William Cockburn European Risk Observatory, EU-OSHA

The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work

Healthy WorkplacesGood for you. Good for business

Ljubljana, 25th October 2010

EU-OSHA

Established in 1996 in Bilbao

Mission:To help improve working conditions in the European Union by collecting, analysing and communicating technical, scientific and economic information related to OSH to Community bodies, Member States, the social partners and all those involved in the field of OSH

EU-OSHA is a tripartite organisation and brings together representatives from: o governments, employers’ and workers’ organisationso as well as from the European Commission

A network of Focal Points to support the Agency's activities

EU

EFTA/EEA

Candidate and potential candidate countries

Every Member State has a focal point

Every focal point has a tripartite national network

Extent of activity depends upon national structures

Health and safety at work:

• What is the scale of the challenge in Europe?

• What is EU-OSHA’s role?

Accidents at work

5,580 died in a fatal accident at work in 2007

7 million workers (3%) suffered an accident resulting in time off work

o In 1 in 4 cases, this was for longer than a month

o 800,000 had two or more accidents

o Equal to 83 million lost days, not including those who will never work again (25,000) and those still on sick leave during the study (363,000)

Work-related health problems and occupational diseases

8.6% of workers suffered a work-related health problem in 2007

o Approximately 23 million workers, of whom 2.1% (483,000) had two or more problems

12.5 million had to take time off work

o Approximately 367 million work days lost in 2007 (excluding 1.4 million who do not expect to work again)

o Longest absences related to cardiovascular problems, stress/depression/anxiety and lower body MSDs

Work-related health problems experienced in the past 12 months

Source: LFS ad hoc module 2007 – FR not included

EU-OSHA’s role

Identify OSH issues related to the changing world of worko Board, Focal Points, staff, stakeholders, Topic Centre, others

Analyse the issues and help coordinate researcho European Risk Observatory

Identify practical approaches to dealing with the issueso Working Environment Information Unit

Disseminate the informationo Communication and Promotion Unito Pan-European ‘Healthy workplaces’ campaigns

Bring together interest groups to share information and promote a positive health and safety cultureo Networks include EFTA/EEA, candidate, pre-accession countries

Internet-based information exchangewww.osha.europa.eu

Upcoming EU-OSHA activities

Coordination and promotion of researcho Seek consensus on priorities and encourage inclusion

of OSH in research programmes Foresight on new and emerging risks

o Identify risks arising due to demographic, scientific, technological, societal or economic changes

2012 Healthy Workplaces Campaigno Better Health and Safety at Work through Prevention

Provide workplace solutionso Online interactive risk assessment tool, economic

incentives, occupational health promotion, mainstreaming OSH into education

Thank you for your attention

http://ESENER.eu

http://osha.europa.eu