PURPOSE: to propose a\nmid-term review of the European strategy\n2007-2012 on health and safety at work.
\nCONTENT: the Commission adopted in February 2007 the\nCommunication \"Improving quality and productivity at work:\nCommunity strategy 2007-2012 on safety and health at\nwork\". The\nstrategy provides a political framework for the improvement of\noccupational safety and health at both national and European level\nand a roadmap for stakeholders to play their role in the\nimplementation of the objectives identified by the strategy. In its\nresolution of 15 January\n2008, the European Parliament called on the\nCommission to report to the Parliament on progress at the half-way\nstage of the 2007-2012 strategy. The\npresent Staff Working Paper is based on the results of this\nconsultation process. It provides a summary of the main\nachievements and of the problems and improvements necessary to\nenhance the implementation of the Strategy.
\nIt aims at laying the basis for a discussion involving\nall parties in the preparation of future EU policy initiatives in\nthe area of occupational safety and health (OSH), in particular as\nregards the preparation of a new strategy for the period\npost-2012.
\nConclusion:\nthe mid-term review has given a unique\nopportunity to take stock of the past achievements and to set out\npriorities for future action within the Strategy. Several\nstakeholders are already closely involved in the development of the\nStrategy who will take further initiatives to reinforce its\noutcome.
\nFrom the viewpoint of the Commission services, it is\npossible to draw from the assessment of the first half of the\ndevelopment of the Strategy the following priorities for\naction:
\nFurthermore, it is necessary to start carrying out the\nfinal evaluation of the current strategy and preparing the outline\nof a future EU strategy In order to identify the priorities of the\nnew strategy a large consultation process will be launched in the\ncourse of 2011 and continued in 2012, involving all the main actors\nin the field.
\nMain recommendation: in\nthe meantime, EU policy on health and safety at work shall maintain\nits course, underpinned by a three-tiered approach:
\nPURPOSE: to propose a\nmid-term review of the European strategy\n2007-2012 on health and safety at work.
\nCONTENT: the Commission adopted in February 2007 the\nCommunication \"Improving quality and productivity at work:\nCommunity strategy 2007-2012 on safety and health at\nwork\". The\nstrategy provides a political framework for the improvement of\noccupational safety and health at both national and European level\nand a roadmap for stakeholders to play their role in the\nimplementation of the objectives identified by the strategy. In its\nresolution of 15 January\n2008, the European Parliament called on the\nCommission to report to the Parliament on progress at the half-way\nstage of the 2007-2012 strategy. The\npresent Staff Working Paper is based on the results of this\nconsultation process. It provides a summary of the main\nachievements and of the problems and improvements necessary to\nenhance the implementation of the Strategy.
\nIt aims at laying the basis for a discussion involving\nall parties in the preparation of future EU policy initiatives in\nthe area of occupational safety and health (OSH), in particular as\nregards the preparation of a new strategy for the period\npost-2012.
\nConclusion:\nthe mid-term review has given a unique\nopportunity to take stock of the past achievements and to set out\npriorities for future action within the Strategy. Several\nstakeholders are already closely involved in the development of the\nStrategy who will take further initiatives to reinforce its\noutcome.
\nFrom the viewpoint of the Commission services, it is\npossible to draw from the assessment of the first half of the\ndevelopment of the Strategy the following priorities for\naction:
\nFurthermore, it is necessary to start carrying out the\nfinal evaluation of the current strategy and preparing the outline\nof a future EU strategy In order to identify the priorities of the\nnew strategy a large consultation process will be launched in the\ncourse of 2011 and continued in 2012, involving all the main actors\nin the field.
\nMain recommendation: in\nthe meantime, EU policy on health and safety at work shall maintain\nits course, underpinned by a three-tiered approach:
\nThe Committee on Employment and Social Affairs Karima\nDelli (Greens/EFA, FR) on the mid-term review of the European\nstrategy 2007-2012 on health and safety at work.
\nMid-term review of the strategy: Members point out that the European reference\nframework on occupational health and safety (OHS) does not in\nitself provide for automatic improvement of working conditions. The\nmajor factors for improvement are proper implementation on\nthe ground, notably via employee participation, tripartite dialogue\narrangements, gathering and disseminating data, awareness-raising\ncampaigns and networking of training and information services, and\nsupervision of the application of the legislation in Member States.\nThe Commission is asked to take swift action when infringements\nare detected and to reinforce sanctions when\nnecessary.
\nThe report deplores the fact that in 2009 several\nMember States did not focus their national strategies on the three\npriorities of the EU strategy: stress and burn-out at work, RSI,\nand research into and regular gathering of data on new\nrisks.
\nIt takes the view that OHS policies at European and\nnational level should be made consistent and be reflected in\nother public policies: health, employment, industry, research,\nenvironment, transport, road safety, education, energy, regional\ndevelopment, public procurement and the internal market. It\ncriticises the fact that the Commission has failed to pay\nsufficient attention to the gender mainstreaming approach when\ndealing with issues concerning health and safety at work, either in\nthe Community strategy on health and safety at work or in its\nmid-term assessment. Gender mainstreaming should be\nimplemented across the policies in order to better reflect the\nspecific risks faced by female workers.
