Yet another factory building collapsed on November 4, 2015, causing 45 deaths and injuring over 100 labourers working in the Sundar industrial area of Lahore. Occupational health and safety laws, and their implementation remains one of the indicators used to differentiate between developing and developed countries. Most countries in Asia show a poor record of adherence to health and safety laws, and standards. The comparative data on global fatal accidents by region reveals that, compared to North America and Europe, the fatality rate is as much as three times greater in the developing world. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) maintains a country profile on occupational health and safety at the country and regional levels. In the context of Pakistan, the issue of health and safety laws and regulations came into the limelight with the tragic incident of the Karachi garment factory fire on September 11, 2012. The incident caused loss of the lives of 260 women and men, and 1,000 workers lost their jobs. However, not much has changed since then except a verbal commitment by the government of Sindh to seek the ILO’s help to improve the health and safety regime. Earlier this month, on October 10, 2015, eight labourers were buried under the debris while operating an illegal stone crushing plant in Taxila, Punjab. In the last two months, at least three incidents show the urgent need for occupational health and safety to be taken seriously. Globalisation and the race to achieve higher economic growth are factors that discount the significance of health and safety laws and regulations, and their implementation. In neighbouring China, the incident of the Tianjin warehouse explosion demonstrates these laws and their implementation remain a challenge. On August 12, 2015, people were asleep or were preparing to sleep when they were disturbed by a loud bang. The blast killed over 160 people. The large amounts of hazardous chemicals caught fire and exploded. According to Chinese government authorities, a company is not allowed to store such a combination and amount of deadly industrial chemicals in one place and at such proximity to an adjoining residential zone. However, the Tianjin warehouse did not adhere to these standards. A similar incident occurred in India on the morning of September 12, 2015 at around 8:30 am when breakfast was being served in a restaurant near Petlawad. Explosive materials stored in a warehouse exploded killing over 100 people due to the blast and about 150 people were injured. Parallels could be drawn to that of the Tianjin explosion in terms of poor enforcement of health and safety laws. On September 11, 2015, the incident of a crane crash in Mecca — the centre of pilgrimage for Muslims worldwide — is another example of having a poor health and safety regime. Though it occurred on a very stormy day, quite rare for Mecca, with winds reportedly of up to 83km/h, it claimed 115 lives while injuring over 300 people. The investigations into the incident of the crane collapse on the Grand Mosque appropriated blame on the construction group due to negligence towards crane balancing mechanics. Occupational safety and health administration is an area that must be developed in Asia. Governments in the region cannot overlook its importance now when the scale of industrial operations is increasing. Certainly, lessons can be learnt from the experience of developed and developing countries that have overcome these issues. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration Agency (OSHA) of the US Department of Labour ensures safe and healthy working conditions for working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and by providing training, outreach, education and assistance. According to the Bureau of Labour Statistics, incidents of total work injuries in 2013 were 3.3 fatal work injuries per 100,000 workers. In the year 2006, this was as high as 4.2 fatal work injuries per 100,000 workers. Malaysia reduced its fatal injury rate to 9.2 fatal occupational injuries per 100,000 in 2013. Earlier this year in April 2015, the Netherlands signed an agreement with the ILO head in Pakistan to provide technical assistance to the country to strengthen its labour inspection system. In Asia, steps need to be taken by governments, trade unions, the private sector and civil society organisations. Governments need to be proactive in introducing and updating laws on health and safety. In the case of Pakistan, occupational health and safety legislation is not comprehensive. For example, the Factories Act 1934 is out-dated and not applicable to enterprises employing less than 10 workers. Furthermore, it excludes legal protection to labour working in the informal sector such as house-based labour and agriculture/seasonal workers. Among other factors that hinder the adoption of an occupational health and safety culture in Pakistan are illiteracy, inadequate medical facilities and lack of reliable data of fatal accidents suffered by workers each year. As a result of the 18th Constitutional Amendment in 2010, the federal government devolved its power of labour legislation to the provinces. However, the provinces are yet to accord provincial status to these laws except Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which passed a Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Factories Bill on March 19, 2013. Given the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) Plus status, giving Pakistani products duty free access to the European market since January 2014, there is hardly any choice to delay updating the implementation of occupational health and safety laws. In order to continue enjoying the GSP Plus status, adherence to labour safety laws is a critical factor. Secondly, it is the duty of the people living nearby or employees working on site to report unlawful activities observed in the areas they work. Such employees, known as whistle blowers, should be protected by the law. We as individuals must play our due role. We pass by many construction sites where we see labourers working with bare hands handling skin damaging compounds like cement and hanging by rooftops without helmets and safety ropes. Many a time we have an electrician at home who works with live wires without wearing rubber gloves and boots. We must educate ourselves on occupational health standards in our domain and insist on following these standards in our circle of influence. Last but not least, training in workplace safety, especially for the workforce dealing with perilous materials, should be provided. Danish Ahmed Khan is an assistant professor at the Department of Management Sciences, Comsats Institute of Information Technology. He can be contacted at danish_ahmed@comsats.edu.pk. Abdur Rehman Cheema is a development studies academic and practitioner based in Islamabad