All Publication-Items on disability

All Publication-Items tagged with the subject disability

Summary - New risks and trends in the safety and health of women at work

In 2009 and 2010, the Agency commissioned an update to its previous research on gender issues at work , which found that inequality both inside and outside the workplace can have an effect on the health and safety of women at work. This summary provides a policy perspective and is meant to contribute to the task outlined by the European strategy on health and safety at work for EU-OSHA’s European Risk Observatory, “examining the specific challenges in terms of health and safety posed by the more extensive integration of women in the labour market”. It provides a statistical overview of the trends in employment and working conditions, hazard exposure and work-related accidents and health problems for women at work. It explores selected issues (combined exposures, occupational cancer, access to rehabilitation, women and informal work, and “emerging” female professions such as home care and domestic work). The research highlights the type of work carried out by women, issues faced by younger and older women, the growth of the service sector, violence and harassment, and increasingly diversified working time patterns as major risk factors.

OSH in figures: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders in the EU - Facts and figures

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) remain the most common occupational disease in the European Union and workers in all sectors and occupations can be affected. Recent figures, for example from Austria, Germany or France, also demonstrate an increasing impact of musculoskeletal disorders on costs. This latest report, following on from the Agency’s previous research, aims to give an updated overview of the current European situation as regards musculoskeletal disorders, the trends over the years since the first campaign in 2000, and a detailed insight into the causes and circumstances behind MSDs. The report highlights the main issues and aims to provide a well-founded evidence base, helping policy makers, actors at enterprise and sector level, as well as researchers and those who record, prevent and compensate occupational diseases in the European Union to set the agenda for the next years.

Factsheet 87 - Workforce diversity and risk assessment: ensuring everyone is covered Summary of an Agency report

Diversity and diversity management in the workplace are important issues in occupational safety and health today. However, diversity has seldom been studied from the perspective of risk assessment. Practical risk assessment tools that take into account the specific risks faced, for instance by people with disabilities, migrant workers, older workers, women and temporary workers, are still rare.

Report - Work-related musculoskeletal disorders: Back to work

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are the most common work-related health problem in Europe. Tackling MSDs means taking action in the workplace. First, there are preventative steps that have to be taken. But for workers who already have MSDs, the challenge is to maintain their employability, keep them working and, if necessary, reintegrate them into the workplace. This is the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work’s ’Back to Work’ report, which focuses on the retention, reintegration and rehabilitation of workers with MSDs. It comes in two parts: a literature review on the effectiveness of work-related interventions, and an overview of policy initiatives in Europe and at the international level.

Factsheet 53 - Ensuring the health and safety of workers with disabilities

People with disabilities should receive equal treatment at work. This includes equality regarding health and safety at work. Health and safety should not be used as an excuse for not employing or not continuing to employ disabled people. In addition, a workplace that is accessible and safe for people with disabilities is also safer and more accessible for all employees, clients and visitors. People with disabilities are covered by both European anti-discrimination legislation and occupational health and safety legislation. This legislation, which the Member States implement in national legislation and arrangements, should be applied to facilitate the employment of people with disabilities, not to exclude them.