Gdańsk University of Technology: Implementation of a chemical and hazardous waste management sytem in higher education and research
https://osha.europa.eu/en/tools-and-publications/publications/implementing-chem…
MS information

The Gdańsk University of Technology wanted to improve chemical safety for its employees and students by aligning procedures with current legal norms and adapting them to the requirements of the European Union. The main goal of this initiative was to introduce a comprehensive system for the management of hazardous substances and preparations and hazardous waste (SYGOS — Chemical and Hazardous Waste Management System in Higher Education and Research) at Gdańsk University in cooperation with other universities in Poland.

Arbeitsschutz erleben – je früher, desto besser. Hören, sehen, selber machen
https://osha.europa.eu/sites/default/files/Case_study_Germany.pdf
MS information

In 2009, Lehmann&Voss&Co., a chemical company in Hamburg, Germany, embarked on a collaboration with the chemistry department of the district school in Eidelstedt, Hamburg, to train young people in the safe handling of chemicals. Young workers in the plastic manufacturing industry may be exposed to dangerous substances. Therefore, it is important to integrate occupational safety and health (OSH) issues into education and training as early as possible.

20/12/2017

Executive Summary - From policy to practice: policies, strategies, programmes and actions supporting OSH in micro and small enterprises

Downloadin: en | de | nl | el | fr | hr | lt | no | ro | sk | sv |

See more

EU-OSHA launched a 3-year project in 2014 to identify effective policies, strategies and practical approaches to OSH management in MSEs, which are vital to society and the EU’s economy.

Returning to work after a medium- to long-term sickness absence is a complex process. It involves following a number of steps and combined action from different professions that are not necessarily used to working together. The workplace should be the central focus of return-to-work systems. Therefore, EU-OSHA has commissioned research on rehabilitation and return-to-work policies and systems, which brings together good practices from across Europe.

Around 1.6 million people of working age are diagnosed with cancer in Europe each year. However, according to research presented in an  EU-OSHA workshop on work-related cancer, while there are measures for MSDs and stress-related health problems, there are fewer reintegration measures and back-to-work measures for workers affected by cancer including work-related cancer.

More and more cancer survivors return to work. It is important to facilitate their rehabilitation, both to promote the well-being of this vulnerable group and to reduce the related societal and economic impacts. EU-OSHA has looked into this issue and published reviews of rehabilitation and return to work after cancer and recommendations for enterprises.

Rehabilitation and return to work after cancer: Literature review

Policy and practice on rehabilitation and RTW after cancer - current approaches: seminar proceedings

9 case studies on rehabilitation/return to work programmes 

 

15/12/2017

Summary - Feasibility study on the development of a computer-assisted telephone survey to estimate workers’ exposure to carcinogens in the European Union

Downloadin: en

See more

Health surveillance programmes should be set up only if they improve protection and prevention of risks and meet four criteria: need, relevance, scientific validity and effectiveness. They are normally organised by occupational health services. The International Commission on Occupational Health Code of Ethics specifies ethical criteria for health surveillance.

Some European directives and pieces of national legislation specify the content and the methodology of health surveillance for specific factors. Records have to be kept and workers should be informed of the results. However, as this information is confidential, the employer is informed only about workers’ aptitude to work and any measures to be taken in the workplace.

The requirements for making available monitoring and health surveillance data and the specific rules for record-keeping are also laid down in the directives. For example, the Carcinogens and Mutagens Directive specifies that records have to be kept for 40 years.

Work-related exposure to biological agents may be associated with several health problems, including infectious diseases, cancer and allergies. Some biological agents can also harm unborn babies.

Workers in certain sectors, such as healthcare and veterinary services, agriculture, sewage management, and laboratories, are particularly at risk. These workers may work directly with microbes or be exposed to them through contact with, for example, bodily fluids or soil. If the source of exposure to a biological agent is known, it is relatively easy to prevent adverse effects on health. Risk management of unknown sources of exposure is much more difficult.

EU-OSHA offers publications on this topic:

Biological agents and work-related diseases: results of a literature review, expert survey and analysis of monitoring systems: Report and Summary

Discussion papers identifying sectors with high risk of exposure to biological agents: healthcare, jobs involving travel and contact with travellers, animal-related occupations; waste management and wastewater treatment; and arable farming.

Monitoring reports of work-related diseases that are considered early warning signs can help to identify situations or workplaces where occupational safety and health management needs to be improved. EU-OSHA has published research on alert and sentinel systems to catch early signs of work-related diseases:

Alert and sentinel systems – literature review

Alert and sentinel systems – expert workshop - proceedings

Alert and sentinel approaches for the identification of work-related diseases in the EU: Report  and Summary

Alert and sentinel systems – policy workshop - proceedings 

Alert and sentinel approaches for the identification of work-related diseases in the EU: Presentation for an expert audience

Explore all expert discussion papers on Alert and sentinel systems

The number of workplace accidents has decreased by 25% over the last 10 years. However, work-related diseases still account for an estimated 2.4 million deaths worldwide each year, 200,000 of which are in Europe. 

EU-OSHA’s work on work-related diseases aims to provide an evidence base for prevention, policy and practice. Another important objective is to provide a better overview of the extent of the occupational burden of disease.

Work-related diseases include:

Current projects

EU-OSHA launched an overview project in 2015 which covers three areas of research, policy and practice on work-related diseases:

Definitions and regulations

A ‘work-related disease’ is any illness caused or made worse by workplace factors.This includes many diseases that have more complex causes, involving a combination of occupational and non-work-related factors.

An ‘occupational disease’ is any disease caused primarily by exposure at work to a physical, organisational, chemical or biological risk factor or to a combination of these factors. Occupational diseases are mostly those listed in national legislation as resulting from exposure to risk factors at work.The recognition of an occupational disease may be linked to compensation if it is clear that there is a causal relationship between an occupational exposure and the disease.

The European schedule of occupational diseases provides recommendations on which occupational diseases should be included in Member States’ national lists. It also makes recommendations on introducing rules for compensation, prevention and statistical data collection.

Guidance documents at the EU level and at national level define the diagnostic and exposure criteria for recognising a work-related disease as a listed occupational disease. Additional criteria apply for compensation, mostly linked to minimum degrees of injury or of work incapacity. Many Member States publish data on recognised occupational diseases in annual reports, for example on the state of occupational safety and health.

What causes diseases at work?

Many types of disease, including cancer, respiratory disorders, cardiovascular disease, skin diseases, musculoskeletal disorders and mental health problems, can be caused or made worse by work. Although the underlying causes of such diseases may be complex, certain workplace exposures are known to contribute to the development or progression of a disease, including:

It is important to monitor closely the risks associated with such exposures and their combination with each other and with changing patterns of work.

Raising awareness and promoting prevention

Good practices at enterprise level include promoting a culture of risk prevention and well-being in the workplace. It is also vital that enterprises assess and manage risks and respect the hierarchy of prevention.

Other good ways to reduce the occurrence of work-related diseases are by using proactive monitoring to prevent ill health and by fostering a healthier workplace through workplace health promotion activities.

Subscribe to