement about the stage reached by a particular country or area in the development process. Mention of firm names or commercial products does not constitute an endorsement by UNIDO. For reference and citation, please use: United Nations Industrial Development Organization, 2019. International Conference on Ensuring Industrial Safety: The Role of Government, Regulations, Standards and New Technologies. Vienna.
CONTENTS
Abbreviationsiv
Acknowledgmentsv
Foreword by LI Yong, Director General, UNIDO vi
1. Understanding industrial safety and security 1
1.1. What is industrial safety? 1
1.2. Industrial safety and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 5
1.3. Challenges and the need for cooperation 5
2. Strengthening governance in industrial safety 9
2.1. Laws and regulations on industrial safety 9
2.2. Standards and norms for ensuring industrial safety 15
2.3. Industrial safety management systems and best practices 18
3. Creating a culture of industrial safety and security 21
3.1. The emergence of the concept of an organizational safety culture 21
3.2. Approaches to establishing a safety culture 23
3.3. Methods of building and changing a safety culture 27
3.4. Firm-level safety culture 28
4. Monitoring industrial safety and security 34
4.1. Key performance indicators and their applications 35
4.2. Industry best practices on monitoring 38
4.3. Improving the monitoring capabilities of regulatory authorities 38
5. Understanding the connection between Industry 4.0 and industrial safety 44
5.1. Industry 4.0 challenges and potential for ensuring industrial safety 44
5.2. Industrial safety and security in an Industry 4.0 work environment 54
6. Conclusion57
6.1. The role of collective action in ensuring industrial safety 57
6.2. Key takeaways from the industrial safety conference 59
7. Annexes64
7.1. Conference resolution 64
7.2. Conference structure and speakers 65
Conference agenda 67
Notes75
References78
v
ABBREVIATIONS
IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency UNECE United Nations Economic
ILO International Labour Organization Commission for Europe
ISO International Organization for UNIDO United Nations Industrial
Standardization Development Organization
LDCs Least developed countries UNISDR United Nations Office for Disaster
OHS Occupational health and safety Risk Reduction
OSHA Occupational Safety and Health UNODC United Nations Office on Drugs and
Administration (United States) Crime
SDGs Sustainable Development Goals UNOOSA United Nations Office for Outer Space
SMEs Small and medium-sized enterprises Affairs
UNDRR United Nations Office for Disaster WHO World Health Organization
Risk Reduction
vi INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ENSURING INDUSTRIAL SAFETY The Role of Government, Regulations, Standards and New Technologies
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This report on the International Conference on background research and made other valuable
Ensuring Industrial Safety: The Role of Govern- contributions.
ments, Regulations and Standards, held in Vi-
enna, Austria, on 30–31 May 2019, was prepared Oliver Authried and Evgeniia Samuseva also pro-
by Olga Memedovic, Chief of the Business Envi- vided background and support materials.
ronment, Cluster and Innovation Division (BCI)
in the UNIDO Department of Trade, Investment Guidance and overall support were provided by
and Innovation (TII). The conference was orga- Dmitry Chachelov, Deputy Head of International
nized by UNIDO and the Federal Environmental, Relations Department, Rostechnadzor, and Irina
Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service of the Sokolova, Head of International Relations Depart-
Russian Federation (Rostechnadzor) and funded ment, Rostechnadzor.
from the Voluntary Contribution of the Russian
Federation to UNIDO Industrial Development The report benefited from the contributions of
Fund. conference keynote speakers and panelists.
Oliver Authried, Iana Iakovleva and Jamie Sandhu We are grateful to the team at Communica-
helped organize the conference. tions Development Incorporated— led by Bruce
Ross-Larson and Meta de Coquereaumont and
Linda Lampel, Brigitt Roveti, Jamie Sandhu, Ekat- including Joe Caponio, Mike Crumplar, Peter
erina Seteykina and Christi Thomas transcribed Redvers-Lee and Elaine Wilson—for editing and
the proceedings of the conference and provided designing this publication.
vii
FOREWORD BY LI YONG,
DIRECTOR GENERAL, UNIDO
Industrial safety is often an overlooked attribute mind. In addition to these precautionary steps
of well-being that is important for achieving the to ensure the safety of workers and the environ-
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its ment, there is also a need to consider security. Ma-
associated Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). chines can be deliberately exploited for nefarious
Industrial processes, equipment and factories have purposes—for instance, during cyberattacks—and
the potential to create hazards that can harm indi- that possibility should be taken into account when
viduals, the environment and industrial assets. implementing or redesigning production systems.
At the same time, natural hazards, political insta- Developing countries, especially the least devel-
bility, sabotage and cybercrime can cause massive oped countries (LDCs), are more vulnerable to
damage to entities of the industrial sector. These hazards at industrial sites than developed coun-
natural and human-caused hazards can affect tries. We can attribute this to a number of factors,
the social, economic and environmental pillars such as a lack of safety standards and compliance,
of sustainable economic development. When gov- poor land planning and, in general, a low degree
ernments and companies alike ignore industrial of safety awareness, education and training.
safety, along with the prospects of damage from
climate change, that neglect will be reflected in In many developing countries and LDCs, industrial
lower productivity, competitiveness and resilience, facilities are commonly built on inappropriate geo-
posing a serious threat to realization of Agenda graphic sites, making them dangerously suscepti-
2030 and the SDGs. ble to natural hazards. Natural hazards can occur
virtually anywhere, but some locations are more
Because industrial activities will never be entirely vulnerable than others since they are more prone to
free of risk from natural and human-caused haz- floods, earthquakes and other extreme events that
ards, it is essential to understand these risks as call for special measures. And climate change will
thoroughly as possible to inform supervisory au- exacerbate the economic damage stemming from
thorities and to take suitable risk-mitigation mea- natural disasters. Therefore, mapping hazardous
sures based on best practices and best available industrial sites and zones, as well as coordinating
technologies. land use policy with industrial safety policy, is of
growing importance. Challenges some countries
Machines are increasingly connected with indus- face from natural disasters, such as repeated flood-
trial processes and perform tasks in cooperation ing in industrial areas, can be avoided if sound safe-
with humans. Early automation and mass produc- ty frameworks that clearly indicate the minimum
tion have brought many challenges and, moving requirements for industrial activities are executed.
