EU experts forecast changes in occupational risks

The survey was carried out among a panel of over 60 safety and health experts in fourteen European countries and the US. Its results have now been published in a report by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work.

The report looks into emerging physical risks, i.e. risks which are both new (or changing) and increasing.

'The world of work is changing rapidly and work-related health issues are changing too', explains Hans-Horst Konkolewsky, the Agency's Director. ‘Our report sheds new light on these changes by defining top ten emerging physical risks and major trends behind them. With this knowledge EU policymakers and governments will be better equipped to review current prevention measures.'

The top emerging risks include lack of physical activity, the impact on workers of increasing complexity of new technologies, and a greater vulnerability of low-status workers, e.g. to thermal risks. A new underlying trend is also visible: work health and safety is increasingly affected by multifactoral issues. In places like call centres, for instance, staff can be exposed to a combination of interacting risks, such as prolonged sitting at desks poorly adjusted to their personal needs, background noise, inadequate headsets, low job control, high time pressure, high mental and emotional demands. This, in turn, may lead to a combination of health problems, ranging from musculoskeletal disorders, varicose veins, nose and throat diseases and voice disorders to fatigue, stress and burnout.

'The report clearly indicates that multifactoral and combined risks are a growing concern', concludes Hans-Horst Konkolewsky. 'The resulting message for policymakers and health and safety experts is that we can no longer treat individual risks separately. What we need is a holistic approach to risk prevention.'

This publication is the first report of a risk observatory set up by the European Agency to monitor emerging risks (http://riskobservatory.osha.europa.eu). Apart from emerging risks, this on-line observatory currently offers thematic sections on noise exposure and hearing loss, and a review of OSH monitoring systems. More information will follow, including forecasts on emerging human, social and organisational risks, on chemical and biological risks, and thematic sections on accidents, stress and occupational diseases, with focus on specific sectors and groups of workers.

Ends

Press enquiries:
Marek Kosarczyn, Press Officer, European Agency for Safety and Health at Work,
e-mail: kosarczyn@osha.europa.eu, tel.: +34 94 479 43 86.

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 4383.

Notes to editors:

1. The English version of the report Expert forecast on emerging physical risks related to occupational safety and health can be downloaded directly from http://osha.europa.eu/publications/reports/6805478/. The report's summary is available in all EU languages at http://osha.europa.eu/publications/factsheets/60.

2. The Agency's risk observatory at http://riskobservatory.osha.europa.eu is a data collection and analysis structure aimed at providing policymakers and OSH professionals with an understanding of the impact of the changing workplace on safety and health at work.

3. 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.