The institution conducts a thorough analysis of the national legal framework, including safety and health regulations, in order to identify its role in prevention and develop prevention activities in line with current legislation. If no legal mandate to carry out prevention services exists, the institution initiates a process to provide an adequate legal prevention framework. The same is valid for the recognition of occupational diseases.

Any social security institution planning to set up or improve prevention services, as recommended, should first undertake a thorough analysis of the existing legal and institutional national framework for prevention activities.

This part of the Guidelines is concerned with establishing the national and institutional frameworks for the prevention programme to be conducted by a social security institution.

The following guidelines are organized in two parts:

Part A, Basic Conditions for Prevention Programmes, deals with the structural issues that need to be addressed if social security institutions are to be able to support and facilitate the development of preventive approaches with and for enterprises.

Part B, Prevention Activities and Services, deals with specific prevention activities and services that can be offered.

Insurance covering occupational diseases is an important pillar of social security. This is particularly true in latency diseases such as cancers, which may occur many years after the occupational exposure.

Appropriate insurance cover for workers should therefore be independent of the existence or economic performance of the employer. It is important for employees that the handling of their work-related health problems is not dependent on litigation or the solvency of their employer.

In order to structure and prioritize their occupational safety and health activities, social security institutions establish a prevention framework focusing on four key areas of action: workplace safety and health, safe technology, individual prevention capacities and behaviour, and clear instructions/guidance. If all these are addressed systematically, continuous improvement in safety and health can be expected.

These Guidelines focus on the prevention and administration of occupational accidents, diseases and other work-related health risks. They form part of a broader concept of prevention which includes proactive and preventive approaches to social security, addressing the prevention of occupational risks, health promotion and return to work.

The ISSA Guidelines on Prevention of Occupational Risks addresses occupational risks that are insured by social security institutions. It provides guidance on how social security institutions can develop and promote prevention activities that cover occupational accidents and occupational diseases.

The ISSA Guidelines for Social Security Administration were prepared by the ISSA General Secretariat wih the ISSA technical commissions.

When a decision is made to change external investment managers, a number of governance issues are considered in the transfer. These include information requirements related to the change, consideration of fees or surrender penalties, and communication to those impacted upon by the change, including custodians, members and accountants. While transitioning assets between arrangements the risks associated with the actions are identified and managed appropriately and, at the same time, the institution also seeks to minimize costs where possible.