forward, technological solutions of the new in-
dustrial revolution will create new challenges for But beyond these environmental factors, some
industrial safety. Machines, technical equipment industries are intrinsically more hazardous than
and buildings can have shortcomings and, as such, others. These include oil and gas, chemical, con-
they need to be designed with harm reduction in struction, and mining industries, among many
viii INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ENSURING INDUSTRIAL SAFETY The Role of Government, Regulations, Standards and New Technologies
others. Therefore, industrial safety considerations The cooperation between UNIDO and Ros-
require closely examining the hazardous work- technadzor (Russian Federal Environmental, In-
ing environments in individual industries and dustrial, and Nuclear Supervision Service) at the
the specific safety measures needed. Improper International Conference on Ensuring Industrial
operations, handling or over-exploitation of in- Safety, held in Vienna at the end of May 2019, is
dustrial resources are safety concerns that require an example of investing in continuing efforts to
close examination. Mining is a prime example of achieve industrial safety in all countries, so that
an industry where these factors can lead to ca- no one is left behind. The conference was the first
tastrophes, such as the collapse of mines, causing major activity undertaken by the two parties since
human, material and environmental damage. The their commitment to cooperate on strengthening
need to deal with these concerns is amplified by industrial safety and security on a global level. It
the existence of transboundary spillover effects. brought together government officials from minis-
Many industrial safety and security concerns can tries, institutions and committees that are respon-
be solved by installing occupational health and sible for ensuring industrial safety; representatives
safety mechanisms and by providing adequate in- of international organizations (including the In-
dustrial safety training for workers. ternational Atomic Energy Agency, International
Labour Organization, United Nations Economic
To ensure meaningful environmental protection Commission for Europe, United Nations Office for
and to address potential industrial risks, accidents Disaster Risk Reduction, United Nations Office on
and hazards, collective action is imperative at the Drugs and Crime, and United Nations Office for
international level as well as the national level. At Outer Space Affairs); and representatives from ac-
the international level, protocols, conventions and ademia and the private sector.
agreements have been used to manage the nega-
tive impacts of industrial accidents. Partnerships By sharing knowledge and experiences, innovative
among companies, civil society and government approaches and technological solutions, we can
agencies are also critical to share vital information help each other secure industrial safety globally.
and ensure a commitment to common goals. This report is a crucial step in that direction.
Foreword ix
UNDERSTANDING INDUSTRIAL
1
SAFETY AND SECURITY
Raising awareness about industrial safety, in par- the occurrence and impacts of industrial hazards.
ticular occupational health and safety (OHS), at Industrial safety mechanisms should begin at the
the local (firm), national, regional and interna- firm level and expand to industrial sectors, na-
tional levels is the first step towards achieving it.1 tional regulatory systems, regional monitoring en-
Many firms and national governments, even those tities and international organizations promoting
in industrially developed regions, are either un- industrial development.
aware of the vital importance of industrial safety
or tend to ignore it.
“The field of industrial safety estab-
Although 70 percent of surveyed members of lishes legal, economic and social prin-
the International Commission on Occupational ciples to ensure the safe operation of
Health from 47 industrialized and industrializ- hazardous production facilities for the
ing countries reported that OHS standards were protection of people, the environment
in place in their country and 80 percent con- and industrial assets.”
firmed having a national institute for OHS, only
an estimated 19 percent of workers were covered
by OHS services.2 The situation is worse in devel- At the firm level, industrial safety mechanisms
oping countries and the least developed countries refer to the management of all conditions, oper-
(LDCs). Only 10 percent of the population in these ations and events within an industrial plant or
countries is covered by OHS laws, with the excep- industrial site to reduce, control and eliminate
tion of some major hazardous industries and oc- hazards and protect people, productive assets and
cupations.3 Moreover, many small and medium- the environment. Focused on accident preven-
sized enterprises (SMEs) do not meet the OHS tion and the safety readiness of the entities op-
standards and guidelines set by the International erating these facilities, industrial safety provides
Labour Organization (ILO) and the World Health the means to contain and eliminate accidents and
Organization (WHO).4 It is thus a global impera- their consequences.
tive to systematically raise awareness about indus-
trial safety and its growing pertinence. Though industrial activities will never be entire-
ly risk free, it is essential to map associated risks
1.1. What is industrial safety? as thoroughly as possible and take suitable miti-
gation measures based on best practices and in-
Industrial safety encompasses the prevention of novative technologies. Coordination between
a wide variety of industrial hazards, occupation- standards-setting agencies and monitoring enti-
al accidents and work-related illnesses in order to ties, along with partnerships with international
create a “zero-risk” environment. While this is a organizations supporting industrial development
challenging task, effective prevention strategies (Figure 1.1), are the key elements for ensuring in-
at the enterprise, national, regional and interna- dustrial safety at the national, regional and inter-
tional levels can eliminate, or at least minimize, national levels.