\nThe report stresses the following:
\n\n· \nwith respect to the award of public\ncontracts, safety levels and accident prevention practices\nshould be taken more fully into account;
\n\n· \nthe importance of fully implementing REACH and\nthe need for greater synergy between REACH and OHS policies, both\nat European level and in the Member States;
\n\n· \nthe next European strategy should set more\nmeasurable goals, together with binding timetables and a periodic\nevaluation, and Members hope to see the objective of one labour\ninspector per 10 000 workers, as recommended by the ILO,\nbecome binding;
\n\n· \nausterity budgets and cuts in social spending\nshould not harm action to improve health and safety at\nwork;
\n\n· \nMember States should invest more in\nrisk-prevention policies since such investment would be\nrepaid in the form of improved labour productivity, improved\nbusiness competitiveness and a reduction in social security\nexpenses;
\n\n· \nwork-related stress is recognised as a major\nobstacle to productivity in Europe and Members deplore the\naccelerating growth of conditions and accidents caused by\npsychosocial problems among workers, calling on the Commission to\nensure that the EU of the Framework Agreement on Work-related\nStress of 8 October 2004 is implemented in every Member\nState.
\nCollection of statistical data: Members want the Commission to develop gender and\nage-specific statistical means to evaluate prevention not\nsolely in terms of accidents but also in terms of pathologies and\nthe percentage of workers exposed to chemical, physical or\nbiological agents and to dangerous situations from the point of\nview of the organisation of work. They also call for the European\nAgency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) to compile national\nindicators on exposure to cancers and to review the knowledge on\nexposure of particularly vulnerable workers.
\nThe committee calls, in addition, for a European\nprogramme for the monitoring of occupational hazards (in particular\nmusculoskeletal and psychosocial problems). It criticises the\nfact that not all Member States set measurable targets related to\ntheir national OHS strategies and that the vast majority of them\nhave not set targets on occupational diseases, work-related health\nproblems and illnesses, occupational risk factors or high risk\nsectors. Neither the mid-term review nor the 2009 scoreboard on the\nCommunity Strategy on Health and Safety at Work provide any\nsubstantial information on where Member States stand with regard to\nthe EU strategy’s only quantified target of a 25 % reduction\nin occupational accidents by 2012.
\nFostering a prevention culture: the report calls on Member States and Commission to\nmake guidelines on the protection of workers easier to apply in\npractice, without undermining the rules on health and safety at\nwork. It points out that about 50% of workers in the EU still have\nno access to preventive services, especially as regards SMEs and\nsubcontracting chains. All workers, those in the public and also in\nthe private sector, should be covered by risk-prevention\narrangements as well as effective prevention policies. New\nforms of employment should be taken into account so as to ensure\nthat prevention and monitoring measures cover all workers, in\nparticular vulnerable workers, regardless of the type of work that\nthey do and their employment arrangements. The committee hopes that\nthe target will be one safety advisor for every 3 000\nemployees.
\nMember States are asked to:
\n\n· \nincrease the staffing levels of, and the\nresources available to, their labour inspectorates in order to meet\nthe target of one inspector for every 10 000 workers, as\nrecommended by the ILO;
\n\n· \nassess the quality of the training of their\nworkplace risk prevention managers and supports their exchanges of\nbest practices.
\nThe report calls on the Commission to propose a\ndirective protecting individuals who legitimately warn of OHS\nunacknowledged risks, notably by notifying the appropriate\nlabour inspectorate, to ensure that such individuals are protected\nagainst threats of dismissal, and to put an end to blacklisting of\nsuch workers.
\nVulnerable workers and specific risks: in addition to workers who do strenuous work,\nmigrants, young people, old people, women of child-bearing age, the\ndisabled, members of ethnic minorities, low-skilled workers, casual\nworkers, those with insecure working conditions and the long-term\nunemployed returning to the labour market are particularly at-risk\ncategories. The committee believes that prior to the employment of\nthese workers special preliminary training should be offered where\nappropriate.
\nThe Commission and Member States are asked to consider\nprotecting young workers over the age of 18 under Directive\n94/33/EC, and to facilitate the process of demographic change by\nbetter adapting health and safety measures at the workplace to the\nneeds of older workers.
\nLastly, Members ask the Commission to submit a\nproposal to Parliament and the Council in 2012 seeking to ban\nsmoking everywhere at the workplace, including indoor catering\nestablishments, on all public transport and in all enclosed public\nbuildings within the EU.
\nThe Committee on Employment and Social Affairs Karima\nDelli (Greens/EFA, FR) on the mid-term review of the European\nstrategy 2007-2012 on health and safety at work.
\nMid-term review of the strategy: Members point out that the European reference\nframework on occupational health and safety (OHS) does not in\nitself provide for automatic improvement of working conditions. The\nmajor factors for improvement are proper implementation on\nthe ground, notably via employee participation, tripartite dialogue\narrangements, gathering and disseminating data, awareness-raising\ncampaigns and networking of training and information services, and\nsupervision of the application of the legislation in Member States.\nThe Commission is asked to take swift action when infringements\nare detected and to reinforce sanctions when\nnecessary.
\nThe report deplores the fact that in 2009 several\nMember States did not focus their national strategies on the three\npriorities of the EU strategy: stress and burn-out at work, RSI,\nand research into and regular gathering of data on new\nrisks.
\nIt takes the view that OHS policies at European and\nnational level should be made consistent and be reflected in\nother public policies: health, employment, industry, research,\nenvironment, transport, road safety, education, energy, regional\ndevelopment, public procurement and the internal market. It\ncriticises the fact that the Commission has failed to pay\nsufficient attention to the gender mainstreaming approach when\ndealing with issues concerning health and safety at work, either in\nthe Community strategy on health and safety at work or in its\nmid-term assessment. Gender mainstreaming should be\nimplemented across the policies in order to better reflect the\nspecific risks faced by female workers.
