THE world of work is changing dramatically. There are major impacts on workers’ safety and health and new challenges due to globalisation, demographic changes, labour migration, evolving family structures as well as the consequences of a worldwide economic and financial crisis.
While safety risks and the resulting work accidents are diminishing, work-related commuting accidents are on the rise. The Inter-national Labour Organisation states that 2.2 million work-related deaths occur every year; 350,000 deaths are from accidents at work, 1.7 million are due to occupational diseases, and 158,000 are due to commuting accidents.