Dubai, 10 September 2024 - The Global Initiative for Industrial Safety (GIFIS) announced today the launch of a first-of-its-kind Manifesto for Global Industrial Safety to pioneer a safer world through technology adoption. Developed in collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Lloyd’s Register Foundation, the Global Manufacturing and Industrialization Summit (GMIS), and the Cambridge Industrial Innovation Policy (CIIP), the Manifesto marks a significant step towards addressing emerging and long-standing safety risks affecting workers across the world.

Annually, about three million global deaths are attributed to inadequate safety measures and hazardous work environments accounting for a loss of 3.9% of global GDP, according to  International Labour Organizations. Advanced technologies including the Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, and Advanced Robotics are becoming integral to industrial processes, giving rise to intelligent factories and dynamic supply chains. While these innovations enhance workplace safety, they also present new health risks to workers. The Manifesto for Global Industrial Safety provides a strategic blueprint for stakeholders to harness technology and effectively tackle safety risks for workers across the world.

The Manifesto outlines five guiding principles and vital contributions required from industry, government, academia, regulators, and international organizations to accelerate the safe adoption of technology in new industrial processes and to integrate technology-enabled safety solutions in traditional industries. The GIFIS Manifesto’s principles are designed to uphold safe industrial working conditions as a fundamental human right, ensure safety considerations are central to all technology-related decisions, enhance cross-sector collaboration to advance technology-enabled safety solutions, and share, monitor, and promote safety lessons across industries. The Manifesto also underscores the need to support safety improvements in developing countries that are disproportionately affected by occupational accidents, advocating for a unified effort to address the unique challenges faced by these regions and the informal economy, such as women and migrant industrial workers.

Mr. Ciyong Zou, Deputy to the Director General and Managing Director of the Directorate of Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Industrial Development, UNIDO, said: “Advanced technologies are reshaping industries at an unprecedented pace, introducing both innovative solutions and new challenges to industrial safety. The GIFIS Manifesto for Global Industrial Safety provides a unified approach to address complex safety challenges, signifying a critical first step toward a safe and more secure industrial future. The industrial sector, governments, academia, regulators, and international organizations are encouraged to act upon industrial safety regulations that are very much needed for transformative and sustainable industrial development.”

David Reid, Director of Global Advocacy and Partnership Campaigns, Lloyd’s Register Foundation, added: “Emerging technologies such as big data, cloud computing, robotics, and 3D printing, are rapidly changing the industrial landscape. While they bring significant opportunities, they also pose new risks to the safety of workers, especially in the developing world. The GIFIS Manifesto serves as a beacon to ensure new technologies are adopted safely across industrial processes. We hope that governments, regulators, and business leaders will embrace the Manifesto, creating a safe, sustainable future for all.”

The launch of the Manifesto for Global Industrial Safety is an important moment in the collective pursuit of safer industrial environments across the world. It represents a unified call to action for all stakeholders to prioritize the well-being of workers and ensure that technological advancement goes hand in hand with safety and sustainability. Organizations have the opportunity to showcase their commitment to industrial safety, share insights and best practices that inform policy, and collaborate on initiatives that can drive meaningful change.

Mr. Carlos Lopez, Head of Unit at the Institute for Manufacturing's Cambridge Industrial Innovation Policy (CIIP) group, added: “Cutting-edge technologies allow us to engineer more innovative products, intelligent factories, and adaptable supply chains. These technologies also bring new opportunities to confront global industrial safety challenges. It is the perfect time for the Global Initiative for Industrial Safety to launch the manifesto and start a global movement to address emerging safety issues and leverage technology to find solutions."

Several key organizations have contributed to the development of the Manifesto, including the International Labour Organization (ILO), the National Safety Council, Cranfield University, Safetytech Accelerator Limited, the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), the British Standards Institution (BSI), and various private-sector organizations from a range of industrial sectors across the world.

Namir Hourani, Managing Director of the Global Manufacturing and Industrialization Summit, said: “The Manifesto published by the Global Initiative for Industrial Safety (GIFIS) is more than just a set of guiding principles for the industrial sector; it is a call to action to address longstanding industrial safety challenges through innovative and collaborative efforts, which we hope will catalyze change in industrial standards and best practices across the world, ensuring that industries prioritize the safety and well-being of every single worker. With key partners like the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, Lloyd’s Register Foundation, and the University of Cambridge Industrial Innovation Policy unit, we aim to spread global awareness around the importance of industrial safety and save as many lives as possible.”

The Manifesto marks the first major milestone of the Global Initiative for Industrial Safety (GIFIS), launched as a key outcome of the 2021 edition of the Global Manufacturing and Industrialization Summit, a high-profile event that convenes world leaders to promote Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development and advance global good. The Manifesto for Global Industrial Safety is available for download at: https://www.industrialsafetyinitiative.com/storage/GIFISManifesto2024.pdf

 

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About the Global Initiative for Industrial Safety (GIFIS):

The Global Initiative for Industrial Safety (GIFIS) was launched in 2021 in partnership with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Lloyd’s Register Foundation, and the Global Manufacturing and Industrialization Summit. GIFIS aims to bring together a global coalition of stakeholders that puts safety at the heart of Fourth Industrial Revolution developments and aims to make the world a safer place by developing tools and resources to advance safety capabilities across industries.

To learn more about GIFIS, please visit www.industrialsafetyinitiative.com

 

About Lloyd’s Register Foundation

Lloyd’s Register Foundation is an independent global charity that supports research, innovation, and education to make the world a safer place. Its mission is to use the best evidence and insight to help the global community focus on tackling the world’s most pressing safety and risk challenges. For more information, please visit www.lrfoundation.org.uk

 

About GMIS:

The Global Manufacturing and Industrialization Summit (GMIS) was established in 2015 to build bridges between manufacturers, governments and NGOs, technologists, and investors in harnessing the Fourth Industrial Revolution’s (4IR) transformation of manufacturing to enable the regeneration of the global economy. A joint initiative by the United Arab Emirates and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), GMIS is a global platform that presents stakeholders with an opportunity to shape the future of the manufacturing sector and contribute towards global good by advancing some of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

 

Previous international editions of the Global Manufacturing and Industrialization Summit were held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, in 2017, Yekaterinburg, Russia, in 2019, Hannover, Germany (Virtual), in 2020, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in 2021, GMIS America – Pittsburgh, United States, in 2022, and GMIS Special Event at COP28 UAE, in 2023, with each flagship edition welcoming over 3,000 high-profile leaders from over 80 countries.

To learn more about GMIS, please visit gmisummit.com

 

About Cambridge Industrial Innovation Policy

Cambridge Industrial Innovation Policy (CIIP) is a global, not-for-profit policy group based at the Institute for Manufacturing (IfM) at the University of Cambridge. CIIP works with governments and global organizations to promote technological innovation and industrial competitiveness. We offer new evidence, insights and tools based on the latest academic thinking and international best practice. Our consultancy projects are delivered through IfM Engage, the knowledge-transfer arm of the IfM.

 

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