Occupational Safety and Health in Europe

1
Occupational Safety and Health in Europe

• A success story
• Now under pressure
• An important area for the European trade union
  movement

2
Occupational Safety and Health in Europe

• Four areas of freedom
• Free trade of goods
• Free movement of capital
• Free trade of services
• Free movement of workers
• Today social policy is an integrial part of the
  treaty

3
Occupational Safety and Health in Europe

• Occupational Health and Safety was the first
  area to be regulated by European social policy

• Dangerous Substances (i.e. 80/1107/EWG)
• European Framework Directive of 1989
• Single directives based on Article 16 of the
  framework directive

4
Occupational Safety and Health in Europe

•  Years of funding 

• Relatively undiscovered by the community some
  social politicians could create a progressive
  policy on OHS
• Work protection was the only subject and for
  most of the member states it was determined
  technically
• The Construction Site Directive was the product
  of some people who had a progressive idea of
  work protection

5
Occupational Safety and Health in Europe

• The Framework Directive 89/391
• Risk Assessment
• High standards of protection/ Reduction of risks
  at their source
• The employer must take into account the
  technical state of the art
• Hierarchy of prevention measures
• Duty of documentation
• Information and training of workers
• Participation of the workforce

6
Occupational Safety and Health in Europe

• Individual directives based on framework
  directive
• Health and Safety requirements for the workplace
  (89/654)
• Safety requirements for the use of work
  equipment (89/655)
• Directive on carcinogenes at the workplace
  (90/394)
• Health and Safety on mobile and temporary
  construction sites (92/57)
• Protection from the risks related to chemicals
  at work (98/24)
• Manual handling of heavy loads (90/269)
• Directive on physical agents (Noise 2003/10)
• Directive on personal protective equipment
  (89/656)

7
Arbeitsschutz in Europa

• Richtlinie zu Lärm 2003/10
• Expositionsgrenzwert 87 dB(A)
• Oberer Auslösewert 85 dB(A)
• Unterer Auslösewert 80 dB(A)
• Der Arbeitgeber muss eine Bwertung und evtl.
  Messung vornehmen
• Bezug zur Rahmenrichtlinie Artikel 4
• Stand der Technik muss berücksichtigt werden
  Artikel 5
• Lärmminderungsprogramm bei oberer
  Auslöseschwelle
• Arbeitnehmer müssen unterrichtet und beteiligt
  werden

8
Arbeitsschutz in Europa

• Aktuelle Rechtsetzungsvorhaben
• Neue Richtlinie zu Muskel-Skelett Erkrankungen
• solle alle Gefährdungen des Bewegungsapparates
  (Muskeln, Nerven, Bänder, Gelenke, Sehnen,
  Bandscheiben und Knorpel) abdecken
• soll die Richtlinie über die manuelle Handhabung
  von Lasten (90/269) und die Richtlinie zu
  Bildschirmarbeit (90/270) ersetzen
• es sollen verschiedenste ergonomische
  Risikofaktoren abgedeckt werden Fehlhaltungen,
  repetitive Arbeit, statische Haltearbeit,
  Kraftaufwendungen oder Kontaktstress, aber auch
  Vibrationen

9
Arbeitsschutz in Europa

• Aktuelle Rechtsetzungsvorhaben
• Neue Richtlinie zu krebserzeugenden
  Arbeitsstoffen
• solle die alte Richtlinie 90/394 ersetzen
• bezieht sich auf krebserzeugende, mutagene
  (erbgutverändernde) und reproduktionstoxische
  Stoffe
• wir fordern z. B. die Aufnahme von silikogenen
  Feinstäuben in die Richtlinie, sowei die Aufnahme
  von allen Holzarten und die Reduzierung des
  Grenzwertes für Holz

10
Europe today

• The message deregulation
• Less directives
• General targets instead of specific regulations
• Delegation to the social partners or
  stakeholders
• Voluntary agreements instead of directives

11
Europe today

• Main changes in Safety Health
• Main parts of the  acquis communitaire  are
  not applied in practice
• Changes in work organisation and industrial
  relations are obstacles
• Preventing multiple New risks is more complex
  than accident prevention
• Small and medium sized entreprises are often
  overstretched

12
Europe today
Barriers for implementation

• Legal implementation
• Practical implementation
• Transforming requirements into a cultur
• Bringing across propper information to workers as
  well as companies

13
General prospect

• Simplification respectively deregulation as
  political line
• Method of open co-ordination
• General tendency of Euro-scepticism
• An increasing importance of the sectoral Social
  Dialogue
• Diversified forms of employment as an framework
  condition for OSH

14
The Commissions new Programme 2007 to 2012

• Little provision for new legislation
• Is underlining shortcomings concerning the
  application of community law
• Highlights changes in the work organization and
  forms of employment as well as atypical work
• Is focusing on specific group of workers (migrant
  workers) and gender mainstreaming
• Sees a growing influence of framework conditions
  like the ageing of European societies

15
Trade Union Requirementsfor 2007 to 2012

• Legislation remains a core factor for successful
  prevention in OSH
• That concerns values, requirements as well as
  broader strategies for complex problems
• The non binding list of occupational diseases
  should be transformed into a directive
• A proper application and implementation remains
  the main task for all European actors
• Special attention should be paid for the
  construction sector and other high risk sectors

16
Trade Union Requirementsfor 2007 to 2012

• The work of the labour inspectorates must be
  encouraged
• The incorporation of OSH in other community
  policies should be given precise goals and
  perspectives
• Improvement in coordinated scientific activities
  are requested (say RD-Programme/Dublin
  Foundation)
• Specific attention should be paid to the growing
  risk of psychological stress
• ...