ICOH 2015 - Seoul. A session at the Asian Policy Forum to examine how the European OSH system works, and how we can look for improvements to address current challenges and new emerging risks.

1. Safety and health at work is everyone’s concern. It’s good for you. It’s good for business.
Trends and challenges of occupational
safety and health in Europe
Dr Christa Sedlatschek
Director
1 June 2015
31st International Congress on Occupational Health (ICOH) Seoul
APOSHO Asian Policy Forum

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EU-OSHA
The European Union body responsible for the
collection, analysis and dissemination of
relevant information to serve the needs of those
involved in safety and health at work

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OSH in the EU
• 85% of workers satisfied with the health and safety
situation in their workplace (EB 2014), thanks to the
comprehensive legislation and policy actions
implemented by EU, Member States and social partners.
• However:
− > 4 000 workers die of accidents at work and > 3 million
workers are victims of a serious accident at work.
− 160 000 deaths annually are attributed to work-related
diseases, 95 000 of which to occupational cancer.
− Costs due to work-related sick leave, work-related
diseases and accidents are unacceptably high and put a
heavy burden on competitiveness and social security
budgets in addition to workers’ health.

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Analytical model: Determinants of OSH

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Why no risk assessment?
 Smaller businesses lack the awareness of the hazards
and risks they face

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Needs of small and micro-enterprises
Awareness raising Practical support tools

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The health problem in the EU
• More than 150,000 work-associated
deaths annually (ILO estimate)
• € 490 billion cost to the EU economy

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Hazards, risks, and risk factors

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Demographic change: Age, gender, mobility

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Fewer young and more older workers

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Workability by age and occupation
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
<25 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64
Age
construction worker roofer
potter businesspeople
parliamentarian scientist
Days
sick
leave

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ESENER-2 - Difficulties in addressing health and safety, by country:
the complexity of legal obligations (% establishments, EU-28).
Base: all establishments in the EU-28.
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Lithuania
Slovenia
Latvia
Finland
Denmark
Estonia
Malta
Sweden
Romania
Hungary
Slovakia
United Kingdom
Bulgaria
Luxembourg
Spain
Ireland
Czech Republic
Austria
Cyprus
Croatia
Germany
EU-28
Poland
Portugal
Netherlands
Belgium
France
Greece
Italy
Major difficulty Minor difficulty Not a difficulty No answer

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EU Strategic Framework on Health and
Safety at Work – 2014-2020
 Identifies the challenges
1. Implementation
 Different approaches to implementation in EU
 Particular challenge for micro and small enterprises
2. Work-related diseases
 4-8% of cancers due to occupational exposure
 workplace stress, musculo-skeletal disorders
3. Demographic change
 working population between 55-64 set to increase
 older workers need to stay healthy to retirement

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EU Strategic Framework on Health and
Safety at Work – 2014-2020
 Objectives focus on structural issues
1. Consolidation of national strategies
2. Facilitate compliance, especially in MSEs
3. Better enforcement by Member States
4. Simplifying legislation
5. Ageing, new risks, occupational diseases
6. Improving statistical data collection
7. Better international coordination

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EU-OSHA strategic approach
EU Strategic Framework
Multi-annual strategic programme
Identified
priorities
Annual Management Plan
Specific projects

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EU-OSHA’s multi-annual strategic
programme 2014-2020
 Anticipating change
• Foresight methodology
• Research priorities
 Facts and figures
• MSEs
• Older workers
• ESENER
• Work related diseases
• Benefits of OSH
 OSH tools
• OIRA
• E-Tools
 Raising awareness
• Campaigning
 Networking knowledge
• OSHWiki
• OSH Strategies
 Networking
• International networking

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More information in 25 languages
http://osha.europa.eu