\nThe report stresses the following:
\n\n· \nwith respect to the award of public\ncontracts, safety levels and accident prevention practices\nshould be taken more fully into account;
\n\n· \nthe importance of fully implementing REACH and\nthe need for greater synergy between REACH and OHS policies, both\nat European level and in the Member States;
\n\n· \nthe next European strategy should set more\nmeasurable goals, together with binding timetables and a periodic\nevaluation, and Members hope to see the objective of one labour\ninspector per 10 000 workers, as recommended by the ILO,\nbecome binding;
\n\n· \nausterity budgets and cuts in social spending\nshould not harm action to improve health and safety at\nwork;
\n\n· \nMember States should invest more in\nrisk-prevention policies since such investment would be\nrepaid in the form of improved labour productivity, improved\nbusiness competitiveness and a reduction in social security\nexpenses;
\n\n· \nwork-related stress is recognised as a major\nobstacle to productivity in Europe and Members deplore the\naccelerating growth of conditions and accidents caused by\npsychosocial problems among workers, calling on the Commission to\nensure that the EU of the Framework Agreement on Work-related\nStress of 8 October 2004 is implemented in every Member\nState.
\nCollection of statistical data: Members want the Commission to develop gender and\nage-specific statistical means to evaluate prevention not\nsolely in terms of accidents but also in terms of pathologies and\nthe percentage of workers exposed to chemical, physical or\nbiological agents and to dangerous situations from the point of\nview of the organisation of work. They also call for the European\nAgency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) to compile national\nindicators on exposure to cancers and to review the knowledge on\nexposure of particularly vulnerable workers.
\nThe committee calls, in addition, for a European\nprogramme for the monitoring of occupational hazards (in particular\nmusculoskeletal and psychosocial problems). It criticises the\nfact that not all Member States set measurable targets related to\ntheir national OHS strategies and that the vast majority of them\nhave not set targets on occupational diseases, work-related health\nproblems and illnesses, occupational risk factors or high risk\nsectors. Neither the mid-term review nor the 2009 scoreboard on the\nCommunity Strategy on Health and Safety at Work provide any\nsubstantial information on where Member States stand with regard to\nthe EU strategy’s only quantified target of a 25 % reduction\nin occupational accidents by 2012.
\nFostering a prevention culture: the report calls on Member States and Commission to\nmake guidelines on the protection of workers easier to apply in\npractice, without undermining the rules on health and safety at\nwork. It points out that about 50% of workers in the EU still have\nno access to preventive services, especially as regards SMEs and\nsubcontracting chains. All workers, those in the public and also in\nthe private sector, should be covered by risk-prevention\narrangements as well as effective prevention policies. New\nforms of employment should be taken into account so as to ensure\nthat prevention and monitoring measures cover all workers, in\nparticular vulnerable workers, regardless of the type of work that\nthey do and their employment arrangements. The committee hopes that\nthe target will be one safety advisor for every 3 000\nemployees.
\nMember States are asked to:
\n\n· \nincrease the staffing levels of, and the\nresources available to, their labour inspectorates in order to meet\nthe target of one inspector for every 10 000 workers, as\nrecommended by the ILO;
\n\n· \nassess the quality of the training of their\nworkplace risk prevention managers and supports their exchanges of\nbest practices.
\nThe report calls on the Commission to propose a\ndirective protecting individuals who legitimately warn of OHS\nunacknowledged risks, notably by notifying the appropriate\nlabour inspectorate, to ensure that such individuals are protected\nagainst threats of dismissal, and to put an end to blacklisting of\nsuch workers.
\nVulnerable workers and specific risks: in addition to workers who do strenuous work,\nmigrants, young people, old people, women of child-bearing age, the\ndisabled, members of ethnic minorities, low-skilled workers, casual\nworkers, those with insecure working conditions and the long-term\nunemployed returning to the labour market are particularly at-risk\ncategories. The committee believes that prior to the employment of\nthese workers special preliminary training should be offered where\nappropriate.
\nThe Commission and Member States are asked to consider\nprotecting young workers over the age of 18 under Directive\n94/33/EC, and to facilitate the process of demographic change by\nbetter adapting health and safety measures at the workplace to the\nneeds of older workers.
\nLastly, Members ask the Commission to submit a\nproposal to Parliament and the Council in 2012 seeking to ban\nsmoking everywhere at the workplace, including indoor catering\nestablishments, on all public transport and in all enclosed public\nbuildings within the EU.
\nThe European Parliament adopted by 371 votes to 47,\nwith 15 abstentions, a resolution on the mid-term review of the\nEuropean strategy 2007-2012 on health and safety at\nwork.
\nParliament recalls that adequate worker prevention in\nturn promotes wellbeing, quality of work and productivity and that\nthe cost to enterprises and social security systems of occupational\naccidents and diseases is estimated at 5.9% of GDP. It states that\n168 000 European citizens die every year from work-related\naccidents or diseases and 7 million are injured in accidents. The\nresolution states that given the labour shortage, it is desirable\nto prolong older workers' active working lives and measures to\npromote health and safety at work should take effect in the near\nfuture.
\nIn this context, Parliament focuses on the effects of\nthe EU Strategy for health and safety at work and makes the\nfollowing assessment:
\nMid-term review of the strategy: Parliament points out that the European reference\nframework on occupational health and safety (OHS) does not in\nitself provide for automatic improvement of working conditions. The\nmajor factors for improvement are proper implementation on\nthe ground, notably via employee participation, tripartite dialogue\narrangements, gathering and disseminating data, awareness-raising\ncampaigns and networking of training and information services, and\nsupervision of the application of the legislation in Member States.\nThe Commission is asked to take swift action when infringements\nare detected and to reinforce sanctions when\nnecessary.
