April 2018

Did you Know?

In April 2018, the European Agency for Safety & Health at Work (EU-OSHA) launched the Healthy Workplaces Manage Dangerous Substances 2018-19 campaign, which is aimed at educating EU workers about dangers related to the exposure and management of certain chemicals at work.

EDC News: European Union Addressing Health & Safety at Work

According to European Agency for Safety & Health at Work (EU-OSHA), 98% of deaths in the EU result from work related illnesses. Furthermore, EU spends approximately 476 billion euros per year on work related accidents and illnesses, of which 119.5 billion is spent on work related cancer; work related cancer constitutes to 53% of work related deaths in the EU. This has galvanised the EU to become more focused in developing measures for enhancing working conditions and diminishing work place accidents and diseases:

• Strategic Framework on Health and Safety at Work 2014-2020 (COM 2014/0332 final), recognises three major  health and safety at work challenges and presents seven strategic objectives and instruments to overcome these challenges
• Directive 1989/391 addresses the introduction of measures to encourage improvement in the health and safety of workers
• Directive 2000/54 addresses the protection of workers from risks related to exposure to biological agents at work
• Directive 1990/270 addresses minimum health and safety requirements for work using display screen equipment
• Directive 1990/269 addresses minimum health and safety requirements for the manual handling of loads where there is a risk of back injury
• Directives on workplace requirements, equipment, health and safety signs and personal protective equipment
• Directives on exposure to chemical agents and chemical safety
• Directives on exposure to physical hazards
• Directives for specific work sectors, pregnant workers and other worker related provisions   
• Regulation 2008/1338 establishes a common framework for the systematic production of Community statistics on public health and health & safety at work
• The European Commission proposal (COM 2018/171 final), amending Directive 2004/37, will set limits to the exposure of five cancer-causing chemicals at workplaces

• The European Pillar of Social Rights, one right focusing on providing EU workers with health and safety protection at work

The combination of these health and safety measures will educate workers, produce higher quality standards and increase productivity within the EU.

For more information

• Legal framework, statistical databases and work committees on EU Health and safety at work, Directorate General of Employment, Social Affairs & Inclusion
• Issues with dangerous substances at work, European Agency for Safety and Health at Work
• Work-related diseases, European Agency for Safety and Health at Work
• Accidents at work statistical indicators, including both fatal and non-fatal work accidents

• The communication on improving quality and productivity at work: Community strategy 2007-2012 on health and safety at work (COM 2007/0062 final) contributed to European Parliament Resolution 2015/2107(INI), 25 November 2015, on the EU Strategic Framework on Health and Safety at Work 2014-2020
• Official EU institution publications:

• New risks and trends in the safety and health of women at work
• Health and safety at work is everybody’s business
• Worker participation in the management of occupational safety and health, qualitative evidence from ESENER 2
• EU-OSHA Second European Survey of Enterprises on New and Emerging Risks (ESENER-2)
• Exposure to carcinogens and work - related cancer: A review of assessment methods, European Risk Observatory Report
• Worker participation in the management of occupational safety and health
• Occupational safety and health is good for you and good for business

• Press release:

• Commission launches new initiative to improve health and safety of workers (10 January 2017)
• Commission takes further action to better protect workers against cancer-causing chemicals (5 April 2018)