1FIGURE 1.1 emotional well-being, social and economic dis-
International Conference on Ensuring Industrial Safety, ruption, property damage and environmental
Vienna 2019 degradation.6 Furthermore, such hazards can re-
duce the productivity and efficiency of enterpris-
es, potentially disrupting production, hampering
competitiveness and diminishing the reputation
of enterprises along supply chains, affecting the
economy and society more widely.7
According to the ILO, more than 6,500 people
around the world die every day of work-related
illnesses and over 1,000 people a day from occu-
pational accidents (Figure 1.2).8 The number of
annual work-related deaths rose from 2.33 million
in 2014 to 2.78 million in 2017.9 Of the 2.78 mil-
lion work-related deaths in 2017, 2.4 million were
associated with occupational diseases.10 Fatal
occupational accidents were highest in Asia, at
71.5 percent in 2014, followed by Africa (18.9 per-
Source: International Conference on Ensuring Industrial Safety, Vienna, 2019. cent), America (6.5 percent) and Europe (2.9 per-
cent; Figure 1.3).11 The accident fatality rate per
FIGURE 1.2 100,000 persons was highest in Africa (17.4) and
Global estimates of mortality from occupational accidents Asia (13.0), reflecting the global distribution of the
and work-related illnesses in 2014 working population and hazardous work, as well
as differing levels of economic development.
Financial losses due to workplace hazards, illness
or injury total almost 4 percent of the world’s an-
nual GDP, rising as high as 6 percent or more in
FIGURE 1.3
Global estimates of fatal occupational
accidents across regions in 2014
Europe 2.89% Oceania 0.28%
Africa
18.89%
Source: ILO (2019).
America
6.45%
Industrial hazards, occupational accidents and
work-related illnesses may originate in techno-
logical or industrial conditions, dangerous pro- Asia
71.47%
cedures, infrastructure failures or specific human
activities.5 They have a major impact not only on
workers, but also on their families and society at
large, in both the short and the long run, through
injury or loss of life, deterioration in physical and Source: Hämäläinen et al. (2017); ILO (2019).
2 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ENSURING INDUSTRIAL SAFETY The Role of Government, Regulations, Standards and New Technologiessome countries.12 These losses include the direct FIGURE 1.4
and indirect costs of reconstruction, recovery and Global estimates of accident fatality rates
reconversion of industrial sites; restoration of eco- in the labour force, by region, 2014 (per
systems; production interruptions; lost working 100,000 persons)
time; workers’ compensation payments; absen-
20
teeism; early retirement; loss of skilled workers;
medical expenses; high insurance premiums; and
training and rehabilitation. Apart from these eco-
nomic costs, there are the intangible costs arising 15
from the immense human emotional and physical
suffering and work-related stress for individual
workers and their families. The environmental
10
impacts of industrial hazards do not recognize
borders, and their repercussions spread from local
to national, regional and international levels.
5
Industrial processes are exposed to dangers such
as natural hazards, political instability (sabotage)
and cyberattacks. These can cause massive dam-
0
age to people, industrial assets and the environ- Africa America Asia Europe Oceania
ment. Beyond process, production and material
safety, industrial safety is also related to:13 Source: Hämäläinen et al. (2017); ILO (2019).
• Occupational health and safety. (air, water and noise pollution; acid rain and tem-
peratures at production facilities); ergonomic
• Workplace safety. (lifting heavy objects, poor desk seating); psycho-
logical (use of industrial equipment, heights, in-
• Technical equipment safety related to electri- dustrial noise, bright lights); and radiation (nucle-
cal safety and fire safety. ar exposure, exposure to sunlight).14
• Cybersecurity.
“Workers’ health and safety concerns
• Safety in general, including installations fol- are the most important aspects of
lowing existing building codes. industrial safety.”
• Building and structural safety.
Accident risk varies across industries and is relat-
• Environmental safety as a direct or indirect ed primarily to production processes at the indus-
impact of industry. trial site, including materials used and rate of ac-
tivity. Hazard risks are greater in industries such
Industrial accidents can be classified according to as chemical processing and oil and gas refining,
the source of risk. These hazards include physical which have multiple processes spread across land-
(wet floors, loose electrical cables); chemical (pro- based facilities (fixed facilities such as chemical
duction, transportation or handling of hazardous establishments, oil terminals and tailings man-
chemical substances); biological (infectious dis- agement facilities15); pipelines and transport by
eases or allergic responses common in health, agro rail, road and water; and offshore oil exploration
and food processing industries); environmental platforms.16
Understanding industrial safety and security 3Industries that manufacture or store explosives, Managing risk in these downstream industries is
such pyrotechnical plants, also have high rates particularly challenging because awareness of the
of industrial accident risk. The mining industry, danger of the materials may be lower than in in-
which uses dangerous substances such as cya- dustries whose core business involves the mining,
nide and arsenic in metals processing, is also at manufacture, storage or handling of highly regu-
high risk for industrial accidents (Figures 1.5 and lated substances.17
1.6). Industries such as food production, power
plants and metal plating also use large quantities How close an industry comes to achieving a ze-
of dangerous substances in refrigeration, fuel, ro-risk environment depends on the industry’s
metal treatment and other specialized processes. and society’s perception of risk. Awareness of the
importance of industrial safety—within enterpris-
FIGURE 1.5 es, industries and society—is the first step to re-
Mining dam collapse in Samarco, Brazil, in 2015 alizing a risk-free environment. Awareness leads
to alertness, preparedness and timely response
(Figure 1.7). Preparedness relies on the techno-
logical capacity to prevent or deal with industrial
accidents, and timely response counts on having
monitoring and regulatory mechanisms in place,
both in firms and at the local and national lev-
els. A society sets its goals for attaining a safe and
secure industrial environment based on its eco-
nomic, technological, legal and social capacities.
Therefore, the degree of risk reduction often corre-
sponds to the level of technological sophistication
and legal capabilities in countries and industrial
facilities alike.
Source: The Guardian (2016). FIGURE 1.7
Management of industrial hazards
FIGURE 1.6
Zinc spill in Ridder, Kazakhstan, in 2016
Source: The Siberian Times (2016). Source: UNDRR (2019).
