COVID exposed the risks. Now the International Labour Organization (ILO) is responding with the world’s first international convention on biological hazards.
The NSWNMA argued at the ILO’s conference in June that the COVID pandemic demonstrated that workers
need the highest level of protection in the face of an unknown hazard.
The Association’s workplace health and safety expert, Veronica Black, attended the conference as a member of the Standard-Setting Committee on Biological Hazards.
“We’ve seen with COVID that where there isn’t any scientific evidence yet for new and emerging diseases, the highest level of protection must be afforded to people exposed to those hazards until we’ve learnt more about the nature of transmission,” says Veronica.
“When COVID emerged, we realised that many measures you would expect to be in place in the health system to protect workers were either inadequate or did not
‘When COVID emerged, we realised that many measures you would expect to be in place in the health system to protect workers were either inadequate or did not exist.’
“In Australia, our WHS legislation is very broad. It requires employers to ensure that workers are safe at work. However, there is nothing in the existing WHS legal frameworks specific to biological hazards or that sets out the responsibilities of employers and governments to ensure that workers are safe.”
Without clearly codified rights and responsibilities at the outbreak of COVID, the NSWNMA had to work hard to lobby the government and large employers. The Association fought for improvements in PPE supplies, the first FIT testing for nurses, and for income support for workers. We also suppor ted loca l work place representatives to raise issues and concerns with management.
PREPARING FOR ANY FUTURE PANDEMIC
“An international convention would form the foundation for law and practice on managing biological hazards in workplaces for countries around the world,” said Veronica.
“Any country that ratifies such a convention will have to introduce strict measures to protect workers in events such as future pandemics and other biological hazards at work.”
The ILO tripartite standing-setting committee includes workers, employers and government
representatives, and Veronica is pleased to report several wins for workers in the committee’s final document. These include a broad definition of what constitutes a biological hazard, a right to be consulted and the right to refuse work, and a definition of health that includes mental health and wellbeing.
“An important lesson of COVID – before vaccines were developed and when people were dying around the world, and when our members had to go to work without necessary PPE – is that we need a broad understanding of biological hazards to include both people’s physical and mental well- being,” said Veronica.
The committee will conclude developing the convention document at the next ILO conference in June 2025. A two-thirds majority of delegates is needed to approve the document. The next steps will be for countries to ratify and implement the new convention.