This e-fact describes the risks associated with dangerous substances that employees face in the hotel, restaurant and catering (HORECA) sector. It outlines practical measures that can be introduced to reduce these risks. Two practical examples are described: one on handling carbon dioxide; the other on second-hand smoke. Cleaning, disinfecting, and handling food and biological waste can lead to allergic reactions and skin diseases such as dermatitis. Employees in this sector are also often exposed to cooking fumes and second-hand smoke. 

This e-fact focuses on safety in chemical and biological laboratories. It outlines EU legislation on laboratory safety, particularly legislation that relates to chemical and biological hazards, and pregnant and young workers. It summarises the types of hazards that laboratory workers can encounter and gives examples of serious laboratory accidents that could have been prevented had proper safety measures been taken. It concludes with a set of checklists to help workers in laboratories assess possible risks, and monitor safety processes.

This e-fact provides information on the work-related risk factors and occupational safety and health (OSH) issues associated with domestic and small-scale solar energy installations across their life cycle. Small-scale and domestic solar energy installations are widely used but only scant attention has been given to the associated OSH aspects so far.

This checklist accompanies the e-fact on the occupational safety and health (OSH) issues associated with green building. It aims to help identify the potential hazards to workers’ safety and health associated with the planning and construction of green buildings, their maintenance, renovation (retrofitting) and demolition, and on-site waste collection. It also gives examples of preventive measures to address these hazards.

This summary presents a foresight study that has identified possible future scenarios for OSH in green jobs, given developments in green technologies, under different economic and social conditions. A full report with more details on the methodology and findings is also available.

This article provides information on the safe handling of dangerous waste, including how to prevent health risks associated with biological and chemical waste. Workers in the waste management sector may be exposed to biological and chemical risks such as different vapours, smoke, fumes and dust, and they may also need to handle chemical substances and infectious materials.

This guidance document developed for national labour inspectors (NLIs) aims to make inspectors more confident in addressing and regulating respirable crystalline silica risks, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of NLI interventions on construction sites.
The guidance includes information on the legal requirements, main sources of exposure to crystalline silica as well as the various options to prevent this exposure.

This guide describes the main hazards and risks associated with maintenance activities in agriculture and the most common causes of accidents and ill health. The guide also provides advice on risk management, examples of good practice in accident prevention and policies and campaigns at national level. Finally, it includes examples of checklists for safe maintenance in agriculture.

This report identifies the priorities for occupational safety and health (OSH) research from 2013 - 2020 to promote priority setting at the national level and facilitate the better coordination of research activities and the more efficient allocation of resources. The focus is on four themes: demographic change; globalisation and the changing world of work; safe new technologies; and new or increasing occupational exposure to chemical and biological agents.