\nThe report deplores the fact that in 2009 several\nMember States did not focus their national strategies on the three\npriorities of the EU strategy: stress and burn-out at work, RSI,\nand research into and regular gathering of data on new\nrisks.
\nIt takes the view that OHS policies at European and\nnational level should be made consistent and be reflected in\nother public policies: health, employment, industry, research,\nenvironment, transport, road safety, education, energy, regional\ndevelopment, public procurement and the internal market. It\ncriticises the fact that the Commission has failed to pay\nsufficient attention to the gender mainstreaming approach when\ndealing with issues concerning health and safety at work, either in\nthe Community strategy on health and safety at work or in its\nmid-term assessment. Gender mainstreaming should be\nimplemented across the policies in order to better reflect the\nspecific risks faced by female workers.
\nParliament points out that the main aims of the\nCommunity strategy for 2007-2012 include both guaranteeing the\nproper implementation of EU legislation and improving and\nsimplifying existing legislation, inter alia through the\nimplementation of non-binding instruments. It deplores the fact\nthat in 2009 several Member States did not focus their national\nstrategies on the three priorities of the EU strategy: stress\nand burn-out at work, and research into and regular gathering of\ndata on new risks. Members consider that national strategies should\ndevote greater efforts and resources to prevention. They take the\nview that OHS policies at European and national level should be\nmade consistent and be reflected in other public policies:\nhealth, employment, industry, research, environment, transport,\nroad safety, education, energy, regional development, public\nprocurement and the internal market. Gender-mainstreaming should be\nimplemented across the policies in order to better reflect the\nspecific risks faced by female workers.
\nThe resolution stresses the following:
\nCollection of statistical data: Parliament wants the Commission to develop gender\nand age-specific statistical means to evaluate prevention not\nsolely in terms of accidents but also in terms of pathologies and\nthe percentage of workers exposed to chemical, physical or\nbiological agents and to dangerous situations from the point of\nview of the organisation of work. It also calls for the European\nAgency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) to compile national\nindicators on exposure to cancers and to review the knowledge on\nexposure of particularly vulnerable workers.
\nParliament calls, in addition, for a European\nprogramme for the monitoring of occupational hazards (in particular\nmusculoskeletal and psychosocial problems). It criticises the\nfact that not all Member States set measurable targets related to\ntheir national OHS strategies and that the vast majority of them\nhave not set targets on occupational diseases, work-related health\nproblems and illnesses, occupational risk factors or high risk\nsectors. Neither the mid-term review nor the 2009 scoreboard on the\nCommunity Strategy on Health and Safety at Work provide any\nsubstantial information on where Member States stand with regard to\nthe EU strategy’s only quantified target of a 25% reduction\nin occupational accidents by 2012.
\nThe resolution stresses the problem of implementing\noccupational health and safety with respect to workers who are\nengaged in undeclared activities. It takes the view that this\ninjustice can only be prevented by more stringent controls and\nappropriate sanctions and urges that strong measures be taken\nagainst the organisation of such activities. It stresses that OHS\nis a right irrespective of the worker's status, and that this right\nmust be made effective through better implementation of current\nlegislation.
\nParliament calls on EU-OSHA to carry out a research on\nthe effects of ‘double shift’ on the health of female\nworkers, i.e. when women have to continue with unpaid work at home\nafter the regular and recognised paid work.
\nFostering a prevention culture: Parliament calls on Member States and Commission to\nmake guidelines on the protection of workers easier to apply in\npractice, without undermining the rules on health and safety at\nwork. It points out that about 50% of workers in the EU still have\nno access to preventive services, especially as regards SMEs and\nsubcontracting chains. All workers, those in the public and also in\nthe private sector, should be covered by risk-prevention\narrangements as well as effective prevention policies. New\nforms of employment should be taken into account so as to ensure\nthat prevention and monitoring measures cover all workers, in\nparticular vulnerable workers, regardless of the type of work that\nthey do and their employment arrangements. Parliament hopes that\nthe target will be one safety advisor for every 3 000\nemployees.
\nMember States are asked to:
\nThe resolution also calls for steps to be taken\nto:
\nVulnerable workers and specific risks: in addition to workers who do strenuous work,\nmigrants, young people, old people, women of child-bearing age, the\ndisabled, members of ethnic minorities, low-skilled workers, casual\nworkers, those with insecure working conditions and the long-term\nunemployed returning to the labour market are particularly at-risk\ncategories. Parliament believes that prior to the employment of\nthese workers special preliminary training should be offered where\nappropriate. The resolution notes that young workers between the ages of 15 and 24 are\nat particularly high risk of injury, and that the long-term\nconsequences of an illness or injury at an early age can be\nsignificant.
\nThe resolution stresses that measures of health\nand safety at work need a gender-based and life-cycle\napproach. Parliament expresses its concern regarding the assessment\nof the risk thresholds for pregnant women at work. It calls\nfor detailed research to be carried out into the effects of\nexposure of pregnant women to certain workplace conditions (e.g.\nexposure to chemical agents, ionising radiation, electromagnetic\nwaves, stress, excessive heat, lifting heavy weights,\netc).
\nThe resolution calls for an impact assessment\nof the potential risks from new technologies, harmful substances\nand risk factors including work organisation in the\nworkplace.
\nParliament regrets the lack of initiatives to\ntackle the situation of the self-employed, temporary workers,\ndomestic workers and people working on short-term\ncontracts.
\nParliament also regrets the fact that there is\nno single common definition of moral harassment at the European\nlevel. It calls on the Commission and the Member States to develop\neffective national strategies for combating violence at work which\nare based on a definition of moral harassment common to the\n27 Member States.
