GMJ Knowledge Hub | Published by the Public Health Institute of Georgia (PHIG)
A curated, peer-reviewed catalogue of leading international instruments, conventions, technical guidance, training programmes, and research networks on occupational safety and health (OSH), with particular focus on the protection of health and care workers. Compiled by the Georgian Medical Journal (GMJ) for researchers, occupational physicians, public health practitioners, labour inspectors, ministries of health and labour, and policy-makers.
Scope: 12 sections • 120+ resources • WHO • ILO • WHO–ILO Joint • ILO Conventions • EU-OSHA • National Institutes • Academic Networks • Training Programmes • Updated: May 2026
Contents
I. World Health Organization (WHO) • II. International Labour Organization (ILO) • III. WHO–ILO Joint Programme: Caring for Those Who Care • IV. ILO OSH Conventions • V. Ratification Status — Georgia • VI. European Bodies and Frameworks • VII. National OSH Institutes • VIII. Academic Research and Journals • IX. Training Programmes and eLearning • X. Networks and Platforms • XI. GMJ Publications in This Series • XII. Key Global OSH Policy Frameworks
WHO
WHO recognises occupational health as an essential public health function and the protection of the health workforce as a precondition for resilient, equitable health systems. WHO leads the Global Strategy on Human Resources for Health: Workforce 2030, hosts the Health Worker Safety Charter, and co-leads the joint WHO–ILO programme on occupational health for health workers.
www.who.int/health-topics/occupational-healthSource: World Health Organization (WHO) | Type: Programme Hub | Year: Active
WHO's primary entry point for occupational health information, evidence, and technical guidance. Aggregates publications, news, and policy resources covering workplace hazards, health worker protection, and integration of OSH into universal health coverage.
View ResourceSource: World Health Organization (WHO) | Type: Department Hub | Year: Active
WHO's central department for health workforce policy, planning, education, regulation, and protection. Hosts the National Health Workforce Accounts, the Global Strategy on HRH, and produces evidence and tools for health worker safety, well-being, and decent work.
View ResourceSource: World Health Organization (WHO) | Type: Global Strategy | Year: 2016
Endorsed by the World Health Assembly in resolution WHA69.19. Establishes the global framework for accelerating progress towards UHC and the SDGs through workforce planning, education, retention, decent work, and protection. Foundational policy reference for health workforce OSH.
View ResourceSource: World Health Organization (WHO) | Type: Global Charter | Year: 2020
Issued on World Patient Safety Day 2020 in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Establishes that the safety of health workers is a precondition for patient safety. Sets out five concrete actions for governments, employers, and health system managers to protect health workers from physical, psychological, and pathogen-related harms.
View ResourceSource: World Health Organization (WHO) | Type: Global Action Plan | Year: 2021
Endorsed by WHA74.13. Strategic objective 4 is dedicated to health worker education, skills, and safety, recognising that protecting health and care workers from occupational hazards is integral to the global patient safety agenda for the decade.
View ResourceWHO Fact Sheet: Occupational Health — Health Workers
World Health Organization (WHO) | Fact Sheet | Active
WHO GHO Indicator — National Policy Instruments for OSH for Health Workers
World Health Organization Global Health Observatory | Indicator | Active
WHO Global Health Observatory — Health Workforce Data
World Health Organization (WHO) | Data Portal | Active
ILO
The ILO is the principal global authority on international labour standards. In 2022 the International Labour Conference recognised a safe and healthy working environment as a Fundamental Principle and Right at Work, elevating OSH to the same status as freedom of association and the elimination of forced labour, child labour, and discrimination. The ILO maintains the NORMLEX system for global ratification monitoring and ILOSTAT for labour and OSH statistics.
www.ilo.org/topics-and-sectors/safety-and-health-workSource: International Labour Organization (ILO) | Type: Topic Hub | Year: Active
ILO's principal entry point for OSH information, conventions, technical guidance, sectoral programmes, and global campaigns. Includes the World Day for Safety and Health at Work (28 April) and the OSH Global Action for Prevention (OSH-GAP) programme.
View ResourceSource: International Labour Organization (ILO) | Type: Strategic Framework | Year: Active
The overarching ILO framework integrating employment creation, rights at work, social protection, and social dialogue. Decent work is now anchored in SDG 8. The Agenda provides the normative architecture within which OSH is positioned as a core dimension of decent work in the health sector and beyond.
