EU action to ensure a safe and healthy workplace

In presenting its strategic framework on health and safety at work 2014-20, the European Commission identifies three main challenges and seven key strategic objectives for occupational safety and health (OSH), as well as actions and instruments to address them across the European Union (EU).

ACT

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on an EU strategic framework on health and safety at work 2014-20 (COM(2014) 332 final of 6 June 2014).

SUMMARY

WHAT DOES THIS COMMUNICATION DO?

In presenting its strategic framework on health and safety at work 2014-20, the European Commission identifies three main challenges and seven key strategic objectives for occupational safety and health (OSH), as well as actions and instruments to address them across the European Union (EU).

KEY POINTS

Three main challenges to be addressed:

—	implementation of existing health and safety rules, particularly in smaller businesses;

—	prevention of work-related diseases;

—	challenges arising as a result of the EU’s ageing workforce.

Objectives and actions

The framework proposes addressing these challenges with a range of actions under seven key strategic objectives.

1.	Further consolidation of EU countries’ national health and safety strategies: this would involve policy coordination, sharing of good practice and mutual learning.

2.	Practical support and guidance on OSH legislation, particularly for SMEs , to help them better comply with health and safety rules. An example of such a tool is the online interactive risk assessment, a website providing sector-specific risk assessment tools.

3.	Better enforcement of OSH legislation by EU countries , for example by assessing the performance of national labour inspectorates.

4.	Simplifying existing laws to remove unnecessary administrative burdens, while ensuring that high levels of protection of workers’ health and safety are maintained.

5.	Addressing the ageing of the workforce and improving the prevention of occupational diseases arising from new products and technologies (such as nanomaterials, green technology and biotechnologies).

6.	Improved collection of statistics to have better evidence and to develop monitoring tools.

7.

Better coordination with international organisations such as the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), as well as other partners working to reduce work accidents and occupational diseases and to improve working conditions.

BACKGROUND

According to the EU-OSHA, more than 4,000 workers in the EU die each year due to accidents at work and more than 3 million workers are victims of a serious workplace accident leading to absences of more than 3 days. In addition to the human suffering, poor OSH is also costly for the EU’s economy in terms of lost productivity and increased social security costs.

last update 19.09.2014