Employment, Occupational Health and Safety (E&OHS) addresses the health, safety, and welfare of workers. The goal of E&OHS is to foster a safe work environment. It includes the promotion of physical and mental well-being of workers in all occupations and the prevention of workplace related injury and illnesses. Managing employment, health and safety issues is an integral part of managing a business.

The workplace has an important impact on health outcomes, as we spend a considerable amount of our waking time there. The working environment and the type of work SGBs do exposes them to diverse hazards, this means, anything with potential to cause harm or damage to our safety and health.

The key objectives of managing E&OHS are:

1. Minimize absence from work by preventing harm to people from work related activities.
2. Minimize incidents and accidents at the workplace that interrupt processes and production.
3. Continuity in provision of services or products and minimizing risks that can hamper productivity and operations.

Poor health and safety practices result in an estimated 2.2 million people, worldwide, dying every year as a result of work-related ill-health, disease and injury. The human cost of these deaths and many more injuries is immense. However, these deaths, injuries and ill-health also have a tremendous social and economic cost.

Intermediaries are influential and can be important levers for change for SGBs within their portfolio. They can help raise awareness and highlight the advantages of health, safe and fair business practices by showcasing market and competitor dynamics, highlighting the growing body of risks and opportunities associated with OHS and employment issues and further supporting SGBs to chart a path forward.