Small, safe and productive - how to strengthen the prevention culture in Europe´s SMEs

 

 

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), employing about two thirds of the entire working population of Europe, pose the biggest work safety challenge for the EU, according to the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work. 

 

The risk of fatal accidents in enterprises with less than 50 employees is around double that for larger companies. Yet these businesses account for 99 per cent of all enterprises in the European Union.  

 

Encouraging enhanced work safety standards in SMEs is a task demanding a combined effort by the European Union and its Member States. Occupational risk is rarely a front-line preoccupation for small companies with limited financial resources and lack of safety and health knowledge. So, initiatives need to be focused and practical as well as participatory and cost-effective.  

 

The Bilbao-based European Agency for Safety and Health at Work has just completed a survey of national, regional and sectoral initiatives aimed at increasing SME awareness. This examines 18 successful occupational safety and health assistance services to SMEs, ranging from industry-wide projects to highly focused initiatives, in 14 Member States.  

 

‘Most small businesses need assistance in order to cope with their safety and health obligations. Our survey of assistance schemes in the Member States shows that it might be difficult to reach SMEs and to make them act – however, it’s not impossible if the success criteria identified are taken into account’ comments Hans-Horst Konkolewsky, Director of the Agency. ‘We hope that the results of our report and the case studies presented will lead to similar initiatives across Europe so that the safety and health conditions of about 75 million workers in the EU employed in SMEs will be improved.’ 

 

The newly published report, Improving occupational safety and health in SMEs: examples of effective assistance, is available on the Agency website at: http://agency.osha.europa.eu/publications/reports/311/en/index.htm 

 

ENDS 

 

 

 

Press contacts: Elke Schneider or Eke Heetveld, European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, Bilbao. Tel: (34) 94 479 43 66 or (34) 94 479 4386 e-mail: schneider@osha.europa.eu or heetveld@osha.europa.eu.  

 

Other enquiries: European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, Gran Via 33, E-48009 Bilbao, Spain, e-mail: information@osha.europa.eu, fax: (34) 94 479 43 83.