\nThe Commission is called upon to:
\nPURPOSE: to propose a\nmid-term review of the European strategy\n2007-2012 on health and safety at work.
\nCONTENT: the Commission adopted in February 2007 the\nCommunication \"Improving quality and productivity at work:\nCommunity strategy 2007-2012 on safety and health at\nwork\". The\nstrategy provides a political framework for the improvement of\noccupational safety and health at both national and European level\nand a roadmap for stakeholders to play their role in the\nimplementation of the objectives identified by the strategy. In its\nresolution of 15 January\n2008, the European Parliament called on the\nCommission to report to the Parliament on progress at the half-way\nstage of the 2007-2012 strategy. The\npresent Staff Working Paper is based on the results of this\nconsultation process. It provides a summary of the main\nachievements and of the problems and improvements necessary to\nenhance the implementation of the Strategy.
\nIt aims at laying the basis for a discussion involving\nall parties in the preparation of future EU policy initiatives in\nthe area of occupational safety and health (OSH), in particular as\nregards the preparation of a new strategy for the period\npost-2012.
\nConclusion:\nthe mid-term review has given a unique\nopportunity to take stock of the past achievements and to set out\npriorities for future action within the Strategy. Several\nstakeholders are already closely involved in the development of the\nStrategy who will take further initiatives to reinforce its\noutcome.
\nFrom the viewpoint of the Commission services, it is\npossible to draw from the assessment of the first half of the\ndevelopment of the Strategy the following priorities for\naction:
\nFurthermore, it is necessary to start carrying out the\nfinal evaluation of the current strategy and preparing the outline\nof a future EU strategy In order to identify the priorities of the\nnew strategy a large consultation process will be launched in the\ncourse of 2011 and continued in 2012, involving all the main actors\nin the field.
\nMain recommendation: in\nthe meantime, EU policy on health and safety at work shall maintain\nits course, underpinned by a three-tiered approach:
\nPURPOSE: to propose a\nmid-term review of the European strategy\n2007-2012 on health and safety at work.
\nCONTENT: the Commission adopted in February 2007 the\nCommunication \"Improving quality and productivity at work:\nCommunity strategy 2007-2012 on safety and health at\nwork\". The\nstrategy provides a political framework for the improvement of\noccupational safety and health at both national and European level\nand a roadmap for stakeholders to play their role in the\nimplementation of the objectives identified by the strategy. In its\nresolution of 15 January\n2008, the European Parliament called on the\nCommission to report to the Parliament on progress at the half-way\nstage of the 2007-2012 strategy. The\npresent Staff Working Paper is based on the results of this\nconsultation process. It provides a summary of the main\nachievements and of the problems and improvements necessary to\nenhance the implementation of the Strategy.
\nIt aims at laying the basis for a discussion involving\nall parties in the preparation of future EU policy initiatives in\nthe area of occupational safety and health (OSH), in particular as\nregards the preparation of a new strategy for the period\npost-2012.
\nConclusion:\nthe mid-term review has given a unique\nopportunity to take stock of the past achievements and to set out\npriorities for future action within the Strategy. Several\nstakeholders are already closely involved in the development of the\nStrategy who will take further initiatives to reinforce its\noutcome.
\nFrom the viewpoint of the Commission services, it is\npossible to draw from the assessment of the first half of the\ndevelopment of the Strategy the following priorities for\naction:
\nFurthermore, it is necessary to start carrying out the\nfinal evaluation of the current strategy and preparing the outline\nof a future EU strategy In order to identify the priorities of the\nnew strategy a large consultation process will be launched in the\ncourse of 2011 and continued in 2012, involving all the main actors\nin the field.
\nMain recommendation: in\nthe meantime, EU policy on health and safety at work shall maintain\nits course, underpinned by a three-tiered approach:
\nThe Committee on Employment and Social Affairs Karima\nDelli (Greens/EFA, FR) on the mid-term review of the European\nstrategy 2007-2012 on health and safety at work.
\nMid-term review of the strategy: Members point out that the European reference\nframework on occupational health and safety (OHS) does not in\nitself provide for automatic improvement of working conditions. The\nmajor factors for improvement are proper implementation on\nthe ground, notably via employee participation, tripartite dialogue\narrangements, gathering and disseminating data, awareness-raising\ncampaigns and networking of training and information services, and\nsupervision of the application of the legislation in Member States.\nThe Commission is asked to take swift action when infringements\nare detected and to reinforce sanctions when\nnecessary.
\nThe report deplores the fact that in 2009 several\nMember States did not focus their national strategies on the three\npriorities of the EU strategy: stress and burn-out at work, RSI,\nand research into and regular gathering of data on new\nrisks.
\nIt takes the view that OHS policies at European and\nnational level should be made consistent and be reflected in\nother public policies: health, employment, industry, research,\nenvironment, transport, road safety, education, energy, regional\ndevelopment, public procurement and the internal market. It\ncriticises the fact that the Commission has failed to pay\nsufficient attention to the gender mainstreaming approach when\ndealing with issues concerning health and safety at work, either in\nthe Community strategy on health and safety at work or in its\nmid-term assessment. Gender mainstreaming should be\nimplemented across the policies in order to better reflect the\nspecific risks faced by female workers.