View ResourceSource: International Labour Organization (ILO) / International Labour Conference | Type: Constitutional Decision | Year: 2022
Landmark June 2022 decision of the International Labour Conference adding occupational safety and health to the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (1998). Member States now have an obligation to respect and promote a safe and healthy working environment, with C155 and C187 designated as the corresponding fundamental conventions.
View ResourceSource: International Labour Organization (ILO) | Type: Reference Database | Year: Active
The official ILO database providing the full text of all conventions and recommendations, country-by-country ratification status, ILO supervisory body comments, and national labour and social security legislation profiles. Authoritative source for all OSH convention research and ratification monitoring.
View ResourceSource: International Labour Organization (ILO) | Type: Statistical Database | Year: Active
Global statistical hub providing internationally comparable data on labour, employment, working conditions, and OSH indicators including occupational injuries, fatal accident rates, and labour inspection capacity. Essential for cross-country comparative research and SDG monitoring.
View ResourceSource: International Labour Organization (ILO) | Type: Global Campaign | Year: 2022–ongoing
Active ILO campaign launched following the 2022 elevation of OSH to fundamental principle status. Aims to accelerate universal ratification and effective implementation of the two fundamental OSH conventions. Provides country-level dashboards, technical support resources, and tripartite advocacy materials.
View ResourceSource: International Labour Organization (ILO) | Type: Sectoral Policy Hub | Year: Active
ILO sectoral department dedicated to the health services sector, addressing employment, working conditions, social dialogue, and occupational safety and health for health and care workers. Includes guidance on safe staffing, prevention of workplace violence, and pandemic preparedness for the health workforce.
View ResourceWHO–ILO Joint Programme — Flagship Resource Section
The WHO–ILO joint programme establishing the global framework for national OSH programmes for health and care workers. Developed jointly by the World Health Organization and the International Labour Organization in 2022 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Centred on a comprehensive 12-element national programme model covering policy, management, surveillance, capacity, and worker participation. Adopted by Ministries of Health and Labour in over 30 Member States.
Source: World Health Organization / International Labour Organization | Type: Joint Technical Guide | Year: 2022
The benchmark joint WHO–ILO publication providing step-by-step methodological guidance for governments, ministries of health and labour, healthcare institutions, and occupational health professionals on developing comprehensive national OSH programmes for health workers. Structured around 12 programme elements: policy and leadership; financing; planning; OSH committees; risk assessment; healthy work environment; immunisation and PEP; mental health; case management; emergency preparedness; surveillance; and capacity building.
View Resource ILO MirrorSource: World Health Organization / International Labour Organization | Type: Policy Brief | Year: 2022
Companion policy brief distilling the key messages, normative basis, and high-level recommendations of the WHO–ILO joint guide for ministers, senior policy-makers, and parliamentary audiences. Suitable for executive briefings on the institutional case for investing in health workforce OSH.
View Resource1. National policy and institutional leadership for OSH for health workers • 2. Financing and resource allocation • 3. Strategic planning and target setting • 4. OSH committees and worker participation • 5. Workplace risk assessment and management • 6. Healthy and safe work environment, equipment, and infrastructure • 7. Immunisation and post-exposure prophylaxis • 8. Mental health and psychosocial support • 9. Case management and rehabilitation • 10. Emergency preparedness and response • 11. OSH surveillance, recording, and reporting • 12. Information, education, training, and continuing competence.
Conventions
The international legal framework establishing State obligations for OSH. Includes the two fundamental OSH conventions (C155 and C187), the Occupational Health Services Convention (C161), the labour inspection conventions (C81 and C129), the Nursing Personnel Convention (C149), and additional instruments addressing violence, harassment, and occupational disease. Each convention links to its official entry in the ILO NORMLEX system.
normlex.ilo.orgSource: International Labour Organization (ILO) | Type: Fundamental Convention | Year: 1981 (in force 1983)
The cornerstone OSH convention. Requires ratifying States to formulate, implement, and periodically review a coherent national OSH policy in consultation with the most representative organizations of employers and workers. Defines employer responsibilities, workers' rights including the right to remove themselves from imminent danger, and the framework for prevention. Designated as a Fundamental Convention since 2022. Supplemented by Recommendation No. 164 and Protocol of 2002 (P155).
View ResourceSource: International Labour Organization (ILO) | Type: Fundamental Convention | Year: 2006 (in force 2009)
Requires ratifying States to promote continuous improvement of OSH through the development of a national OSH policy, a national OSH system, a national OSH programme, and a national preventive safety and health culture. Provides the procedural and institutional architecture for operationalising C155. Designated as a Fundamental Convention since 2022. The subject of the active ILO Global Ratification Campaign. Supplemented by Recommendation No. 197.
