New advice to combat violence and other health risks in the education sector
News release - 06.09.2004
New advice has been published to help teachers and other staff in Europe’s education sector minimise the risk of violence and other health hazards. According to recent studies, 4% of employees in the sector have been physically assaulted and 12% subjected to some form of intimidation, leading to increased staff turnover and absenteeism.
New advice has been published to help teachers and other staff in Europe’s education sector minimise the risk of violence and other health hazards. According to recent studies, 4% of employees in the sector have been physically assaulted and 12% subjected to some form of intimidation, leading to increased staff turnover and absenteeism.
Published by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, the three new factsheets provide clear and simple advice to alleviate risks such as abusive pupils and parents, musculoskeletal disorders induced by lifting children and other dangers. The Agency has also produced a special web feature ( http://europe.osha.europa.eu/good_practice/sector/education/) providing more in-depth guidance, case studies of good practice and links to organisations offering relevant information and health and safety advice. It also includes an online forum for discussing key issues.
The three factsheets include:
- Prevention of violence to staff in the education sector (No. 47): Describes the principal causes of violence against staff and the main steps organisations need to take to assess and minimise the risks. It includes a useful checklist of issues that should be considered when formulating a plan, such as the design of the premises, behavioural strategies and administrative controls.
- Occupational health and safety in the education sector (No. 46): Highlights the main risks, such as bullying, stress and slips, and the procedures required to control them, including risk assessments. Five of the most common hazards are also identified for action, including the risks of falls, poorly maintained floor surfaces and the need to mark transparent glass to prevent injuries from breakages.
- Management of occupational safety and health in the education sector (No. 45): Provides a framework for evaluating and assessing the risks, from identifying the most vulnerable people and situations to allocating responsibility for managing the risks and monitoring progress. There is also an overview of EC legislation governing safety and health in education, including employers’ and employees’ legal responsibilities.
‘Based on increasing evidence of emerging problems, as also dramatic events both in Europe and in the United States have illustrated, education has been identified as a key priority in the Agency’s health and safety activities. We hope that our publications will contribute to raise awareness about the serious psychosocial and other health problems in the sector, and more important help to manage them in an efficient way.’ says Hans-Horst Konkolewsky, Agency Director. ‘We're also working on bringing safety and health issues to the classroom, so that young people are both aware and prepared for the risks they might encounter when they eventually get a job themselves.’
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Further information
Press contacts: Andrew Smith, e-mail: smith@osha.europa.eu
European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, Tel: +34 94 479 5733 or
Tim Tregenza, e-mail: tregenza@osha.europa.eu
European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, Tel: +34 94 479 5740
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.
Notes to editors
- The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work was set up by the European Union to help meet the information needs in the field of occupational safety and health. Based in Bilbao, Spain, the Agency aims to improve the lives of people at work by stimulating the flow of technical, scientific and economic information between all those involved in occupational safety and health issues.
- The three factsheets on education can be downloaded from the Agency’s website at http://agency.osha.europa.eu/publications/factsheets/index_en.htm. Printed copies can be ordered from the European Publications Office www.publications.eu.int and its sales offices.