\nThe report stresses the following:
\n\n· \nwith respect to the award of public\ncontracts, safety levels and accident prevention practices\nshould be taken more fully into account;
\n\n· \nthe importance of fully implementing REACH and\nthe need for greater synergy between REACH and OHS policies, both\nat European level and in the Member States;
\n\n· \nthe next European strategy should set more\nmeasurable goals, together with binding timetables and a periodic\nevaluation, and Members hope to see the objective of one labour\ninspector per 10 000 workers, as recommended by the ILO,\nbecome binding;
\n\n· \nausterity budgets and cuts in social spending\nshould not harm action to improve health and safety at\nwork;
\n\n· \nMember States should invest more in\nrisk-prevention policies since such investment would be\nrepaid in the form of improved labour productivity, improved\nbusiness competitiveness and a reduction in social security\nexpenses;
\n\n· \nwork-related stress is recognised as a major\nobstacle to productivity in Europe and Members deplore the\naccelerating growth of conditions and accidents caused by\npsychosocial problems among workers, calling on the Commission to\nensure that the EU of the Framework Agreement on Work-related\nStress of 8 October 2004 is implemented in every Member\nState.
\nCollection of statistical data: Members want the Commission to develop gender and\nage-specific statistical means to evaluate prevention not\nsolely in terms of accidents but also in terms of pathologies and\nthe percentage of workers exposed to chemical, physical or\nbiological agents and to dangerous situations from the point of\nview of the organisation of work. They also call for the European\nAgency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) to compile national\nindicators on exposure to cancers and to review the knowledge on\nexposure of particularly vulnerable workers.
\nThe committee calls, in addition, for a European\nprogramme for the monitoring of occupational hazards (in particular\nmusculoskeletal and psychosocial problems). It criticises the\nfact that not all Member States set measurable targets related to\ntheir national OHS strategies and that the vast majority of them\nhave not set targets on occupational diseases, work-related health\nproblems and illnesses, occupational risk factors or high risk\nsectors. Neither the mid-term review nor the 2009 scoreboard on the\nCommunity Strategy on Health and Safety at Work provide any\nsubstantial information on where Member States stand with regard to\nthe EU strategy’s only quantified target of a 25 % reduction\nin occupational accidents by 2012.
\nFostering a prevention culture: the report calls on Member States and Commission to\nmake guidelines on the protection of workers easier to apply in\npractice, without undermining the rules on health and safety at\nwork. It points out that about 50% of workers in the EU still have\nno access to preventive services, especially as regards SMEs and\nsubcontracting chains. All workers, those in the public and also in\nthe private sector, should be covered by risk-prevention\narrangements as well as effective prevention policies. New\nforms of employment should be taken into account so as to ensure\nthat prevention and monitoring measures cover all workers, in\nparticular vulnerable workers, regardless of the type of work that\nthey do and their employment arrangements. The committee hopes that\nthe target will be one safety advisor for every 3 000\nemployees.
\nMember States are asked to:
\n\n· \nincrease the staffing levels of, and the\nresources available to, their labour inspectorates in order to meet\nthe target of one inspector for every 10 000 workers, as\nrecommended by the ILO;
\n\n· \nassess the quality of the training of their\nworkplace risk prevention managers and supports their exchanges of\nbest practices.
\nThe report calls on the Commission to propose a\ndirective protecting individuals who legitimately warn of OHS\nunacknowledged risks, notably by notifying the appropriate\nlabour inspectorate, to ensure that such individuals are protected\nagainst threats of dismissal, and to put an end to blacklisting of\nsuch workers.
\nVulnerable workers and specific risks: in addition to workers who do strenuous work,\nmigrants, young people, old people, women of child-bearing age, the\ndisabled, members of ethnic minorities, low-skilled workers, casual\nworkers, those with insecure working conditions and the long-term\nunemployed returning to the labour market are particularly at-risk\ncategories. The committee believes that prior to the employment of\nthese workers special preliminary training should be offered where\nappropriate.
\nThe Commission and Member States are asked to consider\nprotecting young workers over the age of 18 under Directive\n94/33/EC, and to facilitate the process of demographic change by\nbetter adapting health and safety measures at the workplace to the\nneeds of older workers.
\nLastly, Members ask the Commission to submit a\nproposal to Parliament and the Council in 2012 seeking to ban\nsmoking everywhere at the workplace, including indoor catering\nestablishments, on all public transport and in all enclosed public\nbuildings within the EU.
\nThe Committee on Employment and Social Affairs Karima\nDelli (Greens/EFA, FR) on the mid-term review of the European\nstrategy 2007-2012 on health and safety at work.
\nMid-term review of the strategy: Members point out that the European reference\nframework on occupational health and safety (OHS) does not in\nitself provide for automatic improvement of working conditions. The\nmajor factors for improvement are proper implementation on\nthe ground, notably via employee participation, tripartite dialogue\narrangements, gathering and disseminating data, awareness-raising\ncampaigns and networking of training and information services, and\nsupervision of the application of the legislation in Member States.\nThe Commission is asked to take swift action when infringements\nare detected and to reinforce sanctions when\nnecessary.
\nThe report deplores the fact that in 2009 several\nMember States did not focus their national strategies on the three\npriorities of the EU strategy: stress and burn-out at work, RSI,\nand research into and regular gathering of data on new\nrisks.
\nIt takes the view that OHS policies at European and\nnational level should be made consistent and be reflected in\nother public policies: health, employment, industry, research,\nenvironment, transport, road safety, education, energy, regional\ndevelopment, public procurement and the internal market. It\ncriticises the fact that the Commission has failed to pay\nsufficient attention to the gender mainstreaming approach when\ndealing with issues concerning health and safety at work, either in\nthe Community strategy on health and safety at work or in its\nmid-term assessment. Gender mainstreaming should be\nimplemented across the policies in order to better reflect the\nspecific risks faced by female workers.