View ResourceSource: International Labour Organization (ILO) | Type: Technical Convention | Year: 1985 (in force 1988)
Requires ratifying States to progressively develop occupational health services for all workers in all branches of economic activity and all enterprises — including the public service. Defines occupational health services as essentially preventive functions advising employers, workers, and their representatives on workplace health requirements, work environment surveillance, worker health surveillance, training, and first aid. Supplemented by Recommendation No. 171.
View ResourceSource: International Labour Organization (ILO) | Type: Governance Convention | Year: 1947 (in force 1950)
One of the four governance conventions of the ILO. Requires the maintenance of a system of labour inspection in industrial workplaces — including healthcare institutions — covering working conditions and the protection of workers while engaged in their work. Defines inspector qualifications, powers of entry and investigation, and reporting obligations. Supplemented by Recommendation No. 81 and the Protocol of 1995.
View ResourceSource: International Labour Organization (ILO) | Type: Governance Convention | Year: 1969 (in force 1972)
Extends the principles of C81 to agricultural undertakings and rural workforce settings. Together with C81, forms the global standard for State capacity to enforce labour and OSH legislation. Supplemented by Recommendation No. 133.
View ResourceSource: International Labour Organization (ILO) | Type: Sectoral Convention | Year: 1977 (in force 1979)
Requires ratifying States to adopt measures to provide nursing personnel with education, training, and conditions of employment likely to attract and retain persons in the profession. Covers occupational protection, working time, social security, and career development. Recognises the central role of nursing personnel in health system resilience. Supplemented by Recommendation No. 157.
View ResourceSource: International Labour Organization (ILO) | Type: Convention | Year: 2019 (in force 2021)
The first international treaty recognising the right of everyone to a world of work free from violence and harassment, including gender-based violence. Of direct relevance to the health sector, where workplace violence — including third-party violence from patients and visitors — is a recognised occupational hazard. Supplemented by Recommendation No. 206.
View ResourceSource: International Labour Organization (ILO) | Type: Technical Convention | Year: 1974 (in force 1976)
Requires ratifying States to determine periodically carcinogenic substances and agents to which occupational exposure shall be prohibited or made subject to authorisation or control. Of direct relevance to oncology services, radiology, pathology, sterilisation, and cytotoxic drug handling in healthcare settings.
View ResourceCountry Profile — Georgia
Despite significant labour reforms in recent years, current ILO NORMLEX data indicate that Georgia has not yet ratified several of the key OSH conventions directly relevant to the protection of health and care workers. Closing this normative gap would strengthen healthcare institutions, support workforce retention, prevent occupational injuries and infections, improve patient safety, and reinforce European integration commitments under the EU–Georgia Association Agreement.
NORMLEX Country Profile — Georgia| Convention | Year | Type | Georgia Status | NORMLEX |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C155 — Occupational Safety and Health | 1981 | Fundamental | Not ratified | View |
| C187 — Promotional Framework for OSH | 2006 | Fundamental | Not ratified | View |
| C161 — Occupational Health Services | 1985 | Technical | Not ratified | View |
| C81 — Labour Inspection | 1947 | Governance | Not ratified | View |
| C129 — Labour Inspection (Agriculture) | 1969 | Governance | Not ratified | View |
| C149 — Nursing Personnel | 1977 | Sectoral | Not ratified | View |
| C190 — Violence and Harassment | 2019 | Cross-cutting | Not ratified | View |
Status verified against ILO NORMLEX as of May 2026. Readers are encouraged to consult the live NORMLEX country profile for the most current information.
Europe
Key European Union and WHO Regional Office for Europe institutions, strategic frameworks, and technical agencies governing OSH across the European labour market. Includes the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA), the EU Strategic Framework on Health and Safety at Work, and the European Pillar of Social Rights.
osha.europa.euSource: European Union (Bilbao, Spain) | Type: EU Agency | Year: Active
The EU's tripartite agency for OSH information, research, and good practice exchange. Operates the OSHwiki knowledge platform, publishes the European Survey of Enterprises on New and Emerging Risks (ESENER), and runs the Healthy Workplaces Campaign series. Authoritative reference for European OSH standards and sectoral guidance, including for the health and care sector.