4 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ENSURING INDUSTRIAL SAFETY The Role of Government, Regulations, Standards and New Technologies1.2. Industrial safety and the FIGURE 1.8
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Industrial safety and the Sustainable Development Goals
Development
The basis of stability and prosperity for most coun-
tries is inclusive and sustainable industrial devel-
opment. Vital national interests demand the pro-
tection of individuals, society and the state from
natural and human-caused disasters. Ensuring in-
dustrial safety and security is crucial for inclusive
and sustainable industrial development and plays
a decisive role in effectively and efficiently achiev-
ing the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development (Figure 1.8 and Table 1.1).18
“People and the environment should
be the focus of industrial safety.”
The environmental effects of human economic
activity have increased the risk of accidents that
endanger people and their livelihoods. Ignoring Source: Bernardo Calzadilla, UNIDO, International Conference on Ensuring Industrial
industrial safety and security, and the risk arising Safety, Vienna, 2019.
from climate change, can lead to lower produc-
tivity, competitiveness and resilience, making the Industrial accident rates are especially high in de-
2030 Agenda and the SDGs less attainable. Pursu- veloping countries and the LDCs. Contributing fac-
ing industrial safety and security and mitigating tors are the poor technical condition of equipment,
related risks, to the contrary, can yield economic, disregard or lack of knowledge of safe operation
social and environmental benefits that can enable guidelines, poor organization and work procedures,
countries to achieve the 2030 Agenda. A list of inadequate repair or prolonged downtime of ma-
SDG targets relevant for achieving industrial safe- chinery, and low qualifications of maintenance staff.
ty and security can be found in Appendix 6.1. These factors are a result of deficient laws and weak
compliance with industrial safety requirements
1.3. Challenges and the need for and inadequate financial resources for mitigating
cooperation and containing industrial incidents and accidents.
Strengthening industrial safety reduces these risks,
Industrial safety is neglected in many parts of the boosts growth in industrial sectors and reduces pro-
world. As a consequence, incidents at industrial duction losses due to incidents or accidents.
facilities often escalate to accidents (for example,
because of abuse of processes or failure or damage Industrial accidents harm not only individuals and
to technical devices used in the production of haz- industrial assets, but also communities, including
ardous materials). The likelihood of an incident those affected by transboundary effects. Negative
becoming an accident depends on advance prepa- spillovers from accidents in industrial plants can
rations and the ability of operators of hazardous have cross-border spillover effects that necessitate
production facilities to recognize risks and imple- collective action at national and international lev-
ment industrial safety measures. els, in setting norms, standards and regulations.
Understanding industrial safety and security 5TABLE 1.1
Relation between Sustainable Development Goals and industrial safety
Sustainable Relation to the achievement of Sustainable Relation to the achievement of
Development Goal industrial safety and security Development Goal industrial safety and security
Good health is an essential component of Ensuring the quality of air, land, water and
industrial safety. infrastructure through attention to industrial
safety is key to sustainable cities and
By ensuring that workers have safe working communities. Machines, technical equipment
conditions and access to health services, and buildings need to be designed to ensure
companies support healthier staff and better the safety of people, workers and the
relationships, and also improve productivity. environment.
Quality education implies better skills and Industrial waste management is a crucial
capabilities to create a safer environment and to component of industrial safety.
respond promptly to physical and psychological
safety situations concerning oneself and one’s Industrial safety and security need to be
co-workers. Developing countries, especially realized in order to guarantee responsible
the least developed countries (LDCs), are consumption and production.
more vulnerable to hazards at industrial sites
than developed countries because of lack of
safety standards and compliance, poor land
planning and a low degree of safety awareness, Technological accidents triggered by natural
education and training. hazards are on the rise as a consequence
of increasingly extreme weather events, so
Participation of women in decision-making is industrial safety and security standards must
important to ensure that safety reaches all. steadily adjust to changing conditions.
Recognizing diversity, including gender
differences, in the workforce is vital in order to
ensure the safety and security of all workers.
Widespread water pollution is jeopardizing
life below water as well as human health.
Marine pollution can be minimized by ensuring
Widespread water pollution results from industrial safety.
accidental releases of hazardous substances, such
as accidents at tailings management facilities.
To ensure clean water and sanitation, it is
crucial to adhere to industrial safety and
security standards already in place, and to
adjust standards to the changing environment Political instability (sabotage) and
as necessary. cyberattacks can cause massive damage
to people, industrial assets and the
By ensuring occupational health and safety environment, with transboundary spillover
standards, a decent work environment for effects, threatening peace and stability. In a
everyone can be guaranteed. world with differing safety standards, inter-
Moreover, a reduction in occupational institutional coordination is prerequisite for
accidents and work-related diseases can coherent policy- making in industrial safety.
contribute to a more inclusive as well as
productive society. International coordination and partnerships
are required for the transfer of technology
that can reduce industrial risks. Statistical
Ignoring industrial safety will be reflected capacity building in industrial safety through
in lower productivity, competitiveness regular reporting and recording of information
and resilience. Early automation and mass is crucial for monitoring and regulating
production brought many challenges for industrial hazards.
industrial safety, and moving forward, the
technological solutions of the new industrial
revolution will create new challenges for
industrial safety. Infrastructure failures may
also produce industrial hazards, occupational
accidents and work-related illnesses.
Source: UNIDO United Nations https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/topics/sustainabledevelopmentgoals.
International coordination is essential to provide Global platforms that enable international cooper-
countries with best practice examples of how to ation and networking by all stakeholders expedite
detect, map, regulate, monitor and mitigate threats knowledge transfer and broker technology trans-
to industrial safety and security. A broader plat- fer and the joint identification of priority areas for
form is needed to develop and disseminate innova- policy-makers. So that no one is left behind, any
tive technologies and approaches promoting OHS strategy for improving industrial safety should fos-
practices through awareness raising and research.19 ter cooperation and innovation.
