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Risk assessment is the cornerstone of the European approach to prevent occupational accidents and ill health.
There are good reasons for this. If the risk assessment process – the start of the health and safety management approach – is not done well or not done at all, the appropriate preventive measures are unlikely to be identified or put in place.
Every year, millions of people in the EU are injured at work, or have their health seriously harmed in the workplace. That is why risk assessment is so important, as the key to healthy workplaces. Risk assessment is a dynamic process that allows enterprises and organisations to put in place a proactive policy of managing workplace risks.
For these reasons, it is important that all types and sizes of enterprise carry out regular assessments. Proper risk assessment includes, among others things, making sure that all relevant risks are taken into account (not only the immediate or obvious ones), checking the efficiency of the safety measures adopted, documenting the outcomes of the assessment and reviewing the assessment regularly to keep it updated.
The most important piece of European legislation relevant to risk assessment is the Framework Directive 89/391. This Directive has been transposed into national legislation. Member States, however, have the right to introduce more stringent provisions to protect their workers (for this reason you should check the specific legislation relating to risk assessment in your country).
The European Commission has produced important guidance to help Member States, as well as employers and employees, to fulfil their risk assessment duties, as laid down in the Framework Directive 89/391. The information provided in this section is based on this guidance.
- Legislation
- Definitions
- Purpose of risk assessment
- Risk assessment tools
- How to carry out a risk assessment
Step 1. Identifying hazards and those at risk - Documenting the risk assessment
A stepwise approach to risk assessment
Step 2. Evaluating and prioritising risks
Step 3. Deciding on preventive action
Step 4. Taking action
Step 5. Monitoring and reviewing
What do I have to do?
Scientific evaluation of aluminium and aluminium compounds ()The Nordic Expert Group (NEG) has recently published an evaluation on aluminium. The document is a joint production of the Nordic Expert Group for Criteria Documentation of Health Risks from Chemicals (NEG) and the Dutch Expert Committee on Occupational Safety (DECOS). It has been published separately by DECOS and NEG and the NEG version, hereby announced, has been adapted to the requirements of NEG. |
United Kingdom, Healthy Working Lives, Respiratory protection selector online tool ()In the United Kingdom, the Health and Safety Executive and the Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives have developed a new Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) selector tool to assist organisations select the correct RPE. |
CAN - Workplace exposure to chemicals and dusts - Results of the chemical analyses produced at the IRSST for 2001-2008 ()Organizations in the Québec prevention network are regularly involved in companies in order to collect samples by which the IRSST’s laboratories can evaluate the air quality. The results of these analyses, for the years 2001 to 2008, have been published annually, and the reports produced have identified several situations of high potential concentrations in the large industrial groups. |
EU-OSHA launches landmark project to facilitate risk assessment in Europe’s small enterprises ()The Online interactive Risk Assessment (OiRA) project marks the first initiative at EU level to facilitate workplace risk assessment. Developed EU-OSHA, the innovative tool will help Europe’s 20 million micro and small enterprises to improve safety and health for their workers by assessing risks through an easy-to-use and cost-free web application. More information on the OiRA project dedicated website: http://www.oiraproject.eu/about |
AT - Gender mainstreaming - Labour inspection awarded the national excellence in administration award for its innovative programme ()The Austrian labour inspection was awarded with the national excellence in administration award for its programme for gender mainstreaming into its activities. |
New EU Directive to prevent sharp injuries in the hospital and healthcare sector ()Member States shall bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive or shall ensure that the social partners have introduced the necessary measures by agreement by 11 May 2013 at the latest. Access our section and good practice information on Prevention from sharp injuries at the workplace. |
CAN - Workplace chemicals – know what´s in store ()A chemical inventory is a fundamental piece to your chemical safety program and is your first step towards chemical safety compliance |
EU - Non-binding guide to good practice for implementing Directive 2006/25/EC "Artificial Optical Radiation" ()Many workplaces contain artificial optical radiation sources and Directive 2006/25/EC lays down minimum health and safety requirements regarding exposure of workers to such sources. The European Commission non-binding guide to good practice for implementing Directive 2006/25/EC pinpoints applications posing minimal risk and provides guidance on others. It sets out an assessment methodology and outlines measures to reduce hazards and check for adverse health effects. This publication is available in English at: http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=148&langId=en&furtherPubs=yes It will also soon be available in printed format in English, French and German and in electronic format in all other EU official languages. |
European good practice awards 2010/11 - a European campaign on safe maintenance ()
As part of the European Campaign 2010–11 on Safe Maintenance, EU-OSHA organised the European Good Practice Awards Competition (the tenth such competition), aiming to identify examples of good practice in the management of occupational safety and health during maintenance. The awards recognise organisations that have made an outstanding and innovative contribution to Safe Maintenance. Through the competition EU-OSHA promotes good practice solutions at the workplace and shares information about good practice across Europe. Forty entries from 22 Member States and Turkey were received, including organisations of all sizes and from a wide variety of industrial sectors.
