All Publication-Items on organisation

All Publication-Items tagged with the subject organisation

Emergency services: occupational safety and health risks

The report shows that emergency workers have a high risk of suffering fatal accidents, injuries and other occupational diseases. Past disasters demonstrate that both communities and companies are often not fully prepared for major accidents and catastrophes. Better protection for emergency workers against occupational hazards should be given high priority, as current environmental, economic, and political developments suggest an increase in the severity and frequency of future disasters.

A review of methods used across Europe to estimate work-related accidents and illnesses among the self-employed

The overall proportion of self-employed workers is stable in Europe, however there has been a marked growth over recent years in the number of self-employed working in the services and construction sectors. The level of self-employment in high risk sectors such as agriculture and construction means that the capturing of accurate OSH data for this group becomes ever more important. Currently, such information is available at European level from surveys of workers, such as Eurofound’s European working conditions survey (EWCS) and the LFS (2007 ad-hoc module on accidents at work and work-related health problems) and from accident registers (ESAW). Although national differences in definitions, reporting rates and systems render comparative data analysis difficult, there is scope for improving the quality of monitoring of OSH for self-employed through the sharing of knowledge about current practices across Europe. This report describes monitoring systems currently in use and highlights any recent initiatives designed to improve the monitoring of OSH with respect to self-employed in ten selected Member States (Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, The Netherlands and Poland).

Factsheet 92 - Mainstreaming OSH into business management. Summary of an Agency report

Organisations deal with occupational safety and health (OSH) in different ways. Some have little expertise in OSH and simply react to occupational accidents, work-related diseases and absenteeism as they arise. Others strive to manage OSH more systematically and proactively by mainstreaming OSH into the organisation’s overall management. A report aimed at providing information on how OSH can be incorporated into general business management is summarized in Factsheet 92. The report comprises a literature review, an overview of related policies and examples of good practice.

Report - Occupational safety and health and economic performance in small and medium-sized enterprises: a review

The present review examines the link between Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) and economic performance, especially as it relates to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). It is essential to stress from the outset that while there is no clear definition of economic performance, there are indicators that can examine the concept and its importance to businesses. OSH is not usually viewed as a contributory factor to the economic viability of an organisation. Compliance with government guidelines, regulations and laws is generally the primary focus of OSH policies. Perceptions of the connection between effective OSH and the resulting financial benefits could, and should be improved. The strong economic advantages of good occupational health practice need to be highlighted continuously to organisations because the failure to acknowledge the importance of this link will limit the effectiveness of interventions aimed at preventing disease and injury (Lahiri, Levenstein, Nelson and Rosenberg, 2005; Toffel and Birkner, 2002). Additionally, while the cost of ensuring safety is important, “unsafety” is also costly (Rimington, 1993). For example, a reduction of accidents, damage and improvements to poor health can lead to a reduction in costs and a greater availability of people and plant. This, in turn, can improve efficiency and thereby heighten the effectiveness of businesses (Smallman and John, 2001).

Report - Labour inspectorates' strategic planning on safety and health at work

Labour inspectorates play a central role in promoting safety and health at work and are increasingly focusing their attention on the anticipation, definition and prevention of emerging risks. Through the work of labour inspectors, the inspectorates have access to a unique source of data that helps inform their strategic planning in three main areas: research, inspection and awareness-raising. This report presents an overview of the principal OSH-related priorities established by national labour inspectorates and provides information on how these priorities are set. The information contained in this report was provided by EU-OSHA’s network of national Focal Points during 2008 in response to a questionnaire survey.

Report - Skin diseases and dermal exposure: policy and practice overview

Skin diseases are the second most common work-related health problem in Europe. They represent more than 7% of all occupational illnesses and are one of the most important emerging risks related to the exposure to chemical, physical and biological risk factors. The fact that there is no scientific method to measure the level of the body’s exposures to risks via dermal contact and their physiological consequences, increases the importance of recognising risk factors and developing methods of assessing the level of exposure and controlling it. This report presents an overview of dermal exposures and occupational skin diseases. It also presents the principal policies relating to the recognition and recording of skin diseases, as well as the recognition, assessment and control of dermal exposure to chemical, biological and physical risk factors in the Member States of the European Union.

Forum 2 - Quality of Work 'New Approaches and Strategies in Occupational Safety and Health'

Summary of workshops organised in Düsseldorf1 (15 May 2001) and Bilbao (29-30 May 2001) by The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work The objective of these workshops was to update an earlier Agency report on Priorities and Strategies in Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) in the Member States of the European Union (1997). The workshops also aimed to provide decision-makers from the Member States, the European Commission, the European Parliament, the European Social and Economic Committee and national and European Social Partners with information about the newest developments and options in strategic OSH policy.

Forum 1 - Quality of Work - 'A future Community strategy for safety and health at work'

Proceedings of a workshop jointly organised in Bilbao from 24-25 April 2001 by the Swedish Presidency of the European Union, the European Commission and the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work One of the European Agency's key tasks is to provide the necessary input to the priorities and programmes of the European Community in the field of safety and health at work, based on the collection and dissemination of information in the Member States.

Report - Priorities and Strategies in Occupational Safety and Health of the European Union

The formulation of priorities and strategies in occupational safety and health is not undertaken by national authorities alone. In some countries, the setting of priorities and strategies is carried out in agreement with the social partners. In many other countries there is some form of consultation with the social partners. In some countries, autonomous regions are also involved in setting up priorities and strategies.