New to the job and the workplace, you lack experience of the job and of the health and safety risks that can be present. You have the right to safe and healthy work, including the necessary training and supervision and the right to ask questions and report things that look unsafe to you. If you are under 18 years old the law bans you from doing certain hazardous jobs because of your inexperience and possible immaturity. This factsheet covers hazards in the workplace. A separate factsheet provides more advice on your rights and responsibilities.
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) remain the most common occupational disease in the European Union and workers in all sectors and occupations can be affected. Recent figures, for example from Austria, Germany or France, also demonstrate an increasing impact of musculoskeletal disorders on costs. This latest report, following on from the Agency’s previous research, aims to give an updated overview of the current European situation as regards musculoskeletal disorders, the trends over the years since the first campaign in 2000, and a detailed insight into the causes and circumstances behind MSDs. The report highlights the main issues and aims to provide a well-founded evidence base, helping policy makers, actors at enterprise and sector level, as well as researchers and those who record, prevent and compensate occupational diseases in the European Union to set the agenda for the next years.
Future engineers, architects, medical professionals and business administrators
and managers will all need to take account of OSH in aspects in their working lives.
This report presents a variety of cases concerning how OSH has been included
in university-level education. Of most interest were examples where OSH was
embedded in the programme of other undergraduate studies, such as a general
engineering undergraduate course or a business studies course. However, few
examples were found where OSH/risk education had been truly embedded within
the curriculum of individual courses.
Four out of five European residents say that good
health is crucial for their quality of life. Chronic disease has a
major impact on quality of life. Many chronic diseases – e.g. heart
diseases, type 2 diabetes, and cancer – can be largely prevented
by a healthy lifestyle. These changes include improving the diet,
enhancing physical fitness, and quitting smoking. Workplace Health Promotion means more than simply meeting the legal requirements
for health and safety. It includes: improving the way work is organised; improving the working environment; encouraging employees to get involved in healthy activities; encouraging personal development.