In 2005 the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work in Bilbao set out to tackle noise and the impact on workers’ hearing, and the link with stress and accidents.
Other priorities were emerging risks, safety and health awareness in the new Member States, protecting young workers and the occupational safety and health implications of Europe’s ageing workforce.
Major information initiatives included:
A Europe-wide information campaign focusing on the risks of excessive noise at work culminating in the European Week for Safety and Health at Work, 24-28 October 2005;
The launch of a new Risk Observatory to identify emerging risks and corresponding good preventive practices;
An enlargement action plan aimed at raising awareness of safety and health at work in the EU’s 10 new Member States;
An investigation into the relationship between occupational safety and health and economic performance;
A study into the impact of Europe’s ageing workforce on OSH policies and practices;
Preparation for an information campaign in 2006 on protecting young workers.
The Agency has previously undertaken a major review of health and safety in Europe’s 900 billion Euro construction industry which has one of the poorest safety records of industry sectors. In the EU 15, every year nearly 1,200 construction workers are killed and more than 800,000 involved in accidents requiring over 3 days off work. The financial cost to the EU, in terms of lost productivity, health costs and other expenses, is estimated to exceed €75 billion a year - equivalent to €200 per person in the EU. In November 2004, the Dutch Presidency and six of the top construction representative bodies signed a landmark declaration committing them to specific measures to improve the sector’s safety and health standards.
First Report of the Risk Observatory on emerging occupational risks
The Risk Observatory aims to provide
an overview of occupational health in Europe
a description of the trends and underlying factors
a description of the risk factors
an anticipation of changes in work and their likely consequences on health
The observatory’s first report highlights the need for new approaches and solutions to tackle emerging physical risks. The survey was carried out among a panel of over 60 safety and health experts in 14 European countries and the USA.
Lack of physical activity and the impact on workers of increasingly complex new technologies are among the top emerging risks. It is also clear that work place health and safety is increasingly affected by multifactoral issues ie a combination of interacting risks eg staff in call centres have to deal with prolonged sitting at desks poorly adjusted to their perosnal needs, background noise, inadequate headsets etc.
It is hoped that EU policymakers will bear this is mind and seek to propose solutions which take a holistic approach to risk prevention.
