ILO Meeting Calls for Stronger Safety Protections in Retail

Prevention and practical support for employers

The conclusions put prevention at the centre of OSH management, with risk assessment and the hierarchy of controls as core elements. They call for practical information, training and technical or financial support for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, and for extending OSH services to the informal economy.

For retail businesses, the recommendations cover more than customer-facing stores. The meeting also considered warehousing and distribution services, where work organization, equipment and changing operating systems can affect worker safety and health.

Technology brings opportunities and new questions

The ILO said participants recognized that artificial intelligence, automated systems and other digital tools can support productivity, training, risk assessment and safer work. Their design and use can also introduce or intensify OSH risks.

The conclusions address work intensity, monitoring, privacy, data protection and potential bias. They emphasize human involvement in reviewing decisions and effective consultation with workers when technological changes may affect safety and health.

Worker wellbeing included in safety planning

The meeting identified psychosocial hazards linked to workload, staffing, working time, monitoring and organizational change. It called for these issues to be considered alongside other workplace risks, with equality and non-discrimination included in OSH management.

For HSE teams, the recommendations point to reviewing how new technology and work arrangements affect tasks, staffing, schedules and worker consultation. The conclusions do not impose immediate new employer duties, but they set out issues that may inform future policy and sector guidance.

What happens next

The ILO's news release says the meeting conclusions will go to the Governing Body in March 2027. The organization also outlined future work on capacity-building, retail-specific OSH data, training materials and sharing practical examples.

Sources: International Labour Organization news release, 8 October 2026; meeting conclusions and recommendations.