Working life in Europe is changing at an ever-increasing speed. The Agency has carried out a number of activities based on the implications of the changing world of work for occupational safety and health at work. These include the organisation of a European conference, publishing an Agency Magazine with expert viewpoints and a special information section on the Agency’s web site. The Agency has also published two research information reports: one on the Research on the Changing world of work — Implications on occupational safety and health in some Member States of the European Union and another on Research on new forms of contractual relationships and the implications for occupational safety and health. This forum summarises the main findings and conclusions from these activities.
Stress at work is common throughout Europe. In surveys carried out every five years by
the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions,
respondents name it as the second most common threat posed by the working
environment. Only musculoskeletal problems are seen as more likely to damage
workers’ health. According to the fourth European Survey of Working Conditions,
carried out in 2005 in all Member States, stress was experienced by an average 22% of
working Europeans. In 2002, the annual economic cost of work-related stress in the
EU15 was estimated at EUR 20,000 million.
It is estimated that about 74,000 work-related deaths may be linked to hazardous substances at work each year in the EU – about 10 times more than workplace accidents. About 15% of European workers report handling chemical products for a quarter of their working time and 19% report breathing in dust, fumes and smoke in their workplaces. The 49 experts from 21 European countries who participated in this forecast highlighted particles and dusts as major emerging concerns and put nanoparticles at the top of the list of emerging risks. Other main groups of emerging risks identified were carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic substances, and the increasing use of allergenic and sensitising substances. Specific occupations of emerging concerns were also highlighted and include the increasing waste management industry, construction, and service activities such as cleaning or home nursing. In addition, there is a growing number of workers in SMEs and sub-contracted jobs, where the management of chemical risks is generally poorer. Last but not least, concern about multiple exposures is increasing as it was also shown in the three other forecasts on emerging biological, physical and psychosocial emerging risks.
Skin diseases are the second most common work-related health problem in Europe.
They represent more than 7% of all occupational illnesses and are one of the most important emerging risks related to the exposure to chemical, physical and biological risk factors. The fact that there is no scientific method to measure the level of the body’s exposures to risks via dermal contact and their physiological consequences, increases the importance of recognising risk factors and developing methods of assessing the level of exposure and controlling it. This report presents an overview of dermal exposures and occupational skin diseases. It also presents the principal policies relating to the recognition and recording of skin diseases, as well as the recognition, assessment and control of dermal exposure to chemical, biological and physical risk factors in the Member States of the European Union.