6 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ENSURING INDUSTRIAL SAFETY The Role of Government, Regulations, Standards and New TechnologiesChallenges facing enterprises, coordination, ageing of installations, outdated
governments, regulatory bodies and the inspection systems).
international community
• Inadequate reporting mechanisms in firms
Enterprises, governments, regulatory bodies and and infrequent inspections of industrial sites.
the international community need to overcome
several barriers to ensure industrial safety and se- • Inattention to broader occupational health and
curity. At the enterprise level, these barriers include: safety issues, such as work stress and anxiety.
• Lack of awareness of the risks and costs of in- To strengthen coordination at the national level,
dustrial accidents. governments need to:
• Inadequate communication mechanisms re- • Craft dedicated disaster prevention and pre-
lated to industrial risk management (preven- paredness programmes and protocols.21
tion, preparedness and response).
• Reinforce recovery and reconversion mecha-
• Absence of organizational support and leader- nisms and activities at industrial facilities for
ship in risk management to ensure industrial timely response to minimize consequences of
safety. industrial hazards.
• Lack of a comprehensive strategy for achiev- • Make industrial safety and security a political
ing industrial safety and security that can be priority, and raise awareness at higher policy
implemented at the operational and manage- levels regarding the risks and consequences of
ment levels., especially for small and medium- industrial hazards.22
sized enterprises (SMEs) in developing coun-
tries and least developed countries. • Address industrial accidents in a comprehen-
sive and integrated way at the community, mu-
• Inadequate infrastructure and safety equip- nicipal, regional, national and international
ment, such as personal protection equipment, levels, and coordinate cross-border measures.23
particularly in SMEs.
• Address natural hazards that can trigger tech-
• A focus on the short term and the failure to nological accidents, in particular through
recognize the long-term profitability made technical guidance on risk assessment.24
possible through investments in industrial
safety and security infrastructure. • Support private sector involvement in policy-
making for accident prevention, preparedness
• Complacency in maintaining industrial safety and response.
standards and norms; loss of focus on risk as-
sessment and management or organizational • Examine past industrial accidents and
drift.20 near-misses to draw lessons.25
• Disregard for local and national regulatory Monitoring and regulatory bodies need to take
mechanisms that ensure safety and security. several steps to deal with regulatory challenges:
• Failure to identify emerging issues in accident • Require regular reporting by enterprises to
prevention, preparedness and response (such generate adequate data on industrial accidents
as cybersecurity issues and human-robot and hazards.26
Understanding industrial safety and security 7• In addition to focusing on hazards that result cloud computing, industrial artificial intelligence,
in loss of life and property, boost the visibility industrial internet of things, robotics and 3D
of industrial hazards that cause social disrup- printing, are changing the nature of manufactur-
tion, such as evacuation, rehabilitation, envi- ing and are creating opportunities and challenges
ronmental damage, loss of jobs and exposure for ensuring industrial safety.
to health risks. 27
The 4IR makes it possible to gather and process
• Increase the frequency of inspections at in- data, and act in real time, since devices can be
dustrial sites, and provide feedback to firms. embedded in equipment to detect and report op-
erator behaviour posing a risk to safety. Intelligent
• Seek innovative ways to deal with the increas- cameras can gather digital images or footage and
ing complexity of industrial accidents due to forward them to a central control point, auto-
human–machine interactions that are often matically highlighting abnormal behaviour, such
difficult to monitor without the installation of as entry into a restricted area, and triggering a
cyber-technologies such as sensors and artifi- response. Many 4IR technologies have safety fea-
cial intelligence. tures built into them.
Innovative partnerships and international cooper- At the same time, ensuring cybersecurity has
ation are crucial to attain industrial safety and se- become more urgent. Smart manufacturing sys-
curity. The international community faces several tems empowered by 4IR technologies are becom-
challenges in addressing industrial safety concerns: ing more vulnerable to cyber threats and attacks.
Many of the technological innovations installed in
• Manage risk across boundaries. industrial sites are connected to the internet and
become more vulnerable to cyberattacks on criti-
• Ensure compliance with international con- cal infrastructure and to information technology–
ventions and protocols on industrial hazards. related disruptions. The complexity of these new
technological systems and the heightened risk
• Raise awareness of new industrial risk assess- of intrusion could result in substantial harm to
ment methodologies and risk management production and even to the health of industrial
strategies, such as those that incorporate re- personnel. Security threats to data, intellectu-
sponses to technological accidents triggered al property risks from cyber-espionage, and cy-
by natural hazards and hazards arising from ber-terrorism threats from state and non-state
new industrial technologies, in both firms and actors are real and present. Security layers and
national regulatory entities, especially in de- secure computer coding systems are needed to re-
veloping countries and the LDCs. duce the vulnerability of industrial systems. New
approaches are needed to realize the potential of
• Promote coordination among national regu- Industry 4.0 technologies to improve industrial
latory bodies on regulations, norms and stan- safety. Industry 4.0 is advancing at a rapid pace,
dards on industrial safety. and international organizations, governments,
regulators and standard-setting bodies need to
The promise of new digital technologies work collectively at a comparable pace to harness
the benefits of these new technologies and ensure
As elaborated in Chapter 5, advanced digital tech- their safe and secure operation, to reduce any
nologies emerging from the fourth industrial harm to individuals, the environment and indus-
revolution-4IR, or Industry 4.0, such as big data, trial assets.
