GLOBAL OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH LEADERS CONVENE IN GENEVA TO ADDRESS THE FUTURE OF WORKER HEALTH AND SAFETY
London, England — July 7, 2026
The International Occupational Medicine Society Collaborative (IOMSC) convened its Global Thought Leaders Summit at the International Labour Organization (ILO) headquarters in Geneva on 21st and 22nd May 2026. The high-level, two-day meeting brought together leading Occupational Medicine, Environmental Health & Safety leaders, and scientific experts from more than 50 countries to address critical priorities to improve global workforce health and safety.
There are an estimated 2.9 million deaths annually due to work-related causes. This represents a 12% increase in work-related mortality since 2000. Over 395 million workers sustain non-fatal occupational injuries annually, with around 160 million new cases of work-related diseases occurring each year. The global cost of poor occupational health & safety is estimated at 3.94% to 5.8% of the world's GDP ($2.8 to $3 trillion annually).
The summit centered on developing critical policy and clinical frameworks to safeguard the health & safety of the modern workforce. Key deliverables from the meeting included:
“Unlocking Strategic Value”: The evidence-based business case (ROI & VOI) for investing in employee health, well-being and safety.
"Beyond the Body": A landmark document dedicated to improving workplace mental health.
“Climate Change and Heat Exposure”: A timely report on actions to reduce the risks of occupational heat exposure.
“AI and the Changing Nature of Workplaces”: Presentations on the opportunities and risks of using Artificial Intelligence to improve workforce health & safety, including the psychological and functional impacts of AI and automation.
The summit was sponsored by Enterprise Health and Benchmark Gensuite and underscored the critical urgency of addressing global workforce health and safety. IOMSC reaffirmed that collaborative scientific approaches are vital to protecting and promoting worker health & safety in an era of unprecedented technological change.
Inaugural IOMSC Global Leadership Awards Presented
The summit marked the presentation of the first-ever IOMSC Global Leadership Awards. The accolade recognizes outstanding guidance, international inspiration, and exemplary leadership in occupational health and safety. The inaugural recipients are Dame Carol Black MD, Ivan Ivanov MD, Joaquim Nunes and Manal Azzi.
Media Contact: Rose Wood (rose.wood@som.org.uk)