Groups at risk

Introduction

In 1989, the Council Directive 89/391/EEC [1] (also known as the ‘Framework Directive’) introduced measures to improve the safety and health of workers. It established the minimum occupational safety and health (OSH) requirements within the European Union (EU). In Article 15 of the 1989 Framework Directive, it states that ‘particularly sensitive risk groups must be protected against the dangers that specifically affect them.’ In 1996, the European Commission (EC) produced its ‘Guidance on Risk Assessment at Work’ [2] which identified the ‘sensitive risk groups’ [3] as workers with disabilities, young and old workers, pregnant and nursing mothers, and…