Advancing safe work in Southeast Asia: challenges, opportunities, and the path forward

By Hanlin Zhang, Jiaqi Li and Jennifer Castañeda-Navarrete

Ensuring safe working conditions is fundamental to fostering decent employment. Yet, across different regions of the world, workers continue to face exposure to hazards, risks of injury, and work-related fatalities. According to data from the International Labour Organization (ILO) nearly 400 million workers suffer non-fatal work-related injuries every year, while almost 3 million workers lose their lives due to occupational diseases and accidents. 

Similarly, the Lloyd’s Register Foundation World Risk Poll estimates that between 2022 and 2023, 18% of the global workforce—approximately 667 million adults—experienced serious work-related harm.[1] Circulatory diseases, malignant neoplasms, and respiratory diseases account for nearly three-quarters of all work-related deaths. Key contributors to these fatalities include long working hours and exposure to dangerous materials. Workers in Southeast Asia and the Pacific bear a disproportionate burden of work-related deaths caused by respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. 

The role of safety and health training in preventing harm 

Effective safety and health training is essential for reducing workplace risks and equipping workers with the knowledge and skills to prevent injuries and respond to hazards. However, Southeastern Asia lags behind other regions in providing workplace safety and health training. In 2023, only 21% of World Risk Poll respondents in this region reported having received such training within the past two years, compared to the global average of 30.2% (see Chart 1). 

These disparities underscore the need to investigate factors influencing this limited access to occupational safety and health training in the region. Through the project Policy making for a more resilient world: leveraging the World Risk Poll for more effective digital, labour, and industrial policies, funded by Lloyd’s Register Foundation, Cambridge Industrial Innovation Policy will examine the role of international conventions in advancing occupational health and safety, with a particular focus on Southeastern Asia.  

A policy brief will be published summarising these findings and providing policy recommendations to enhance occupational health and safety in Southeastern Asia. Findings will be discussed and disseminated through a range of activities, including: in-person and online seminars; workshops with representatives from national governments, regional and international organisations; short-video explainers; and infographics. 

The project started in September 2024 and will run until December 2025 and was selected following a competitive call for funding based on its potential to use the World Risk Poll data to improve people’s safety. Three other policy briefs will be produced as part of this project. These will cover the following topics:  

• AI frameworks and regulations for safe and inclusive AI use; 

• digital economy agreements including regulations for cross-border data flows; and 

• the role of industrial policy in enhancing socio-economic resilience; 

[1] Lloyd’s Register Foundation figures correspond to people who suffered non-fatal injuries in 2022 and 2023, while ILO estimates correspond to annual data. 

Find out more about the project