Innovative OSH Practices in Informal Sector / SME Sector

Workers in informal sector are exposed to poor working conditions, safety and health hazards and low protection standards. Lack of awareness about risks, inadequate technical and managerial skills, low levels of technology, irregular employment relationships and lack of investment capacity tend to aggravate the OSH problems in the informal sector. Women workers in informal sector often suffer a double burden of safety and health problems. Much of the informal work takes place outside of labor or health inspection. OSH problems in informal sector are often not recorded and reported.     The ILO has taken efforts to address these problems. For example, the ILO projects in Tanzania, Senegal and Nigeria use a community health approach to combine occupational health services with the existing primary health care; to advise on low-cost improvements at the micro-enterprise level to prevent injuries and diseases and to establish a self-sustainable health insurance scheme.     The ILO has also conducted activities in the Philippines, Malaysia and Nepal under the Work Improvement and Development of Enterprise (WIDE) Program to help micro-enterprises to simultaneously improve their incomes, productivity and working environment. This program has now been extended to countries in Africa, Latin America and central Asia.    The challenge of improving OSH in informal sector is a matter of providing necessary information and guidance to workers on simple and inexpensive solutions to reduce risks at work and life. Training is a most effective measure to raise awareness and improve working conditions. ILO has developed several training packages with different objectives.    ILO experience indicates that approaches which promote safety and health in informal sector tend to be successful and sustainable if they are linked to social protection and employment creation. In this regard, a key to any successful strategy is the sensitization of policy-makers and involvement of employers and workers and their organizations.