View ResourceSource: European Commission | Type: Strategic Framework | Year: 2021
The current EU-wide policy framework for OSH. Identifies three priorities: (1) anticipating and managing change in the new world of work; (2) improving prevention of work-related accidents and diseases; (3) increasing preparedness for current and future health crises. Particularly relevant for digital, psychosocial, and pandemic-related risks affecting health and care workers.
View ResourceSource: European Commission | Type: Social Rights Framework | Year: 2017
The European Pillar of Social Rights includes Principle 10 affirming the right of every worker to a high level of protection of their health and safety at work. Provides the rights-based foundation for EU OSH legislation, directives, and the EU Strategic Framework. Important reference point for accession and Association Agreement countries, including Georgia.
View ResourceSource: World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe | Type: Regional Programme | Year: Active
The WHO European Region's dedicated health workforce programme, addressing planning, education, retention, decent work, and OSH for the 53 Member States of the European Region — including the South Caucasus. Hosts the Bucharest Declaration on Health Workforce.
View ResourceNational Institutes
Leading national institutes producing globally referenced OSH evidence, training, and tools. Many are designated WHO Collaborating Centres on Occupational Health and contribute to the WHO–ILO joint programme on health workforce protection.
Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) | Type: Federal Research Institute | Year: Active
The U.S. federal agency for OSH research and recommendations. Operates the Healthcare and Social Assistance Sector Programme covering hazards specific to healthcare workers, the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA), and the NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards. Globally referenced evidence base.
View ResourceSource: Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (Finland) | Type: National Research Institute / WHO CC | Year: Active
A leading European OSH research institution and WHO Collaborating Centre. Produces influential research on workplace mental health, ageing workforce, biological hazards in healthcare, and occupational health services. Coordinates the European Network of WHO Collaborating Centres on Occupational Health.
View ResourceSource: Institut national de recherche et de sécurité (France) | Type: National Institute | Year: Active
France's national OSH research and prevention institute. Publishes the journal Hygiène et sécurité du travail and operates a comprehensive online resource centre on workplace risks, including dedicated guidance for the health and social care sector.
View ResourceSource: Health and Safety Executive (United Kingdom) | Type: National Regulatory Authority | Year: Active
The UK's independent regulator for workplace health, safety, and illness. Produces a comprehensive evidence base, statistics on work-related ill health, sectoral guidance for the healthcare sector, and management standards for work-related stress.
View ResourceSource: Bundesanstalt für Arbeitsschutz und Arbeitsmedizin (Germany) | Type: Federal Research Institute | Year: Active
Germany's federal scientific institute for OSH research and policy advice. Produces internationally influential research on working time, mental health at work, workplace exposure limits, and the OSH dimensions of digitalisation in healthcare.
View ResourceAcademic
Leading peer-reviewed journals and academic societies producing the primary scientific evidence base in occupational safety, occupational medicine, and the protection of the health workforce.
Source: BMJ Publishing Group | Type: Peer-Reviewed Journal | Year: Active
A leading international journal in occupational and environmental medicine, publishing original research, systematic reviews, and editorials. Strong track record on health worker exposure studies, infectious disease in healthcare settings, and psychosocial risks.
View ResourceSource: Nordic Institutes for Occupational Health | Type: Peer-Reviewed Journal | Year: Active
High-impact international journal jointly issued by the Nordic occupational health institutes. Authoritative source for evidence on working time, psychosocial work environment, return-to-work interventions, and workforce health among professional groups including the healthcare workforce.
View ResourceSource: British Occupational Hygiene Society / Oxford Academic | Type: Peer-Reviewed Journal | Year: Active
International peer-reviewed journal on occupational hygiene, exposure science, and risk assessment. Of direct relevance to laboratory, radiology, sterilisation, and pharmaceutical exposures in the health sector.
View ResourceSource: Japan Society for Occupational Health / Oxford Academic | Type: Peer-Reviewed Journal | Year: Active
Open-access peer-reviewed journal of the Japan Society for Occupational Health. Publishes original research, reviews, and policy papers across the full breadth of occupational health, with strong representation of Asian and global health workforce evidence.
View ResourceSource: International Commission on Occupational Health | Type: International Scientific Society | Year: Active
The world's leading international scientific society in occupational health, with over 2,000 members in more than 90 countries. Convenes triennial congresses, hosts 30+ scientific committees, and publishes the International Code of Ethics for Occupational Health Professionals.
