Preventive measures are the best way to ensure people are protected from hazards in the workplace, U.N. International Labor Union Director-General Juan Somavia said in a message Thursday marking the World Day for Safety and Health at Work, the U.N. News Centre reports.

Each year, an estimated 337 million people are injured on the job and more than two million others die from accidents or occupational illnesses, according to the news service (4/28).

“From mines to chemical plants, from offices to fields, work-related accidents and illness take a heavier toll in terms of lives lost and disability than global pandemics such as HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. … Yet most work-related injury, illness and deaths go unnoticed and unreported,” Somavia said, adding, “On this World Day, let us mobilize nationally and internationally to secure a safe and healthy working environment for all giving highest priority to the principle of prevention,” according to the statement (4/26).