The Community Strategy on Health and Safety at Work 2002-2006 Fostering the Prevention Culture Budapest, 28 April 2005 Martin Staxrud Jetlund

Realities of health and safety at work (1) General situation 210 million working days lost in the EU15 each year due to accidents at work (Third European Survey on Working Conditions 2000 – ESWC) 350 million working days lost each year due to work-related diseases (ESWC) 7 % of the victims have to change jobs and 4 % either reduce working hours or stop working (Labour Force Survey 1999) Accidents at work were estimated to have caused costs of 55 billion euros in the EU15 in 2000 (Eurostat publication 2004)

Realities of health and safety at work (2) Member States as of 1 May 2004 (Source: Dublin Foundation) Frequency of occupational accidents above the average for the EU 15 Longer working hours - holding of two or three jobs Workers more exposed to vibration, noise, air pollution and to work in painful or tiring positions More widespread workers in high risk sectors

Background to the Strategy Changes in society More females in the workforce An ageing active population Changes in forms of employment Diversified forms of employment Different types of contracts Different forms of work Changes in the nature of risks New and emerging risks (Stress, harassment, violence)

The Community strategy on health and safety at work 2002-2006 A global approach to well-being at work (ILO definition) Consolidating a culture of risk prevention in an enlarged Europe Strengthening of competitiveness – the cost of non-quality cost of non-quality – key role for the SMEs

What is prevention? A gradual and integrated approach in the whole organisation to Assess the risks – the key document being the risk assessment Eliminate risks or reduce risk factors that can not be eliminated Adapt the work to the individual worker Health surveillance at regular intervals Information of the risks and training and consultation of the workers Definition of prevention in Article 3(d) in the Framework directive "prevention: all the steps or measures taken or planned at all stages of work in the undertaking to prevent or reduce occupational risks" all the measures to be regularly updated Significant differences in prevention systems in the EU – in general it is not properly understood and applied effectively on the ground Not seeing it in the long term.

Obligations stemming from prevention (1) Obligations on the employers Must ensure safety and health of workers in every aspect related to work Assess all the risks to the health and safety in the undertaking Take the appropriate measures in order to prevent injuries or accidents at no cost for workers Designate worker(s) for protective and preventive services Provide appropriate information, training and consultation of workers Report on occupational accidents

Obligations stemming from prevention (2) Obligations on the workers Must take care of their own health and safety and of those persons that might be affected by their acts or omissions Correct use of machines and equipment and personnel protective equipment supplied to them Follow the instructions given by the employer Report on any situation at work which constitutes an irregularity or a serious and immediate danger Co-operate to protect the safety and health of other workers within their fields of activities

Strengthening the prevention culture (1) Two pillars Improving people's attitudes towards risks Awareness raising (especially among SMEs) Mobilisation of all stakeholders (Social partners, enterprises) Integration of health and safety into education (school and vocational training) Anticipation of new and emerging risks Ensuring implementation of existing legislation Transposition of European legislation (e.g. Act no CXIII from 1993) Labour inspection activities Full enforcement of administrative and penal sanctions Labour inspection: administrative capacities to be strenghtened Training of the inspectors to be provided Social partners: consultation on musculo-skeletal disorders and violence

Strengthening the prevention culture (2) The role of the European Agency The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work plays an important role Network of focal points in all the Member States spreading information Risk observatory in Bilbao Refocusing the European Week on Health and Safety at Work on end-users The focal point in Hungary Fact sheets in Hungarian on various concrete issues (e.g. construction) The website of the focal point is managed by the Hungarian Labour Inspectorate Risk observatory set up as a prototype in 2004 and run as a small entity in Bilbao. Paoli's unit.

Strengthening the prevention culture (3) European week on noise Information campaign to increase awareness and promote good practice Partnership approach – Agency, Focal Points, Social Partners, EU institutions and presidency 31 countries (EU25, Candidate and EFTA countries) take part Produces and disseminates information in 20 languages Closing event in Bilbao in December Dedicated web: http://ew2005.osha.eu.int 2003/10 directive which sets noise exposure limits is to be implemented in MS by Feb 2006

Ensuring implementation (1): EU legislation Objective: To ensure better application of legislation and the principles of prevention on the ground Implementation of directives Framework directive Individual directives (e.g. biological agents and temporary or mobile construction sites) Guidelines produced on Chemical agents directive ATEX directive (explosive atmospheres)

Ensuring implementation (2): Labour inspection Combine inspection role with a prevention function Challenges at European level Common principles for labour inspection Ways and means of evaluating inspection systems Two areas of special importance Protection of young people Trans-national working situations EU15:

The challenges for a prevention culture Bring the message across: Prevention pays off Less work-related accidents and diseases push up productivity Occupational accidents and diseases entail costs Strengthened quality at work to ensure Europe's human capital Involve all actors Employers to consult the workers Workers working with prevention services

The new Strategy 2007-2012 New Strategy was announced in the Social Agenda 2005-2010 Focus on new and emerging risks Specific attention to quality of prevention services and health and safety training All the players concerned must take up their responsibilities Evaluation of the current strategy Work will be launched in the Member States by the end of 2005 Will help to further define the problems to be addressed in the new Strategy ESF is envisaged to play a major role Some examples of MS initiative on evaluation: Nordic scoreboard with more MS joining this year

More information: http://europa. eu martin.jetlund@cec.eu.int