Factsheet 52 - Mainstreaming occupational safety and health into education
The European Union’s strategy on health and safety at work has identified education and the prevention culture as key factors for maintaining and improving the quality of work. Supporting this strategy the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work has published a report, Mainstreaming occupational safety and health into education: Good practice in school and vocational education, which provides a comprehensive overview of good practice examples throughout Europe and outlines steps toward a systematic strategy to integrate occupational safety and health (OSH) into education and training. This factsheet summarises the report.
:
European Agency for Safety and Health at Work
:
07.05.2004
:
TE5804336ENC
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Young workers (15–24 years) are a very vulnerable group when it comes to occupational safety and health (OSH). However, the majority of OSH risks are preventable — whether they involve young or older workers — by applying the principles of risk assessment and putting in place the necessary preventive measures. To support information exchange on best practice, the agency has produced a report about how the occupational safety and health of young workers can be managed at policy and practice level. The report includes a variety of case studies and also identifies some success factors for prevention.
To underpin occupational safety and health (OSH) education in schools and colleges it is necessary to formalise it in curriculum requirements. This report reviews how the Member States are including OSH and risk education in their national curricula. The report shows that there is considerable progress and activity in this respect at both primary and secondary education levels in terms of both implemented and planned actions in the Member States. The report also identifies some success factors for mainstreaming OSH into education curricula.
Young people are more at risk of harm from work for a variety of
reasons. They lack experience and maturity, awareness of risks,
and skills and training; they may be unaware of their rights and
employers’ duties regarding health and safety; and they may be
reluctant to speak out about problems and keen to please their
new employer. They therefore need to be placed in safe and
suitable jobs that are matched to their skills and mental and
physical abilities and given adequate training and supervision.
- Upcoming Events
- Implementing and Sustaining Safety in People and Organisations – Bringing stakeholders together to solve the puzzle. Shaw Foundation Alumni House, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 09.02.2010
- Future Directions in Speed Management Renaissance Hotel, Rue du Parnasse, 15 1050 Brussels, 23.02.2010
- New OSH ERA Berlin (Germany), 26.02.2010
- Tenth Annual Conference on Awareness and Promotion of Health on the Occasion of International “RSI Day” Barcelona, Spain, 01.03.2010
- Quality of Work Environment and Productivity (2nd week) Hotel Riekonlinna, Saariselkä (Lapland), Finland, 07.03.2010
- Search
- News
- Outlook: New and emerging risks in occupational safety and health 08.02.2010
- EU – Call 2010: New funding opportunities in health 05.02.2010
- FR-Lancement des Prix territoriaux "Agir pour la prévention des risques professionnels dans l’économie sociale" - Chorum/CIDES 04.02.2010
- EU - ECDC alert on OSH risks from Anthrax to workers 03.02.2010
- Institute for Work & Health (University of Toronto) 03.02.2010
