Reflections on a Global Conversation: Advancing Occupational Health for Small Enterprises and Informal Workers – CU Anschutz newsroom

Report on Occupational Health for Small-Scale Enterprises and Informal Sector Workers: Emphasizing Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction

Dr. Liliana Tenney, DrPH, MPH, Director of Outreach and Programs at the Centers for Health, Work & Environment, recently reflected on the critical importance of global collaboration and the urgent need to protect at-risk workers. Her insights were shared during the 10th international webinar on Occupational Health for Small-Scale Enterprises and the Informal Sector in the Americas, hosted by the International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH) National Secretary for Peru.

Context and Importance of Informal Workers

Informal workers, including street vendors, day laborers, domestic workers, informal construction workers, and garment workers, often face some of the highest occupational risks but are excluded from traditional labor laws and social protections. This group is a critical focus area for achieving several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly:

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
2. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
3. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

More information on informal workers and the informal economy can be found here.

Global Collaboration and Historical Perspective

Dr. Tenney’s participation in the ICOH events, including the 31st International Congress on Occupational Health in 2015 in Seoul, South Korea, highlights the value of international cooperation in advancing occupational health globally. ICOH serves as a multidisciplinary and multicultural platform bridging disciplines, languages, and borders to address occupational health challenges.

The Scientific Committee on Occupational Health for Small-Scale Enterprises and the Informal Sector (SWA) exemplifies this commitment by focusing on millions of workers worldwide who labor outside the formal economy and face significant occupational hazards with minimal protections.

Key Challenges and Shared Strategies

During the recent webinar, experts from Mexico, Jamaica, Guatemala, and Colombia shared regional insights and experiences. The panel included:

• Jose Miguel Tejeda (Mexico) – Occupational Medicine Physician and National Coordinator of the Pneumoconiosis Observatory
• Janice Green (Jamaica) – Certified Safety Professional and advocate for worker protections across the Caribbean
• Àlvaro Arrivillaga (Guatemala) – Physician and professor advancing occupational health systems in Central America
• Edgar Correa (Colombia) – Researcher and member of Colombia’s Disability Rate Board, working to improve disability evaluation and policy

The challenges identified include:

• Limited access to occupational health services
• Lack of regulatory oversight
• High exposure to occupational hazards

Shared strategies to address these challenges focus on:

• Strengthening community partnerships
• Improving training and education for workers
• Increasing visibility and advocacy for informal and small-scale workers

These efforts align closely with the SDGs by promoting decent work conditions, reducing inequalities, and ensuring healthy lives.

Approaches and Best Practices

Dr. Tenney highlighted the work of the Centers for Health, Work & Environment at the Colorado School of Public Health, which integrates the Total Worker Health® approach with public health practice. Key principles include:

• Listening to community partners
• Adapting interventions to local contexts
• Building trust with underserved worker populations

These principles support the achievement of SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals, by fostering collaboration between stakeholders to improve occupational health outcomes.

Conclusion and Future Outlook

The evolving world of work, influenced by climate change, technological advances, and shifting labor markets, underscores the urgency of ICOH’s mission. The focus on occupational health for informal and small-scale workers is not only a scientific endeavor but a matter of social justice and human rights.

Dr. Tenney emphasizes that every worker deserves the right to a safe, healthy, and dignified working life, regardless of job formality or enterprise size. This vision supports multiple SDGs, including:

• SDG 1: No Poverty
• SDG 5: Gender Equality (considering many informal workers are women)
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

Continued global collaboration, knowledge sharing, and policy advocacy remain essential to achieving these goals and protecting vulnerable worker populations worldwide.

1. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Addressed or Connected

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
   • The article focuses on occupational health and safety for workers, especially those in small-scale enterprises and the informal sector, which directly relates to ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being.
2. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
   • The emphasis on protecting workers’ rights, ensuring safe working conditions, and supporting informal and small-scale workers aligns with promoting sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all.
3. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • The article highlights the challenges faced by informal workers who are often excluded from labor laws and social protections, addressing the need to reduce inequalities within and among countries.
4. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
   • The international collaboration through ICOH webinars and scientific committees exemplifies global partnerships to achieve the SDGs.

2. Specific Targets Under Those SDGs

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
   • Target 3.9: Substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination.
   • Target 3.d: Strengthen the capacity of all countries for early warning, risk reduction and management of national and global health risks.
2. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
   • Target 8.8: Protect labor rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers, particularly women migrants, and those in precarious employment.
3. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • Target 10.3: Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies and action in this regard.
4. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
   • Target 17.16: Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources.

3. Indicators Mentioned or Implied to Measure Progress

1. Occupational Health Indicators
   • Incidence rates of occupational diseases and injuries among informal and small-scale enterprise workers.
   • Access to occupational health services and safety training for workers in informal sectors.
   • Number or proportion of workers covered by labor protections and social security schemes.
2. Labor Rights and Safety Indicators
   • Proportion of informal workers included in national labor laws and social protection systems.
   • Number of policies or programs implemented to improve occupational health and safety in small-scale and informal enterprises.
3. Partnership and Collaboration Indicators
   • Number of international collaborations, webinars, and scientific committees focused on occupational health for informal workers.
   • Extent of knowledge sharing and capacity building activities among countries and regions.

4. Table: SDGs, Targets and Indicators

Source: news.cuanschutz.edu