United for safety

This is not just an appeal – it represents real actions that have already brought positive results. The current situation in the field of occupational safety and health in Ukraine has prompted committed professionals and business entities to unite and act collectively.

On April 24, 2025, on the occasion of World Day for Safety and Health at Work, the journal "Occupational Safety and Health" and the European Society of Occupational Safety and Health (ESOSH), with the active involvement of partners, organized the blitz forum “United for Safety.” Leading experts discussed current topics and trends in the field of occupational safety.

Among the forum’s speakers were representatives of the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine, the Confederation of Employers of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Association for Occupational Safety (UAОS), the Public Union “Reforms for Business: Participation and Cooperation,” Lviv State University of Life Safety, the State Regulatory Service of Ukraine, the State Labor Service of Ukraine, and other enterprises and institutions.

The participants honored the memory of the workers who lost their lives due to occupational incidents on the job with a moment of silence.

Yuriy Andrievsky, Head of the Labor Protection Department of the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine, thanked the organizers and everyone contributing to the joint efforts to improve the state of labor protection in the country. In recent years, the Federation has been actively involved in reforming the state OSH management system, working towards the implementation of European directives into Ukrainian legislation, primarily involved in working on the draft law on the safety and health of workers at work (OSH), on amendments to the Law of Ukraine “On the status of war veterans”. Last year, the Federation allocated about two million UAH for material support to 300 union members affected by occupational injuries due to hostilities, as well as to the families of those who died.  A Book of Remembrance is also being compiled to honor union members who died defending the country or and working on the home front.

Oksana Medvedska, Executive Director of the Confederation of Employers of Ukraine, highlighted the proactive role of employers in developing the above-mentioned legislative drafts, including the draft Labor Code of Ukraine.  In October 2023, the State Labor Service and the Confederation signed a Memorandum of Cooperation aimed at consolidating efforts to develop the nation’s labor potential and promote productive employment. Within the framework of the memorandum, it is planned to create an Employers' School, which will help engage young or future employers, as well as veterans, in acquiring knowledge of labor relations. The Confederation also supports enterprises in the employment and workplace integration of persons with disabilities, development of vocational education, and retraining. With support from the International Labour Organization (ILO), the RAZOM Platform was developed and implemented - an online resource providing information, consulting services, and practical advice to employers on employment of persons with disabilities. The platform also offers guidance on internal corporate policies regarding the integration of people with disabilities.

Oleksandr Krasnolutskyi, First Deputy Head of the State Regulatory Service of Ukraine (SRS), noted that the SRS has recently been actively working towards the  elimination of regulatory barriers that hinder business operations, effectively acting as a business advocate. In particular, the State Regulatory Service (SRS) has decided to repeal the Ministry of Economy’s Order No. 7954 dated November 27, 2023, titled “On Approval of Requirements for Business Entities Intending to Conduct (or Conducting) Occupational Safety and Industrial Safety Expertise, Perform (or Performing) Technical Inspections, Expert Examinations (Technical Diagnostics) of Machines, Mechanisms, and Equipment of Increased Hazard.”

For more details, see the article by V. Balatsun, “Changes Regarding OSH Training – Unreasonable,” Occupational Safety and Health magazine, issue No. 4/2025, p. 25. Based on the letter from the SRS, the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine issued an order on the loss of validity of this order. In the future, the Ministry of Economy should issue a new document that will regulate this area of activity. But before being adopted, it must undergo all discussions and other approvals in accordance with the established procedure.

Oleksandr Ihnatov, Director of the Occupational Safety Department at the State Labor Service, focused on the digital transformation issues. Since 2019, the State Labor Service has been implementing digitalization in its internal processes and in provision of administrative services. In 2021, an order was issued to introduce electronic document management within the national OSH management system, which has since been successfully implemented within the agency. However, many business entities, unfortunately, are in no hurry to introduce innovations, doubting their feasibility, especially during martial law.

Regarding other digital innovations of the Service:

• Since 2021, registration, temporary registration, re-registration and de-registration of heavy-duty vehicles have been carried out electronically through the  Ministry of Economy’s e-services portal using digital signatures.
• Since 2022, it has been possible to submit an application for a permit from the State Labor Department to perform hazardous work or operate high-risk equipment can also be submitted online. The use of digital signatures ensures document integrity and prevents post-dated approvals.
• Starting from September 1, 2023, applications for the purchase of industrial explosives and for the issuance of certificates for their storage must also be submitted electronically through the Ministry of Economy’s electronic services portal.
• From September 18, 2024, declarations of compliance of the material and technical base with occupational safety legislation can be registered via the “Diia” portal. This has significantly shortened and simplified the registration procedure and eliminated a number of corruption risks.

The speaker answered questions from the audience and received feedback on the implementation of electronic document management. However, many questions from the forum participants remained unanswered due to lack of time, so they agreed to make a catalog of these inquiries and continue the dialogue. He also reported on the progress of the draft law on Occupational Safety and Health in the Parliament, which, in his opinion, may be submitted to the session hall in the near future.

Olga Bogdanova, Head of ESOSH, described the state of society in Ukraine. In total, 81.6 thousand public organizations are registered in the country, in which only 15% of the population is involved. And in advanced countries, on average, 40% of the population belongs to public associations. In other words, public engagement in Ukraine needs to increase if we want to be a successful country.

