April 28 marks the World Day for Safety and Health at Work and the International Workers’ Memorial Day.
Today, we pay special attention not only to traditional risks but also to emerging ones that increasingly affect workers’ health. The International Labour Organization (ILO) emphasizes the importance of considering work organization, workload, leadership quality, and their impact on both physical and mental well-being.
In the energy, construction, utilities, and chemical industry sectors, workers face complex, high-risk conditions every day: working with high voltage, falls from height, hazardous confined spaces, chemical exposure, and explosion risks remain the main causes of accidents.
However, alongside these traditional hazards, new challenges are becoming increasingly significant: rising workloads, shift work, overtime, and stress caused by rapid technological changes—automation, digitalization, and the implementation of artificial intelligence systems in the workplace.
Work intensity, complex human–technology interaction, as well as psychological and ergonomic strain are becoming critical safety factors that increase the risk of accidents. In industrial sectors, even a single mistake can have serious consequences.
Therefore, the Lithuanian Industry Trade Union Federation (LPPSF) emphasizes that worker safety goes far beyond technical measures—it is an integral part of workplace culture. This means managing both physical and psychosocial risks, involving workers in decision-making, and promoting responsible work organizing.
Today, in the context of labor shortages and increasing workloads, it is especially important to strengthen safety standards by integrating psychosocial risk assessment into daily practice.
LPPSF calls on employers and policymakers to recognize that worker safety today is not only about preventing accidents but also about preventing stress and technological burnout in the workplace. Only such a comprehensive approach can ensure sustainable industrial development and genuine worker well-being.