View ResourceTraining
Continuing professional development programmes, eLearning courses, and capacity-building initiatives for OSH professionals, occupational physicians, occupational nurses, ministry officials, and labour inspectors.
www.itcilo.org/coursesSource: International Training Centre of the International Labour Organization (Turin, Italy) | Type: Training Institution | Year: Active
The ILO's global training arm, offering accredited courses on OSH management systems, labour inspection, ratification and implementation of international labour standards, and decent work in the health sector. Includes both face-to-face and distance learning formats.
View ResourceSource: World Health Organization (WHO Academy) | Type: Online Learning Platform | Year: Active
The WHO's flagship learning platform for the global health workforce. Offers free, certified online courses on patient safety, infection prevention and control, mental health at work, and pandemic preparedness — many of which are directly relevant to OSH for health workers.
View ResourceSource: European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) | Type: Open Knowledge Platform | Year: Active
A peer-reviewed, freely available knowledge base on OSH topics maintained by EU-OSHA. Articles authored by recognised experts and updated continuously. Includes dedicated entries on healthcare sector hazards, biological agents, musculoskeletal disorders, and psychosocial risks.
View ResourceNetworks
International scientific societies, professional networks, and regional initiatives connecting OSH practitioners, researchers, and policy-makers across borders.
Georgia — Publisher of This Knowledge Hub
This Knowledge Hub is produced and maintained by the following Georgian institutions on a fully volunteer basis with zero external funding.
Independent NGO and research institution founded and chaired by Prof. Giorgi Pkhakadze, MD MPH PhD. Secretary/Treasurer of the UEMS Public Health Section. Leads public health research, education, and policy engagement in Georgia and the Caucasus region.
Visit PHIGOpen-access peer-reviewed journal, Editor-in-Chief: Prof. Giorgi Pkhakadze, MD MPH PhD. Indexed in 9 databases including Crossref (DOI: 10.66636), Google Scholar, ERIH+, OpenAlex, BASE. ISSN 3088-4322. CC BY 4.0.
Visit GMJ Migration HubSource: European OSH Network | Type: Professional Network | Year: Active
European discussion platform for OSH experts working in standardisation, testing, certification, and research. Bridges the technical and regulatory dimensions of European OSH practice.
View ResourceSource: European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) | Type: Specialist Section | Year: Active
The European Union of Medical Specialists section dedicated to occupational medicine. Sets European training standards for the medical speciality of occupational medicine and represents the profession in EU institutional dialogue. Sister section to the UEMS Public Health Section.
View ResourceSource: World Health Organization (WHO) | Type: Global Institutional Network | Year: Active
A global network of designated WHO Collaborating Centres on Occupational Health, coordinating evidence generation, technical guidance, and capacity building in support of WHO's occupational health programme priorities.
View ResourceGMJ
Georgian Medical Journal · Occupational Safety and Health thematic series · Open Access · CC BY 4.0 · DOI prefix: 10.66636
gmj.geSource: Pkhakadze G. and colleagues | Type: Editorial / Programmatic Launch | Year: 2026
Coming soon. The inaugural editorial article and first thematic contributions are in preparation. Submissions are now invited from researchers, occupational physicians, public health professionals, labour authorities, and international partners.
Submit a ManuscriptThe foundational normative instruments constituting the global framework for occupational safety and health. Understanding these instruments is essential for contextualising research, clinical practice, labour inspection, and health system responses.
| Framework | Year | Lead Body | Status | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Safe and Healthy Working Environment as a Fundamental Principle and Right at Work | 2022 | ILO | Constitutional | View |
| ILO C155 — Occupational Safety and Health Convention | 1981 | ILO | Fundamental Convention | View |
| ILO C187 — Promotional Framework for OSH Convention | 2006 | ILO | Fundamental Convention | View |
| WHO–ILO Caring for Those Who Care — Joint Programme | 2022 | WHO / ILO | Joint Programme | View |
| WHO Health Worker Safety Charter | 2020 | WHO | Global Charter | View |
| WHO Global Strategy on HRH: Workforce 2030 | 2016 | WHO / WHA | Global Strategy | View |
| Global Patient Safety Action Plan 2021–2030 | 2021 | WHO / WHA | Action Plan | View |
| EU Strategic Framework on Health and Safety at Work 2021–2027 | 2021–2027 | European Commission | Regional Strategy | View |
| SDG 3 (Health and Well-Being) and SDG 8 (Decent Work) | 2015–2030 | United Nations | Structural framework | View |
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