The main goal of ESOSH is to develop competencies, train advanced practices of engineers in the field of OSH in Ukraine. For this purpose, the professional community has a qualification line, with the help of which 32 certified diploma-level experts, 62 certified experts, 156 accredited specialists are registered. Notably, diploma-level experts are mostly international representatives from 12 countries, and the goal is to increase the number of Ukrainians in this category. ESOSH comprises 14 specialized working groups. ESOSH is proud of the International Safety Education Hub, which involves 6 universities in Ukraine and together with which they organize training on safety, industrial safety etc. Safety specialists from European countries are involved in educational work within the hub, and graduates receive globally recognized certifications. ESOSH also cooperates with many professional associations from the EU. Since 2022, with their support, over €50,000 of aid including funds, medical kits, PPE, and training materials has been provided to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service and charitable foundations. The speaker encouraged the participants of the event to become more actively involved in the community, share their experience and acquire new knowledge.

Serhii Chebotarov presented the newly established Ukrainian Association for Professional Safety (UAPS). The association was established this year thanks to the initiative of ESOSH and the journal "Occupational Safety and Health". The main areas of activity of the association are:

• increasing the efficiency of personal protective equipment (PPE) use in the workplace;
• expanding domestic and international markets for safety products;
• participating in the development and implementation of standards in the field of occupational safety;
• activating international trade activity among member organizations.

The association includes manufacturers of protective equipment from Ukraine and suppliers of such products. The main goal of the association is to raise the level of OSH culture in Ukraine by introducing safe working methods. The speaker invited the participants of the event who work in the field of production and supply of PPE, expert organizations to join the association.

Natalia Banoshenko presented the Public Union "Reforms for Business: Participation and Cooperation". The union was established in April 2024, it united more than 30 members. These are expert organizations, training centers, enterprises, etc. The main goal of the union is to protect the rights and legitimate interests of its members and assist in regulating relations between the employer and the employee on issues of safety, occupational health and the working environment, interaction with government bodies, local governments, and employers to protect the rights of employees. The speaker familiarized the participants of the event with the main areas of activity of the union:

• promoting the implementation of economic and social policies in the country that would ensure the effective development of production and occupational safety and a safe working environment;
• cooperation with government authorities to create equal working conditions and to organize joint meetings and round tables for all partners operating in the occupational safety market in Ukraine;
• promoting social initiatives on OSH, the development of interregional and international relations and other areas of activity.

Oleksandr Mirus, Head of the Department of Occupational Safety and Health, and Industrial Safety at the Lviv State University of Life Safety, emphasized the importance of joining forces for the sake of safety. According to him, only thanks to the social partnership of higher education institutions, the State Emergency Service, the State Labor Service, the Federal Labor Force, the Confederation of Employers of Ukraine, and the journal "Occupational Safety and Health", the specialty "Occupational Safety" was restored in higher education institutions in Ukraine by the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated August 30, 2024 No. 1021. The speaker thanked the representatives of the above-mentioned bodies for the work. Also, by the order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine dated 17.12.2024 No. 1745 was approved the composition of the scientific and methodological commissions (sub-commissions) of the higher education sector of the Scientific and Methodological Council of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, at the meeting of whose heads on April 16 of this year, the terms and action plan for the development of new standards for all specialties of the updated list were agreed, in which the journal "Occupational Safety and Health" and other stakeholders will be actively involved.

O. Mazura suggested that participants – representatives of enterprises – take a test, the results of which would be analyzed by AI to assess their level of readiness for digitalization. The survey results revealed that over 52% of the enterprises surveyed already use CRM and AI tools to some extent (primarily ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot), indicating that the audience is prepared for an active transition to digital solutions.

Each participant received the promised bonuses: a list of 23 AI tools for occupational safety, a presentation, and personalized recommendations on which tools to start using to introduce modern technologies in their companies. “You can become a leader in your industry through the implementation of IT and AI. These are not expenses, but investments!” - Olena Mazura addressed the audience.

 The forum became more interactive and engaging thanks to a two-minute blitz poll conducted by the journal in real time. Participants were asked to answer a single question: “Who has the greatest influence on improving the level of occupational safety in Ukraine: the state, trade unions, employers, public organizations (society), media, or employees?” According to the survey results, the highest percentages were attributed to employers (46%) and public organizations (26%). This indicates that employers play the most significant role in ensuring the effective functioning of occupational safety management systems. But only by combining the efforts of all parties, all social partners, 100% result can be achieved.

 In the final part of the blitz forum, the results of the XIV All-Ukrainian Children's Drawing Competition "Occupational Safety Through the Eyes of Children" were announced. Forum participants watched several videos: one showcasing the work of the competition jury, another featuring the drawing exhibition, and a touching story about one of the participants - Svitlanka from Horishni Plavni (pictured below). Svitlanka not only loves to draw, but also plays music, practices horseback riding, volunteers, and helps support our defenders as best she can.

The winners of this year’s children’s drawing competition, along with their parents, teachers, and mentors, were forum participants from the very beginning. They had the opportunity to listen to what experts in this crucial field have to say about occupational safety. The winners were congratulated by sponsors, including representatives of leading enterprises, public organizations, training centers, and other entities working in occupational safety. Awards were presented not only to the winners -  all young artists and the adults who supported them in expressing the ideas of occupational safety through art received certificates of participation and letters of appreciation from the organizers.

This heartwarming and inspiring part of the forum marked its conclusion. The main goal of the event – to convey the importance of uniting the efforts of all social partners for the sake of the country’s future, and for the safety and health of workers – was fully achieved.