8 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ENSURING INDUSTRIAL SAFETY The Role of Government, Regulations, Standards and New TechnologiesSTRENGTHENING GOVERNANCE
2
IN INDUSTRIAL SAFETY
The aim of governance in industrial safety is to At the national level, legislation and policies ad-
enhance protection of the vital interests of the dress industrial accident prevention, preparedness
individual, society and state against industrial and response, occupational safety and health, and
accidents and to minimize their consequences. so on. At the regional level, there are mandatory
Governance encompasses the laws, regulations, regulations, such as the EU Seveso Directive. The
standards, norms, safety management systems UNECE Convention on the Transboundary Ef-
and mechanisms of their implementation that fects of Industrial Accidents fosters industrial safe-
work together to support industrial safety. ty governance and transboundary cooperation for
its Parties in the pan-European region. Likewise,
Governance requires continual adjustment as through the UN Sendai Framework for Disaster
circumstances can change with adoption of new Risk Reduction, United Nations Member States
technologies and the rising complexity in the life- have committed themselves to take measures to
cycle of a hazardous production facility.28 To be foster technological disaster risk management.
effective, industrial safety governance requires
competence in governing authorities, the scientific However, the current technological revolution
community and industry. present challenges to existing international gov-
ernance and regulatory frameworks for indus-
2.1. Laws and regulations on trial safety. Developments in technology have
industrial safety brought about new work arrangements that tran-
scend jurisdictional boundaries. While there is
Industrial safety is being regulated on many an industrial safety convention addressing trans-
fronts: at the international, national and region- boundary issues at the supra-national/regional
al levels. At the international level, ILO Con- level (UNECE Convention on the Transboundary
vention 155 – Occupational Safety and Health Effects of Industrial Accidents), such a convention
Convention (1981) provides the framework for is absent on a global level.
international occupational health and safety
regulation. The convention which has been rat- With functional and geographical fragmentation
ified by 52 countries is intended to apply to all of production activities mediated by global value
branches of economic activity and all workers chains, companies are producing goods and pro-
within those branches of economic activity. It viding services using labour, production and fa-
requires Member States to develop a coherent cilities across multiple jurisdictions. This has led
national policy and set of laws aimed at prevent- to a de-coupling of decision-making and risk, pre-
ing accidents and injury to health “arising out of, senting a challenge to the governance of industrial
linked with or occurring in the course of work, safety, and is making it difficult to identify which
by minimising, so far as is reasonably practica- jurisdiction’s laws apply in the event of an accident.
ble, the causes of hazards inherent in the work- The transboundary nature of the risks to industri-
ing environment”. Crucially, it does not address al safety and security require a rethinking of how
transboundary issues. to regulate OHS and deal with accountability on
9a global stage.29 Moreover, government agencies The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970,
often lack sufficient institutional capacity to im- the first comprehensive industrial safety legislation
plement, monitor and enforce compliance with passed at the federal level, was intended “to assure
industrial safety regulations. Enhanced industrial safe and healthful working conditions for working
safety governance needs to be dynamic and flexible men and women; by authorizing enforcement of
enough to face existing and emerging challenges.30 the standards developed under the act; by assist-
ing and encouraging the States in their efforts to
In industrialized countries, a strong safety record assure safe and healthful working conditions; by
is based on continuous adjustments and improve- providing for research, information, education,
ments in regulatory systems. Legal and policy and training in the field of OHS; and for other pur-
mechanisms in the European Union, the United poses.”31 The act emphasized prevention of indus-
States and the Russian Federation, among others, trial accidents and illnesses rather than compen-
make it possible to raise awareness about and en- sation after the fact. It called for the development
sure adherence to safety requirements, environ- and enforcement of mandatory safety and health
mental protection and public health. While these standards. The legislation also established the Oc-
important features of industrial safety regulation cupational Safety and Health Administration and
differ among international counterparts, they are the National Institute of Occupational Safety and
all critical for ensuring industrial safety. Health.32 An agency of the Department of Labor,
the Occupational Safety and Health Administra-
The European Union, for instance, has an exten- tion is responsible for industrial and occupational
sive industrial safety framework that sets voluntary safety regulation. The enabling legislation incorpo-
guidelines and standardization principles that pro- rates a high level of responsibility for promulgating
vide technical specifications for industrial products, and enforcing safety norms and regulations.
services and process safety. These specifications
cover issues ranging from safety helmets to char- In the Russian Federation, the main strategic doc-
gers for electronic devices to service quality levels ument covering industrial safety is the federal law
in public transport. Although implementation is “On Industrial Safety of Hazardous Production Fa-
voluntary, this framework establishes uniform lev- cilities.” Adopted in 1997, the law has been amend-
els of quality, safety and reliability that industrial ed several times, yet it stands as an example of
bodies are more likely to adopt. The process is often consistent regulation for ensuring industrial safety.
initiated and bolstered by stakeholders and private Regulatory activities are the purview of the Federal
standardization organizations that see the need to Environmental, Industrial, and Nuclear Supervi-
apply uniform guidelines and standards. Ultimate- sion Service (Rostechnadzor). Rostechnadzor de-
ly, however, the standards and guidelines are ad- velops state policy and normative legal regulation
opted by European standardization organizations, for industrial safety and conducts control and su-
including the European Committee for Standard- pervision operations to ensure compliance at haz-
ization, the European Committee for Electrotechni- ardous production facilities and transport. It has
cal Standardization and the European Telecommu- responsibility for a sprawling hazardous product
nications Standards Institute. By working in close industry with over 170,000 facilities. As a regula-
cooperation with industry and other stakeholders, tory and supervisory body, Rostechnadzor takes
the European Union and European standardization a risk-based approach to governance, categorizing
bodies can agree on industrial safety standards and industrial sites according to their level of risk.
