Belgium – Health
Action point 19
Promote best practice of SMEs that adopt responsible supply chain management, especially through the « CSR Compass » tool
« One of the most relevant instruments developed by the European Commission for supply chain management is the portal, part of the European Alliance for CSR. Founded by the Commission and leading companies in Europe in 2006, the Alliance brings together 260 companies. This free-to-use platform offers, among other things, information on topics, a set of good practices, codes of conduct and international frameworks. By highlighting child labor and work forced as main issues, the portal also addresses human rights. Other big topics include corruption, discrimination, freedom of association, collective agreements, health and safety, compensation and working hours.”
Action point 26
Pay particular attention to the ratification of a series of ILO conventions to health and safety at work
Globally, the scale of the consequences in terms of human suffering and economic costs of occupational accidents and illness, as well as major industrial disasters, has been a growing cause for concern in the workplace in recent years, at both national and international levels… Poor working conditions, deterioration of health at work, work accidents, in addition to being morally unacceptable, have an economic cost for the company and the community… The guide published by the United Nations “questions on the guiding principles relating to companies and human rights ”mentions as an example the setting of standards for the protection of health and safety in factories. Belgium has always attached great importance to safety and health at work. As a sign of this commitment, Belgium has ratified, in recent years, a series of key international labour Conventions including the fundamental principles of safety and health: the Occupational Safety and Health Convention (No. 155) and the Occupational Health Services Convention (No. 161). Belgium has also recently ratified Conventions relating to health and safety in high-risk branches of economic activity: The Safety and Health in Mines Convention (No. 176) and Safety and Health in Agriculture Convention (No. 184).
Actions of the federal government:
The reaffirmation of Belgium’s commitment will be manifested through the forthcoming ratification of the following conventions:
- ILO Convention No. 187 on Occupational Safety and Health. This important international labour standard is intended to promote a culture of prevention in health and safety. This Convention aims to implement concrete measures, in consultation with the social partners, in order to gradually achieve a safe and healthy working environment, in a coherent and concerted manner, through the development of a national policy, a national system and a national program on occupational safety and health;
- Convention No. 167 on Safety and Health in Construction. The instrument of ratification of this Convention will be deposited in Geneva in June 2016;
- Convention No. 170 on Safety in the Use of Chemical Substances at Work.
By ratifying these key safety and health conventions, Belgium will not only commit to strengthening its own occupational health and safety system, but also to encourage other countries to follow it.