The second edition of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA)’s European Survey of Enterprises on New and Emerging Risks (ESENER-2) collected responses from almost 50,000 enterprises on occupational safety and health (OSH) management and workplace risks, with a particular focus on worker participation and psychosocial risks.
Although data on work-related accidents and ill health are available through workers’ surveys and reporting systems, little is known about the way in which health and safety risks are actually managed in practice — particularly those risks that are new and emerging. By reporting on employers’ needs for support and expertise, and identifying what can encourage or hinder risk prevention, ESENER helps fill that gap in knowledge.
The first edition of the survey was carried out in 2009. The fieldwork for the second edition took place in 2014. ESENER-2 surveyed both private and public organisations — from a range of activity sectors — across 36 countries (the 28 EU Member States as well as Albania, Iceland, Montenegro, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye, Norway and Switzerland).
For the first time, agriculture and fishery and micro enterprises of 5–10 employees were included. Questions were addressed to those that best knew about OSH management in the organisation. Respondents answered questions on the major risk factors in their enterprises and reported on how and why they manage them, as well as identifying barriers to prevention.