Reports

Workforce diversity and risk assessment: Ensuring everyone is covered

The main aim of this report is to describe why and how risk assessment can and should cover the whole workforce, and to increase awareness among those responsible for and aff ected by health and safety at work – employers, employees, safety reps and OSH practitioners – about the importance of assessing the risks of ALL workers. The report is aimed mainly at those who are responsible for carrying out risk assessments and/or are involved in the process.

Preventing harm to cleaning workers

This report considers the challenges to be overcome in improving the safety and health of cleaners, and examines actions taken to achieve this goal. By its nature, the report focuses on challenges associated with cleaning tasks, seeking solutions to these challenges that can reduce the risks to workers’ health and safety.

Assessment, elimination and substantial reduction of occupational risks

This report features cases from a variety of workplaces that demonstrate how a risk assessment process has led to a risk being identified and successfully eliminated or substantially reduced. The main aim of the report is to illustrate how risk elimination or risk reduction at source can be achieved at workplace level.

OSH in the school curriculum: requirements and activities in the EU Member States

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.

Preventing risks to young workers: policy, programmes and workplace practices

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.

Exploratory survey of Occupational Exposure Limits (OELs) for Carcinogens, Mutagens and Reprotoxic substances (CMRs) at EU Member States level

This report is based on a one-off survey carried out late 2007-early 2008 among EU-OSHA's network partners at the request of the European Commission. Rather than presenting an in-depth study of the systems in place for setting occupational exposure limits (OELs) for carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic substances, this report provides a general overview of the situation in 21 Member States. In recent years, all Member States have made available their OEL lists on the internet, some in English, and are capitalising on each others' resources. Readers are advised to bear in mind the introductory notes when extracting information from the extensive tables provided in the report.

Exploratory survey of Occupational Exposure Limits - table

Exploratory survey of Occupational Exposure Limits (OELs) for Carcinogens, Mutagens and Reprotoxic substances (CMRs) at EU Member States level - table

OSH in figures: stress at work — facts and figures

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.

Report - Occupational safety and health and economic performance in small and medium-sized enterprises: a review

The present review examines the link between Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) and economic performance, especially as it relates to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). It is essential to stress from the outset that while there is no clear definition of economic performance, there are indicators that can examine the concept and its importance to businesses. OSH is not usually viewed as a contributory factor to the economic viability of an organisation. Compliance with government guidelines, regulations and laws is generally the primary focus of OSH policies. Perceptions of the connection between effective OSH and the resulting financial benefits could, and should be improved. The strong economic advantages of good occupational health practice need to be highlighted continuously to organisations because the failure to acknowledge the importance of this link will limit the effectiveness of interventions aimed at preventing disease and injury (Lahiri, Levenstein, Nelson and Rosenberg, 2005; Toffel and Birkner, 2002). Additionally, while the cost of ensuring safety is important, “unsafety” is also costly (Rimington, 1993). For example, a reduction of accidents, damage and improvements to poor health can lead to a reduction in costs and a greater availability of people and plant. This, in turn, can improve efficiency and thereby heighten the effectiveness of businesses (Smallman and John, 2001).

Report - Labour inspectorates' strategic planning on safety and health at work

Labour inspectorates play a central role in promoting safety and health at work and are increasingly focusing their attention on the anticipation, definition and prevention of emerging risks. Through the work of labour inspectors, the inspectorates have access to a unique source of data that helps inform their strategic planning in three main areas: research, inspection and awareness-raising. This report presents an overview of the principal OSH-related priorities established by national labour inspectorates and provides information on how these priorities are set. The information contained in this report was provided by EU-OSHA’s network of national Focal Points during 2008 in response to a questionnaire survey.