\nThe report stresses the following:
\n\n· \nwith respect to the award of public\ncontracts, safety levels and accident prevention practices\nshould be taken more fully into account;
\n\n· \nthe importance of fully implementing REACH and\nthe need for greater synergy between REACH and OHS policies, both\nat European level and in the Member States;
\n\n· \nthe next European strategy should set more\nmeasurable goals, together with binding timetables and a periodic\nevaluation, and Members hope to see the objective of one labour\ninspector per 10 000 workers, as recommended by the ILO,\nbecome binding;
\n\n· \nausterity budgets and cuts in social spending\nshould not harm action to improve health and safety at\nwork;
\n\n· \nMember States should invest more in\nrisk-prevention policies since such investment would be\nrepaid in the form of improved labour productivity, improved\nbusiness competitiveness and a reduction in social security\nexpenses;
\n\n· \nwork-related stress is recognised as a major\nobstacle to productivity in Europe and Members deplore the\naccelerating growth of conditions and accidents caused by\npsychosocial problems among workers, calling on the Commission to\nensure that the EU of the Framework Agreement on Work-related\nStress of 8 October 2004 is implemented in every Member\nState.
\nCollection of statistical data: Members want the Commission to develop gender and\nage-specific statistical means to evaluate prevention not\nsolely in terms of accidents but also in terms of pathologies and\nthe percentage of workers exposed to chemical, physical or\nbiological agents and to dangerous situations from the point of\nview of the organisation of work. They also call for the European\nAgency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) to compile national\nindicators on exposure to cancers and to review the knowledge on\nexposure of particularly vulnerable workers.
\nThe committee calls, in addition, for a European\nprogramme for the monitoring of occupational hazards (in particular\nmusculoskeletal and psychosocial problems). It criticises the\nfact that not all Member States set measurable targets related to\ntheir national OHS strategies and that the vast majority of them\nhave not set targets on occupational diseases, work-related health\nproblems and illnesses, occupational risk factors or high risk\nsectors. Neither the mid-term review nor the 2009 scoreboard on the\nCommunity Strategy on Health and Safety at Work provide any\nsubstantial information on where Member States stand with regard to\nthe EU strategy’s only quantified target of a 25 % reduction\nin occupational accidents by 2012.
\nFostering a prevention culture: the report calls on Member States and Commission to\nmake guidelines on the protection of workers easier to apply in\npractice, without undermining the rules on health and safety at\nwork. It points out that about 50% of workers in the EU still have\nno access to preventive services, especially as regards SMEs and\nsubcontracting chains. All workers, those in the public and also in\nthe private sector, should be covered by risk-prevention\narrangements as well as effective prevention policies. New\nforms of employment should be taken into account so as to ensure\nthat prevention and monitoring measures cover all workers, in\nparticular vulnerable workers, regardless of the type of work that\nthey do and their employment arrangements. The committee hopes that\nthe target will be one safety advisor for every 3 000\nemployees.
\nMember States are asked to:
\n\n· \nincrease the staffing levels of, and the\nresources available to, their labour inspectorates in order to meet\nthe target of one inspector for every 10 000 workers, as\nrecommended by the ILO;
\n\n· \nassess the quality of the training of their\nworkplace risk prevention managers and supports their exchanges of\nbest practices.
\nThe report calls on the Commission to propose a\ndirective protecting individuals who legitimately warn of OHS\nunacknowledged risks, notably by notifying the appropriate\nlabour inspectorate, to ensure that such individuals are protected\nagainst threats of dismissal, and to put an end to blacklisting of\nsuch workers.
\nVulnerable workers and specific risks: in addition to workers who do strenuous work,\nmigrants, young people, old people, women of child-bearing age, the\ndisabled, members of ethnic minorities, low-skilled workers, casual\nworkers, those with insecure working conditions and the long-term\nunemployed returning to the labour market are particularly at-risk\ncategories. The committee believes that prior to the employment of\nthese workers special preliminary training should be offered where\nappropriate.
\nThe Commission and Member States are asked to consider\nprotecting young workers over the age of 18 under Directive\n94/33/EC, and to facilitate the process of demographic change by\nbetter adapting health and safety measures at the workplace to the\nneeds of older workers.
\nLastly, Members ask the Commission to submit a\nproposal to Parliament and the Council in 2012 seeking to ban\nsmoking everywhere at the workplace, including indoor catering\nestablishments, on all public transport and in all enclosed public\nbuildings within the EU.
\nThe European Parliament adopted by 371 votes to 47,\nwith 15 abstentions, a resolution on the mid-term review of the\nEuropean strategy 2007-2012 on health and safety at\nwork.
\nParliament recalls that adequate worker prevention in\nturn promotes wellbeing, quality of work and productivity and that\nthe cost to enterprises and social security systems of occupational\naccidents and diseases is estimated at 5.9% of GDP. It states that\n168 000 European citizens die every year from work-related\naccidents or diseases and 7 million are injured in accidents. The\nresolution states that given the labour shortage, it is desirable\nto prolong older workers' active working lives and measures to\npromote health and safety at work should take effect in the near\nfuture.
\nIn this context, Parliament focuses on the effects of\nthe EU Strategy for health and safety at work and makes the\nfollowing assessment:
\nMid-term review of the strategy: Parliament points out that the European reference\nframework on occupational health and safety (OHS) does not in\nitself provide for automatic improvement of working conditions. The\nmajor factors for improvement are proper implementation on\nthe ground, notably via employee participation, tripartite dialogue\narrangements, gathering and disseminating data, awareness-raising\ncampaigns and networking of training and information services, and\nsupervision of the application of the legislation in Member States.\nThe Commission is asked to take swift action when infringements\nare detected and to reinforce sanctions when\nnecessary.
