Siemens Supports Efforts to Make Working Conditions Safe Worldwide

The G7's Vision Zero Fund aims to improve occupational safety at factories and construction sites worldwide Siemens is the first company to make financial contributions and provide logistical support Siemens is helping improve occupational health and safety worldwide.

The company has signed an agreement with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and committed to providing financial and logistical support for the Vision Zero Fund (VZF) initiated in 2015 by the Group of Seven (G7) countries. The VZF aims to bring together governments, non-governmental organizations, companies, foundations and other institutions in order to improve working conditions for people worldwide. Implementation of the initiative has been assigned to the ILO.

According to the ILO, more than two million people in the world die each year from work-related injuries and illnesses. What is more, 60 percent of the world's labor force is still not effectively protected against work-related accidents and illnesses. Inadequate worker protection also has an obvious impact on the economy: recent assessments suggest work-related accidents and illnesses reduce global GDP by four percent a year.

Siemens is the first company to participate in the VZF initiative since it has endeavored to improve working conditions at its factories and construction sites for years. In 2015, for example, Siemens teamed up with the German technical service organization TUV Rheinland to found the Siemens Global Skill Centre for Occupational Safety, which offers training programs in Kalwa, Mumbai. The first project within the VZF framework is to begin in Ethiopia in the coming year.