DUBAI, 10th September, 2024 (WAM) -- The Global Initiative for Industrial Safety (GIFIS) announced today the launch of a first-of-its-kind Manifesto for Global Industrial Safety to pioneer a safer world through technology adoption.
Developed in collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), Lloyd’s Register Foundation, the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (GMIS), and the Cambridge Industrial Innovation Policy (CIIP), the Manifesto marks a significant step towards addressing emerging and longstanding safety risks affecting workers across the world.
Advanced technologies, including the Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, and Advanced Robotics, are becoming integral to industrial processes, giving rise to intelligent factories and dynamic supply chains.
The Manifesto outlines five guiding principles and vital contributions required from industry, government, academia, regulators, and international organisations to accelerate the safe adoption of technology in new industrial processes and to integrate technology-enabled safety solutions in traditional industries.
Ciyong Zou, Deputy to the Director-General and Managing Director of the Directorate of Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Industrial Development, UNIDO, said, “The GIFIS Manifesto for Global Industrial Safety provides a unified approach to address complex safety challenges, signifying a critical first step toward a safe and more secure industrial future. The industrial sector, governments, academia, regulators, and international organisations are encouraged to act upon industrial safety regulations that are very much needed for transformative and sustainable industrial development.”
Namir Hourani, Managing Director of the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit, said that the Manifesto is a call to action to address longstanding industrial safety challenges through innovative and collaborative efforts, which will catalyse change in industrial standards and best practices across the world, ensuring that industries prioritise the safety and well-being of every single worker.
David Reid, Director of Global Advocacy and Partnership Campaigns at Lloyd’s Register Foundation, stated, “Emerging technologies, such as big data, cloud computing, robotics, and 3D printing, are rapidly changing the industrial landscape. While they bring significant opportunities, they also pose new risks to the safety of workers, especially in the developing world. The GIFIS Manifesto serves as a beacon to ensure new technologies are adopted safely across industrial processes.”
The Manifesto marks the first major milestone of the GIFIS, launched as a key outcome of the 2021 edition of the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit, a high-profile event that convenes world leaders to promote Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development.