Commuting Safety

Vision Zero Fund and Nike are working together to reduce injuries and deaths from road accidents among garment and footwear workers

In 2022, the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Vision Zero Fund and Nike Inc. launched an initiative to cut deaths and injuries among garment and footwear workers.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 1.3 million people die annually because of road traffic accidents, and between 20 and 50 million people suffer non-fatal injuries, with many incurring disabilities. The majority of those killed or injured belong to economically productive age groups (15-64 years), and accidents cause considerable economic loss to individuals, families, employers, and societies. In many countries, garment and footwear sector workers are disproportionately involved in road accidents.

Improving commuting safety in the garment sector requires the implementation of a collective action approach, in which all stakeholders work together to address the systemic issues that lie at the root of commuting accidents.

Sector

When

April 2022 – December 2024

Development Partners

NIKE inc.

Project Code

GLO/16/01/MUL

To date, the initiative has:

Developed a Theory of Change that identifies the underlying causes to be addressed to reduce injuries and deaths from road accidents involving garment and footwear workers. This ToC was developed through a large consultation process that involved global and country-level stakeholders, including representatives from governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations, international organizations and brands;
Produced a PAOT-style guidance document entitled “Collective Action for a Safe Commute: Action manual and checklist for employers and workers in the garment and footwear sector to enhance workers’ commuting safety”. The document was piloted in Egypt and Ethiopia.
Generated two country evidence-based assessments on commuting safety. The research process collected data from 3,000 factory managers, workers, and drivers from 10+ different factories in 5 locations across Egypt and Ethiopia.
Systematized the experience of the Cambodian Transportation Working Group, an initiative coordinated by Better Factories Cambodia that brought together brands and stakeholders to improve commuting safety for garment and footwear workers. Captured as a case study, it includes lessons learned and recommendations for other countries seeking to implement similar approaches.

During 2024, the Fund will implement global and country-level activities to disseminate the findings of these products and support stakeholders´ efforts to effectively improve commuting safety in the garment sector.

“Based on the belief that all people have a fundamental right to the protection of life and health in the workplace, Nike aims to provide safe, hygienic, and healthy workplaces along their value chain, including where these are operated by suppliers. This is reflected in Nike’s 2025 Health & Safety Target, which aims to build world-class safe and healthy workplaces for the people making our product. With this initiative, we look to expand our collaboration with Vision Zero Fund, which we feel will help Nike manufacturers be leaders in safety across the extended supply chain and beyond”

Sittichoke Huckuntod Nike’s Director for Health and Safety

“Existing laws and enforcement mechanisms often focus on vehicle drivers, which falls short when it comes to providing sustainable solutions. This is why we are excited about the partnership with Nike. It allows us to identify the underlying causes beyond vehicle drivers that need to be addressed to reduce injuries and deaths from road accidents, and to collectively develop a more powerful and standardized approach to reduce commuting accidents in the garment supply chain”

Ockert Dupper
Global Programme Manager, ILO Vision Zero Fund