Professor Dr. Joachim Breuer

The International Social Security Association (ISSA) is proud to be an organizer of the Vision Zero Summit.

The idea of holding a series of Summits emerged shortly after the launch of the ISSA’s VISION ZERO strategy in 2017, as an initiative to promote globally the message that every accident and disease at work is preventable.

The ISSA has been a constant promoter of prevention measures to address the staggering numbers of occupational accidents and diseases. The ISSA also supports the important work of occupational accident insurance systems to promote safety, health and wellbeing at work and in society as a whole. It is therefore a logical step that the ISSA’s Special Commission on Prevention developed the Seven Golden Rules for Vision Zero to support workers and employers as well as governments and social security institutions in their efforts to reduce occupational accidents and diseases.

As the interest in Vision Zero grew, the Special Commission continued producing more tools in multiple languages, such as the Proactive Leading Indicators, sectoral Guides for Vision Zero and a Vision Zero training programme. The 15.000 companies and organizations that have signed up for VISION ZERO are proof alone that the Seven Golden Rules work, and are applied in many workplaces all over the world. ISSA is proud to have launched such an important programme and wishes to support the international community to the best of its ability with the implementation of Vision Zero at the national level. 

The second Vision Zero Summit is therefore an excellent opportunity for all Vision Zero actors to share their progress, take stock of their achievements and define the new goals for Vision Zero. It is also the moment to bring the many different Vision Zero initiates together and explore how we can join forces and move Vision Zero to the next level. Safety, health and wellbeing is not only limited to the workplace but applies to all situations we find ourselves in as a guiding principle. Especially in the current COVID-19 pandemic, the philosophy of Vision Zero has proven its correctness and effectiveness: Zero infection is also a goal!

I look forward to meeting you online at this important event.