guidelines that are beneficial for individuals, com-
munities, the environment and industrial growth. National regulations and standards
In the United States, concern for industrial safety Industrial safety regulations consist of a set of
evolved concurrently with industrial development. national regulations, such as building codes,
10 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ENSURING INDUSTRIAL SAFETY The Role of Government, Regulations, Standards and New TechnologiesOHS-related standards, labour and environmen- operating regulations, facilitate the formulation
tal laws, international standards for management, and implementation of education and training
safety management systems and environmental plans, support the supervision and inspection of
management systems (see Boxes 2.1 and 2.2).33 To rules, eliminate hidden threats in a timely man-
provide optimum protection, laws and regulations ner, develop and implement emergency rescue
addressing industrial safety should follow the plans in the event of an accident and report acci-
best available practices and technologies, and the dents honestly and expeditiously.
companies they regulate should adhere to them
conscientiously. Although construction materials are covered by
International Organization for Standardization
Work safety systems have multiple objectives. (ISO) standards, building standards and pro-
They aim to establish and improve the responsi- duction sites are subject to national legislation,
bility system, guide the formulation of rules and building codes and industrial safety rules and
BOX 2.1 BOX 2.2
Industrial safety in China Industrial safety in Tajikistan
In China, there are four levels of emergency authority— A specially authorized central executive body in Tajikistan
national, provincial, county and county. At the national regulates industrial safety; supervises the use, protection and
level, the Ministry of Emergency Management was estab- geological study of mineral resources; supervises mining;
lished in the context of the institutional reform plan of the and circulates explosives for civil and industrial purposes.
State Council. China has a detailed regulatory system for The main functions of the State Control of Safe Work in In-
work safety, combining work safety related laws and admin- dustry and Mining Supervision Service are controlling, su-
istrative regulations developed by the state council. The pur- pervising, and licensing and permitting activities. The serv-
pose of the Law of Work Safety is to reinforce work safety, ice administers the declaration of industrial safety, which
prevent and reduce work-related accidents, ensure the safety includes:
of people and property and promote sound and sustainable • Requirements for registering explosive material for civil
economic and social development (Article 1). The systems es- use.
tablished by the work safety law include: • Standards (norms and rules) on work related to the use of
• Responsibilities of principle leading members of units. subsoil.
• A six-layer management guarantee system. • Requirements for identifying hazardous production
• An investment guarantee system. facilities.
• An employees’ rights and obligations system in work safety. • Terms for professional training of officials and employees
• A security intermediary service. of hazardous production facilities.
• A work safety accident emergency rescue and investing
system. Industrial safety laws regulate operation procedures at haz-
ardous production facilities to ensure their safe operation.
Legal liability in work safety includes administrative pen- These laws aim to prevent accidents and ensure that organi-
alties as well as several methods for enforcing administra- zations operating hazardous production facilities can prop-
tive accountability—for example, severe punishment for the erly handle the consequences of accidents. They guarantee
principle leading members and for the business entity, with restoration of the environment and compensation for loss-
the penalty increasing for not organizing rescue during the es caused by accidents to individuals, legal entities and the
incident. There is also criminal responsibility. state.
Source: Wu Yanyun, China, International Conference on Ensuring Source: Ardasheri Mirzozoba, Deputy Head, Tajikistan, International
Industrial Safety, Vienna, 2019. Conference on Ensuring Industrial Safety, Vienna, 2019.
Strengthening governance in industrial safety 11standards. Often, however, national government industrial safety regulation and mechanisms of en-
agencies lack the capacity to monitor and enforce forcement needs to be formulated, based on good
these standards and building codes, which puts practices and technologies drawn from practices
industrial safety and security at risk. Machines across the globe to enable countries to effectively
and other equipment are regulated differently by design and implement their legal provisions in a
various national authorities. Similarly, interna- mutually consistent and complementary manner.
tional regulations and standards do not cover sys-
tems that enhance and confirm industrial safety International legal and policy instruments
system, which are in wide use in manufacturing, addressing on industrial safety
such as process control systems, emergency shut-
down systems, and fire and gas systems. International safety conventions, standards,
norms and best practices on management sys-
Industrial safety signs are also subject to nation- tems and benchmarking tools increasingly cover
al regulations. Used across many industries, they multiple aspects of industrial safety, but not all
take a multitude of forms and can be complex to of them (Figure 2.1). The oldest OHS regulations
navigate. The signs are designed to enhance safe- concern accident prevention and minimization
ty by informing workers, operators and passers-by of risk during hazardous tasks and exposure to
of potential dangers in particular areas, such as in toxic materials and substances. OHS has received
proximity to equipment or hazardous materials. prominent treatment internationally, through in-
ternationally agreed standards on labour rights,
In sum, regulations and standards for improving laws and regulations, but gender-based disparities
industrial safety are still fragmented. They need in exposure to risk related to biological differenc-
to be better understood and properly addressed at es, employment patterns, social roles and social
the national, and international levels. Guidance on structures, have not been adequately recognized.
FIGURE 2.1
Key tools and methodologies of international organizations for prevention, preparedness
and response to industrial accidents
Organization Prevention Preparedness Response Post-accident Learning
Organisation for Economic Co- Guiding Principles for Chemical Accidents, Preventions, Preparedness and Major Accident
operation and Development Response Reporting
System (eMARS)
United Nations Economic Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents
Commission for Europe Convention
European Union Seveso-III-Directive, Civil Protection Mechanism Environment eMARS
Liability Directive
United Nations Environment/ UN Disaster Assessment and
Office for the Coordination of Coordination Mechanism, Flash
Humanitarian Affairs Joint Unit Environmental Assessment Tool
United Nations Environment Flexible Framework, Awareness
and Preparedness for Emergencies
at Local Level (APELL), Responsible
Production Toolkit
United Nations International Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction
Strategy for Disaster Reduction 2015–2030
World Health Organization International Health Regulations Event
Management
Public health management of chemical System (EMS)
European Political Strategy Member Member
Centre network network
■ Policy, no intervention ■ Intervention based ■ Regulation/legislation/convention
Source: Inter-Agency Coordination Group for Industrial and Chemical Accidents (2019).
