28 April - World Day for Safety and Health at Work

The International Labour Organization (ILO) has designated 28 April as the "World Day for Safety and Health at Work". This day aims to raise awareness about preventing industrial accidents and occupational diseases. It is an important way to inform the public about how to avoid occupational risks.

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Focus 2026 : psychosocial work environment

This year, World Day for Safety and Health at Work highlights the need to promote a healthy psychosocial work environment.

What factors influence the psychosocial environment?

The psychosocial environment at work is shaped by how work is designed, organised and managed, as well as by organisational practices that affect daily labour conditions.

Factors such as workload and working hours, role clarity, level of autonomy, social support, and the presence of fair and transparent processes directly influence workers' professional experience. They also have a significant impact on their safety, health and performance.

When these factors harm workers, they become genuine psychosocial risks. Like physical, chemical and biological risks, these must be identified, evaluated and managed to ensure safe and healthy workplaces.

Why take action?

Stress, conflicts, moral harassment, burn-out, even suicide, as well as alcohol or drug abuse, are among the most well-known effects of these psychosocial risks. Their consequences can be severe, both for workers and for the company and society as a whole. It is observed that nearly 37% of people on work incapacity for more than one year are so due to mental disorders (source – INAMI Work Incapacity in 2023). Among these people, 69.5% suffer from depression or burn-out.

It is essential that employers implement the necessary measures to prevent psychosocial risks at work, to avoid harm or to limit its impact. Finally, it is important to highlight the impact of psychosocial risks on industrial accidents. Factors such as stress, fatigue or organisational dysfunctions can affect workers' behaviour and vigilance, increasing the risk of errors or dangerous situations, thus contributing to industrial accidents.

So why not take the opportunity to highlight a psychosocial well-being issue that matters to you?

What does Securex do to help you?

Securex supports you in implementing targeted measures and helps you proactively address mental health at work. Contact us via health.safety@securex.be.

We regularly publish brochures and practical tools for employers and employees on topics such as stress and burn-out prevention, suicide at the workplace, psychosocial risks, …