Editorial
Violence and stress at work - a threat to productivity and decent
work
November 2003
Sheila Pantry OBE
The ILO Draft Code of practice on violence and stress in services and
new ILO book on preventing violence in the workplace shows that every
year, violence and stress at work affect millions of workers and cost
millions of working days around the globe. Though some stress is normal,
excessive and continued stress or violence in the workplace are a threat
to the quality of service, to productivity and to decent work in a
variety of industries. The harmful impact of workplace violence and
stress is felt in both industrialised and developing countries, and in
both public and private sectors.
In response to this threat to decent work, the International Labour
Organisation has been holding a meeting of experts to endorse a new code
of practice on violence and stress at work, and has just published a
relevant handbook on how to prevent and respond to violence in the
workplace.
The draft code of practice on violence and stress at work in services
entitled "A threat to productivity and decent work" was
discussed at the International Labour Organisation in Geneva from 8 - 15
October 2003 by thirty- six experts representing equal numbers from ILO
governments, employers and workers' groups. They were joined by
observers from a number of intergovernmental and non-governmental
organisations.
Codes of practice are not intended to replace national laws or
regulations or accepted standards. Codes of practice are primarily
designed as a basis for prevention and protective measures, and are
considered as ILO technical standards in occupational safety and health.
The new ILO publication on violence at work approaches the issue from
two fronts. First, it demonstrates how workplace violence can be
prevented by examining ways in which organisations and groups are
handling the problem. It reviews an array of existing guidelines and
policies developed by governments, trade unions, special study groups,
workplace violence experts, employers' groups and specific industries,
and generates a useful survey of best practice strategies. Second, the
guide outlines in detail a reliable and effective methodology for
developing workplace violence prevention and response programmes.
For more information on the meeting www.ilo.org/public/english/dialogue/sector/techmeet/mevsws03/index.htm
For a pdf of the draft code of practice on violence and stress at
work www.ilo.org/public/english/dialogue/sector/techmeet/mevsws03/mevsws-cp.pdf
For a summary of comments received on the code www.ilo.org/public/english/dialogue/sector/techmeet/mevsws03/comments.pdf
For sector-specific information on violence and stress at work www.ilo.org/public/english/dialogue/sector/themes/violence.htm
See also: www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/safework/violence
To order the book: www.ilo.org/public/english/support/publ/violence3ed.htm
Violence at work. Third edition
Duncan Chappell and Vittorio di Martino
2006, xxiv+360 pp.
ISBN 978-92-2-117948-1
30 Sw.frs.; US$19.95; £14.95; 22 Euros
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Hope you have a zero accident and incident-free year in 2003 in
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