\nThe report deplores the fact that in 2009 several\nMember States did not focus their national strategies on the three\npriorities of the EU strategy: stress and burn-out at work, RSI,\nand research into and regular gathering of data on new\nrisks.
\nIt takes the view that OHS policies at European and\nnational level should be made consistent and be reflected in\nother public policies: health, employment, industry, research,\nenvironment, transport, road safety, education, energy, regional\ndevelopment, public procurement and the internal market. It\ncriticises the fact that the Commission has failed to pay\nsufficient attention to the gender mainstreaming approach when\ndealing with issues concerning health and safety at work, either in\nthe Community strategy on health and safety at work or in its\nmid-term assessment. Gender mainstreaming should be\nimplemented across the policies in order to better reflect the\nspecific risks faced by female workers.
\nParliament points out that the main aims of the\nCommunity strategy for 2007-2012 include both guaranteeing the\nproper implementation of EU legislation and improving and\nsimplifying existing legislation, inter alia through the\nimplementation of non-binding instruments. It deplores the fact\nthat in 2009 several Member States did not focus their national\nstrategies on the three priorities of the EU strategy: stress\nand burn-out at work, and research into and regular gathering of\ndata on new risks. Members consider that national strategies should\ndevote greater efforts and resources to prevention. They take the\nview that OHS policies at European and national level should be\nmade consistent and be reflected in other public policies:\nhealth, employment, industry, research, environment, transport,\nroad safety, education, energy, regional development, public\nprocurement and the internal market. Gender-mainstreaming should be\nimplemented across the policies in order to better reflect the\nspecific risks faced by female workers.
\nThe resolution stresses the following:
\nCollection of statistical data: Parliament wants the Commission to develop gender\nand age-specific statistical means to evaluate prevention not\nsolely in terms of accidents but also in terms of pathologies and\nthe percentage of workers exposed to chemical, physical or\nbiological agents and to dangerous situations from the point of\nview of the organisation of work. It also calls for the European\nAgency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) to compile national\nindicators on exposure to cancers and to review the knowledge on\nexposure of particularly vulnerable workers.
\nParliament calls, in addition, for a European\nprogramme for the monitoring of occupational hazards (in particular\nmusculoskeletal and psychosocial problems). It criticises the\nfact that not all Member States set measurable targets related to\ntheir national OHS strategies and that the vast majority of them\nhave not set targets on occupational diseases, work-related health\nproblems and illnesses, occupational risk factors or high risk\nsectors. Neither the mid-term review nor the 2009 scoreboard on the\nCommunity Strategy on Health and Safety at Work provide any\nsubstantial information on where Member States stand with regard to\nthe EU strategy’s only quantified target of a 25% reduction\nin occupational accidents by 2012.
\nThe resolution stresses the problem of implementing\noccupational health and safety with respect to workers who are\nengaged in undeclared activities. It takes the view that this\ninjustice can only be prevented by more stringent controls and\nappropriate sanctions and urges that strong measures be taken\nagainst the organisation of such activities. It stresses that OHS\nis a right irrespective of the worker's status, and that this right\nmust be made effective through better implementation of current\nlegislation.
\nParliament calls on EU-OSHA to carry out a research on\nthe effects of ‘double shift’ on the health of female\nworkers, i.e. when women have to continue with unpaid work at home\nafter the regular and recognised paid work.
\nFostering a prevention culture: Parliament calls on Member States and Commission to\nmake guidelines on the protection of workers easier to apply in\npractice, without undermining the rules on health and safety at\nwork. It points out that about 50% of workers in the EU still have\nno access to preventive services, especially as regards SMEs and\nsubcontracting chains. All workers, those in the public and also in\nthe private sector, should be covered by risk-prevention\narrangements as well as effective prevention policies. New\nforms of employment should be taken into account so as to ensure\nthat prevention and monitoring measures cover all workers, in\nparticular vulnerable workers, regardless of the type of work that\nthey do and their employment arrangements. Parliament hopes that\nthe target will be one safety advisor for every 3 000\nemployees.
\nMember States are asked to:
\nThe resolution also calls for steps to be taken\nto:
\nVulnerable workers and specific risks: in addition to workers who do strenuous work,\nmigrants, young people, old people, women of child-bearing age, the\ndisabled, members of ethnic minorities, low-skilled workers, casual\nworkers, those with insecure working conditions and the long-term\nunemployed returning to the labour market are particularly at-risk\ncategories. Parliament believes that prior to the employment of\nthese workers special preliminary training should be offered where\nappropriate. The resolution notes that young workers between the ages of 15 and 24 are\nat particularly high risk of injury, and that the long-term\nconsequences of an illness or injury at an early age can be\nsignificant.
\nThe resolution stresses that measures of health\nand safety at work need a gender-based and life-cycle\napproach. Parliament expresses its concern regarding the assessment\nof the risk thresholds for pregnant women at work. It calls\nfor detailed research to be carried out into the effects of\nexposure of pregnant women to certain workplace conditions (e.g.\nexposure to chemical agents, ionising radiation, electromagnetic\nwaves, stress, excessive heat, lifting heavy weights,\netc).
\nThe resolution calls for an impact assessment\nof the potential risks from new technologies, harmful substances\nand risk factors including work organisation in the\nworkplace.
\nParliament regrets the lack of initiatives to\ntackle the situation of the self-employed, temporary workers,\ndomestic workers and people working on short-term\ncontracts.
\nParliament also regrets the fact that there is\nno single common definition of moral harassment at the European\nlevel. It calls on the Commission and the Member States to develop\neffective national strategies for combating violence at work which\nare based on a definition of moral harassment common to the\n27 Member States.
\nThe Commission is called upon to:
\n