EU-OSHA Blog

Within the framework of the IPA funded project, on 7 and 8 June 2023, the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities hosted the 1st IPA Regional Conference organised by EU-OSHA, focusing on the topic of "Inspection of Psychosocial Risks".

The event had the aim to strengthen OSH knowledge on pshychosocial risk factors to provide guidance to inspection on quality risk assessment and on risk management measures; as well as to offer the opportunity to IPA beneficiaries to share national OSH best practice and difficulties in preveting risk of ill-health related to psychosocial risk factors.

On day 1, following EU-OSHA presentation on the main perceived psychosocial risk factors from European enterprises and on the existing EU legislation and international standards regarding psychosocial risks, Vladka Komel, Slovenian Focal point manager and Yiannis Koudounaris, from the department of Labour Inspection of Cyprus, shared national OSH practices and approaches to psychosocial risk prevention, and provided practical information on the application of the 2018 Senior Laobur Inspector Committee (SLIC) Guides.

On day 2, after the welcome by Nikolaj Petrišič, Director of the OSH department of the Ministry of Labour, Sergeja Brglez, OSHVET Ambassador of Slovenia, introduced the latest project research carried out by the Vocational Centre of Obala (SLO) to prevent psychosocial risks, including the development of the DigiStress application to monitor the time spent on electronic devices and reduce digital stress. Afterwards, IPA beneficiaries from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Türkiye presented their national OSH strategies and approaches regarding prevention of psychosocial risks in the workplace.

During the final discussion sessions of day 1 and day 2, IPA participants raised several questions concerning EU rules and EUMS practices, to which EU-OSHA, Slovenia and Cyprus could reply with concrete advice and examples.