The Global Initiative for Industrial Safety (GIFIS) has launched the world’s first Manifesto for Global Industrial Safety, pioneering a safer world through technology adoption. Authored by members of the Institute for Manufacturing (IfM), the manifesto marks a significant step towards addressing both emerging and long-standing safety risks affecting workers worldwide.

Globally, around three million deaths each year are directly attributed to inadequate safety measures and hazardous work environments, with a loss of 3.9% of worldwide GDP—according to the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).

New technologies, such as the internet of things, artificial intelligence, and advanced robotics, are enabling the creation of more innovative products, intelligent factories, and flexible supply chains. While these innovations can pose risks to workers' health, they also provide an opportunity to enhance workplace safety.

The Manifesto outlines five guiding principles and vital contributions required from industry, government, academia, regulators, and international organisations to promote the safe adoption of technology in new industrial processes. The manifesto champions the use of technology to tackle safety risks for workers worldwide, marking a significant development in global industrial safety.

Particular emphasis is placed on ensuring relevance to developing countries disproportionately affected by occupational accidents and particularly vulnerable to climate-change-related hazards. The manifesto also recognises the specific safety challenges faced by groups in the informal economy, such as women and migrant workers.

Authored by members of the IfM, including those from Cambridge Industrial Innovation Policy, and developed in collaboration with GIFIS, a partnership with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Lloyd’s Register Foundation and the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (GMIS) – the manifesto is the first of its kind.

“Cutting-edge technologies are driving the creation of more innovative products, intelligent factories, and adaptable supply chains. These technologies offer fresh opportunities to confront global industrial safety challenges. Therefore, it is a perfect time for the manifesto to concentrate on global endeavours to tackle emerging safety issues and harness the power of technology to provide solutions,” said Dr Carlos López-Gómez, Cambridge Industrial Innovation Policy, manifesto co-author.

Co-author Zoi Roupakia, Policy and AI Research Lead, Institute for Manufacturing, explains that the manifesto is relevant to organisations of all sizes and the whole manufacturing supply chain: “Organisations can show their support by endorsing the manifesto online, signalling their commitment to advocating the well-being of workers worldwide. By joining a community of like-minded organisations that believe in the potential of technology, it is hoped the manifesto will have a positive impact on industrial safety globally.”

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

“Emerging trends in technology such as big data, cloud computing, robotics, and 3D printing, are changing the industrial environment very quickly. Whilst they bring huge opportunities, they also create new risks to the safety of workers and members of the public, especially in the developing world. We hope that governments, regulators, and business leaders will commit to the principles in this Manifesto to ensure new technologies are adopted safely and create a safe, sustainable future for us all,” said David Reid, Director of Global Advocacy & Partner Campaigns, Lloyd’s Register Foundation.

Download the manifesto

About the manifesto

Launched in partnership with Lloyd’s Register Foundation, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Global Manufacturing and Industrialization Summit, the ‘Global Initiative for Future Industrial Safety’ brings 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 in the manufacturing sector.

Organisations that have contributed to the development of the manifesto include 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 private-sector organisations covering a range of industrial sectors and countries at various stages of economic development.