12 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ENSURING INDUSTRIAL SAFETY The Role of Government, Regulations, Standards and New TechnologiesInternational protocols and conventions have FIGURE 2.2
tackled some of the negative transboundary spill- Industrial safety regulations are required across multiple
overs from industrial accidents. For example, the industries in the Russian Federation
Convention on the Transboundary Effects of In- Industrial safety • Mining industry
dustrial Accidents of the United Nations Econom- • Metallurgical industry
• Coal mining industry
ic Commission for Europe (UNECE) has assisted • Oil and gas industry
• Chemical and petrochemical industry
Member States for nearly three decades in improv- • Explosive facilities of storage and processing of
plant raw material
ing transboundary cooperation in industrial acci- • Lifting constructions
dent prevention, preparedness and response. This • Boiler facilities
has raised industrial safety standards and prac- Safety of nuclear • Nuclear facilities for peaceful purposes
energy use
tices in signatory countries and yielded valuable
Safety in power and • Thermal power plants, heat-generating plants
lessons that can be shared with other countries heat supply, energy and networks
efficiency • Electrical networks
through conferences such as UNIDO’s Interna- • Consumer power plants and energy efficiency
tional Conference on Ensuring Industrial Safety. and saving
Safety of hydraulic • Hydropower plants and hydraulic engineering
engineering structures structures
While these international conventions and agree- Construction safety • Extremely hazardous, technically complex and
ments, some of which are discussed below, have unique capital construction facilities
• Activities of self-regulated construction
produced tangible results, many countries are still organizations
facing multiple industrial safety and security is-
sues due to lack of knowledge, regulations, policies Source: As presented by Alexander Rybas, Rostechnadzor, International Conference
and capacities. Nonetheless, industrial safety reg- on Ensuring Industrial Safety, Vienna, 2019.
ulations are required across many industries, as
depicted in Figures 2.2 and 2.3 in the case of the FIGURE 2.3
Russian Federation. International commitments to industrial safety by the
Russian Federation
UNECE Convention on the Transboundary Ef-
fects of Industrial Accidents and International
Atomic Energy Agency conventions. The 1986 fire
at the Sandoz agrochemical plant in Schweizerh-
alle, Switzerland, which released toxic chemicals
into the Rhine River, is an example of the severe
transboundary effects that an industrial accident
can have (Figure 2.4). Soon thereafter, in 1992
the UNECE Convention on the Transboundary
Effects of Industrial Accidents was negotiated in
order to minimize devastating transboundary ef-
fects through prevention and mitigation of their Source: As presented by Alexander Rybas, Rostechnadzor, International Conference
effects. The convention, which entered into force on Ensuring Industrial Safety, Vienna, 2019.
in 2000 and now has 41 signatories, is closely con-
nected to the SDGs, particularly SDGs 3, 6, 9, 11 wide recognition as a legal instrument for risk re-
and 13. The UNECE convention requires parties duction under the Sendai Framework and its con-
to identify hazardous activity and to develop con- tribution to achievement of the Sustainable Devel-
tingency plans as well as prevention and prepared- opment Goals.”
ness policies. The UNECE convention’s vision is
expected, by 2030, to “significantly increase in- Nearly 15 years after the Schweizerhalle accident,
dustrial safety and reduce the risk of technological the breach of a tailings pond dam at a gold mining
disasters by ensuring its full implementation, its facility in Baia Mare, Romania, released cyanide
Strengthening governance in industrial safety 13FIGURE 2.4 Use of Transboundary Watercourses and Interna-
Transboundary accident at the Sandoz agrochemical tional Lakes). An assistance programme in 2004
storehouse in Schweizerhalle, Switzerland, 1986 worked to enhance the capacities of countries of
Eastern and South Eastern Europe, the Caucasus
and Central Asia in implementing the convention.
Multiple guidelines, good practices and checklists
have been developed under the convention.
In addition, International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA) conventions, such as the Convention on
Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident and the
Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear
Accident or Radiological Emergency, are interna-
tional legal instruments that support emergency
preparedness and response. They constitute the
legal basis for the International Emergency Pre-
Source: Inter-Agency Coordination Group for Industrial and Chemical Accidents (2019). paredness and Response Framework. The IAEA,
along with the signatories to these conventions,
FIGURE 2.5 has specific obligations to help countries imple-
The 2000 cyanide spill at the gold mining company Aurul, in ment the conventions. The IAEA Safety Stan-
Baia Mare, Romania, released cyanide into the Someș River dards and technical guidance documents and
tools outline the requirements, recommendations,
guidelines and good practices for building sound
emergency preparedness and effective emergency
response (see section 3).
Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.34
Apart from nuclear incidents, there are frameworks
that deal with other types of disaster risk reduc-
tion, such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster
Risk Reduction 2015–2030, a voluntary non-bind-
ing agreement adopted by Member States in March
2015 at the UN World Conference on Disaster Risk
Reduction in Sendai, Japan, and endorsed by the
UN General Assembly in June 2015. The United
Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction has been
Source: van Eden (2016). tasked to support implementation, follow-up and
review of the Sendai framework. The goal of the
into the Someș River, contaminated drinking Sendai framework is to “prevent new and reduce
water supplies and devastated fish stocks and existing disaster risk through the implementation
other marine life (Figure 2.5). of integrated and inclusive measures that prevent
and reduce hazard exposure and vulnerability to
To avoid more recurrences, the UNECE conven- disaster, increase preparedness for response and re-
tion supports countries in preventing accidental covery, and thus strengthen resilience.”
water pollution through its Joint Expert Group
on Water and Industrial Accidents (joint with the The framework recognizes the nation state as
1992 UNECE Convention on the Protection and the primary actor in reducing disaster risk, a
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