Analysis of the determinants of workplace occupational safety and health practice in a selection of EU Member States European Risk Observatory European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (original) (raw)
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Europe has always played a key role in the field of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) and can be considered the cradle of Occupational Health. The European policy framework has been set since the establishment of the European Union, but its strength lies in the enactment of the Framework Directive on Occupational Health and Safety (89/391/EC), which has had a strong positive impact on the assessment and management of occupational risk factors and has promoted the quick diffusion of common standards across Europe. Yet, some implementation issues still remain to be addressed, due to changes in the world of work, fragmentation, economic crisis and, more generally, to the impact of globalization. Therefore, actions need to be reviewed with respect to research plans and policy implementation so as to support the OHS social dimension fostering a broader concept of wellbeing at work.
Comparative Aspects Regarding Safety and Health at Work in European Enterprises
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Health and safety risks at the workplace: a joint analysis of three major surveys
European Agency for Safety and Health at Work eBooks, 2017
Acknowledgement: TNO wants to express its thanks to Eurostat and Eurofound for providing free access to their data on working conditions from the LFS 2013 ad hoc module and the 6th EWCS. Access to the data from the 6th EWCS was provided even before the data were officially published. We also want to express our thanks to Maarit Vartia-Väänänen and Krista Pahkin (FIOH), Epp Kalaste and Janno Jarve (Centar), Inigo Isusi (IKEI) and David McDaid (LSE) for valuable comments during the project as external experts. This report was commissioned by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA). Its contents, including any opinions and/or conclusions expressed, are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of EU-OSHA. More information on the European Union is available on the Internet (http://europa.eu). Cataloguing data can be found on the cover of this publication.
Improved occupational safety and health (OSH) is a major challenge for the trade union movement. When surveyed about what they expect from their unions, most workers list occupational health as a top priority. Action in this regard is complex, however. First, there is the essential day-to-day work undertaken by the unions in the workplace. This is reinforced by networking the experiences of particular sectors with regard to specific or regional issues. There are numerous links between occupational health issues and other union objectives (democracy in the workplace, gender equality, environmental protection, etc.). In addition, the need to act across borders is increasing in line with international trade, globalisation and EU enlargement. All these developments demonstrate the importance of cross-border trade union cooperation and the production of joint strategies. This guide is aimed primarily at worker representatives responsible for health and safety at work and union officials involved in this area. It will also be useful to anyone with an interest in EU policy developments or involved in preventing occupational risks. It gives an overview of the background to, principle actors in, and essential tools of, EU occupational health and safety policy with the aim of contributing to a better understanding of this policy and of facilitating effective intervention at European level. The information is up-to-date as of the end of March 2015. Our Institute’s information tools, such as HesaMag magazine, the Hesamail e-newsletter and our website, will provide regular updates of any changes.
The European Commission adopted on 28 June 2021 a strategic framework on Occupational safety and health (OSH) for the period 2021-2027 1. This article aims to put this framework into context. On the one hand, it briefly situates it in the historical development of OSH policies in the European Union (EU). On the other hand, it highlights debates, conflicts and tensions that allow to understand better the content of this document. As in most official documents of the European Commission, the real political issues are not very visible. The document eclectically lists many different elements without situating them in a systematic analysis. Their real significance only becomes apparent when working conditions, their evolution, and their impact on health social inequalities are taken into account.
The impact of safety representatives on occupational health - A European perspective (2009)
2009
Workers’ health and safety representation has now become central to national and European preventive strategy agendas. Such forms of representation are found all across Europe. In some countries, it is probably the most widespread form of shopfloor representation. All the available evidence points towards the existence of such representation being closely associated with a more systematic organization of prevention. Above all, it enables more weight to be given to workers’ interests and concerns about health and safety at work. Of course, just having representation is no guarantee that it will do any good. Various things can make or break it in terms of effectiveness. Adequate training and information, access to expertise where complex issues require it, systematic support from trade unions – all these things play a key role. The European and many national prevention strategies pay scant regard to the vast potential of workers’ safety representation, even though it may often make the difference between prevention as a tick-box exercise and an active policy drawing on the needs and initiatives of work forces. This disregard is seen in how policies are framed and is also reflected in the research. Research into health and safety at work that explores the social dynamics of health and safety at the workplace is thin on the ground. And yet it is common knowledge that the real level of prevention falls well short of what it could be using available knowledge. This publication is the outcome of EPSARE – the European Project on Safety Reps carried out by researchers and trade unionists. It is a condensed version of the report which gives the essentials of an initial assessment of the enabling conditions and factors for the work of safety reps in the European Union (EU). The project reviewed all the available literature, and collected information and knowledge from descriptive studies and key informants. It also developed a theoretical model to describe the key conditions and factors relating to safety reps and their influence on health and safety at work.
A Survey of Safety and Health at Work in Greece
International Journal of Workplace Health Management, 2012
The subject of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) is increasingly gaining the interest of policy makers and researchers in European countries given that the economic and social losses from work-related injuries and diseases are quite substantial. Under this light, this paper will present an overview of the Greek legislation framework regarding OSH issues, and the current status of empirical research on the subject in Greece. In addition, the paper identifies the knowledge gaps and methodological shortcomings of the existing literature in order to contribute towards future research in the OSH field in Greece.
Occupational safety and health in Spain
Journal of Safety Research, 2002
Occupational Health and Safety in Spain has improved considerably over the last decade, most likely due to a new concept where an overall concept of safety culture is defined. Important changes in industrial safety, hygiene, and psychosocial factors present an optimistic panorama for the future of Spain. Despite this general improvement, according to the European Convergence Program, Spanish statistics still offer far from good safety results. In fact, according to 1997 official statistics, Spain had the highest incidence rate for nonfatal occupational accidents of all European Union (EU) countries, and occupied third place for fatal accidents. This paper summarizes the organizational structure of the Spanish National System of Health & Safety at Work, its effective health and safety laws, and statistics on the Spanish work environment obtained from III Spanish National Survey on Work Conditions (1997). The researchers hope that the findings of this work will have an impact on Spanish industry that will subsequently bring about improvements in work conditions and develop assessment and intervention models in occupational health and safety, from a theoretical position integrating environmental, human, and organizational factors.
Digitalisation is transforming business landscapes and the world of work, and redefining the boundaries of production, consumption and distribution. This has created tremendous opportunities, as new products, processes and techniques have emerged, but has also created threats, as new ways of employment pose new challenges to employers and employees. The overall consequences on improving health and safety in the workplace are, however, still highly uncertain which is reflected in the wide variation in the outcomes of the existing research. The initial government responses appear to be reactive rather than proactive, and targeted towards mitigating the side effects of digitalisation instead of aiming to reap its potential benefits.This study focuses on the impact of digitalization on health and employment relations amidst the growing dynamics of contemporary workplace practices.