This article aims to review Occupational Safety Policy in the face of modern challenges. Occupational safety as a multidisciplinary discipline is constantly facing new challenges and risks, which are caused by such processes constantly occurring in society and the economy as technological progress, globalization, and ongoing social and political changes.
As a result of the impact of these factors, the field of occupational safety, in the conditions of rapidly changing technologies and the economy, constantly requires new regulation of the legal sphere. Against the background of the fact that these issues are also facing challenges in developed economies, they require special attention from states with economies in transition. Among the events of recent years, the COVID pandemic period is worth highlighting. It is against the background of these global challenges that in 2022 the main principles determining occupational safety and health gained international recognition - by moving to the ranks of international "fundamental" labor norms.
Emphasizing the global importance of the principles of decent work and social justice provides an opportunity to rethink this issue and develop strategic approaches to address existing challenges. Over the past decade, Georgia has made significant steps, including the inclusion of provisions on a safe working environment in the Constitution of Georgia, Organic Law of Georgia on Occupational Safety, and other normative acts. At the same time, Labor Inspection Office of Georgia (LEPL), was established to enforce these legislative provisions.
That is why, given the importance of the issue, the article presents a historical overview of the labor safety reform and ways to improve labor safety in the short and long term. The proposed approach will further contribute to the establishment of a safety culture in the workplace and reduce the number of industrial accidents. The historic decision presented allows the 187 members of the International Labor Organization to step up their efforts to uphold fundamental principles, which are particularly important in a context where 2.93 million workers die and 395 million become disabled every year due to work-related factors. (15)