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FR - ANSES calls for nominations of scientific experts "Methodology for assessment of health risks of nanomaterials" ()Call for nominations of scientific experts for the establishment of a Working Group (WG) “Methodology for assessment of health risks of nanomaterials” |
FR - New specific Control-Banding tool for nanomaterials developed by ANSES ()Control Banding method specific to nanomaterials |
UK - HSE - Office risk assessment tool ()General news and risk assessment |
FR - ANSES publishes its expert assessment of health issues related to lighting systems using light-emitting diodes (LEDs) ()The French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) |
EU – ETSC PRAISE Report 4 Safer Commuting to Work ()ETSC is a Brussels-based independent non-profit organisation dedicated to the reduction of the number and severity of transport crash injuries in Europe |
EU-ETUI report - Cleaning up: workers under pressure ()European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) |
DE-Updated guide and portal to risk assessment ()Risk assessment |
E-fact 53: Risk assessment for biological agents ()
Following a brief introduction to biological agents and the hazards generated by these agents, e-fact includes sections on ‘How to do a Risk Assessment’ and ‘How to use a Checklist’. A checklist is then presented to help identify the hazards potentially posed by biological agents. An extensive list of ‘proposed solutions and examples of preventive measures’ is then considered in the light of some of the questions raised in the general checklist. An example of risk assessment relating to legionella is then presented. Finally, sources of further information are presented at the end of the e-fact.
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UK - RoSPA - Worker Involvement in health and safety: what works? ()A report of an investigation into the extent of worker involvement in health and safety (WISH) |
EU-Call for information on the toxicity and the assessment of mixtures of chemicals ()Deadline for submission of information: 8 September 2010 |
Mainstreaming OSH into business management ()
Organisations deal with OSH in different ways: some organisations have little expertise in OSH and react to problems such as occupational accidents, work-related diseases and absenteeism in an ad hoc way, while others strive to manage OSH more systematically, and even proactively, by implementing OSH into the organisation’s overall management. This report aims to provide evidence and information on how OSH can be incorporated into general management and business, thereby achieving safer and healthier working environments, and better general organisational performance.
This report comprises three main parts, each with a different specific focus: (1) a literature review, (2) an overview of related policies, and (3) a report of case studies and good practice. Readers should refer to the appropriate sections of the report for more detailed discussions and further information about each area.
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OiRA - Online interactive Risk Assessment project
Risk assessment made easy by a free online tool: OiRA (Online interactive Risk Assessment tool)
The OiRA project is a multinational, collaborative endeavour to develop easy-to-use and cost-free web tools aimed at micro and small organisations.
Experience shows that proper risk assessment is the key to healthy workplaces. Yet carrying out risk assessments can be quite challenging, particularly for micro and small enterprises which may lack the resources or the occupational safety and health (OSH) know-how to do so eff ectively.
To facilitate the process, EU-OSHA has developed a comprehensive yet easy to use and cost-free web application, the OiRA - Online interactive Risk Assessment tool. OiRA helps micro and small organisations to put in place a thorough step-by-step risk assessment process – from the identification and evaluation of workplace risks, through decision making on preventive actions and the completion of these actions, to continued monitoring and reporting.
The Project currently involves some 15 European Member States (national governments, social partners, and research organisations). They are developing sectoral tools in their own languages and piloting them among micro and small businesses.
More information on the OiRA project dedicated website: http://www.oiraproject.eu/
OiRA was offically launched on the 11th September 2011 at the XIX World Congress on Safety and Health at Work in Istanbul.
- Healthy Workplaces Campaign
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- Search
- Publications
- A summary of four secondary analysis reports: Understanding workplace management of safety and health, psychosocial risks and worker participation through ESENER
- Worker representation and consultation on health and safety: An analysis of the findings of the European Survey of Enterprises on New and Emerging Risks (ESENER)
- Management of occupational safety and health: Analysis of data from the European Survey of Enterprises on New and Emerging Risks (ESENER)
- Worker participation in Occupational Safety and Health – a practical guide
- Coming soon: Management Leadership in Occupational Safety and Health – a practical guide
- Online interactive Risk Assessment tool (OiRA)
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- News
- Scientific evaluation of aluminium and aluminium compounds 13.02.2012
- United Kingdom, Healthy Working Lives, Respiratory protection selector online tool 09.02.2012
- CAN - Workplace exposure to chemicals and dusts - Results of the chemical analyses produced at the IRSST for 2001-2008 14.12.2011
- EU-OSHA launches landmark project to facilitate risk assessment in Europe’s small enterprises 13.09.2011
- AT - Gender mainstreaming - Labour inspection awarded the national excellence in administration award for its innovative programme 13.07.2011
