ILO CONVENTIONS and EU DIRECTIVES on OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH

1
ILO CONVENTIONS and EU DIRECTIVES on OCCUPATIONAL
SAFETY AND HEALTH

• Annie Rice,
• ILO-CEET

2
Employers responsibilities

• What employers have to do to comply with
  standards imposed on them by enlargement
• Role of employers organisations

3
ILO STRATEGY from protection

• Responsibility of competent authority and
  occupational health services - C.155 and C.161
• To determine which exposures should be prohibited
  or limited
• Responsibility of employer to comply with the law

4
ILO STRATEGY to prevention (1990 on)

• Employers responsibility to
• Provide a safe and healthy work environment
• Provide safe machinery and equipment
• Use non-hazardous substances
• Monitor and assess airborne chemicals
• Provide health surveillance of workers

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ILO preventive strategy (cont.)

• Employers responsibility to
• Provide first aid
• Report accidents and diseases to competent
  authority
• Train workers
• Provide information on hazards and their control
• Cooperate with workers and their representatives

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EU Framework Directive 89/391/EEC

• Imposes duties on the employer to
• Ensure health and safety at work of employees
• Develop a health and safety policy
• Assess risks
• Take preventive measures
• Record risks and accidents
• Inform workers and/or their representatives
• Provide health and safety training
• Carry out health surveillance

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Employers responsibilities are you capable of

• Establishing OSH policy, goals and objectives?
• Ensuring your organisation complies with legal
  requirements?
• Communicating responsibilities and ensuring they
  are met?
• Identifying and evaluating risks?
• Ensuring necessary resources?
• Monitoring safety performance?
• Consulting with employees on OSH?
• Reviewing the policy at regular intervals?
• Ensuring competent advice and training in OSH?
• Ensuring financial well-being is protected?

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Its your business its up to you to look
after it !

• You, as an employer
• Have legal responsibilities (under EU and
  Bulgarian legislation)
• Are in charge of work activities
• You may designate one or more workers to carry
  out activities related to OSH
• If this cannot be organised for lack of expertise
  you may hire external services
• Delegation of duties does not discharge you from
  responsibility

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OSH services may help you, the employer, by

• Developing a written coherent prevention policy
• Assessing risks and recording findings of risk
  assessment
• Advising on and implementing appropriate measures
  for risk containment
• Monitoring these measures
• Advising on technological progress
• Providing training and information
• Providing health surveillance

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Support for employers -where to get help?

• EMPLOYERS ORGANISATION
• (Best proposal for members needs)
• In-house expertise (OSH expert, workers, trade
  unions)
• Labour inspection
• Occupational health services
• Private OSH services

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In-house expertise

• For
• Knowledge of enterprise
• Simple solutions to known problems
• Consultation as laid down in law
• Against
• Cost of full-time OSH personnel
• Lack of certain competences
• Own agenda (trade unions)

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Labour inspection

• For
• Nominally free service
• Compliance with legislation
• Against
• Punishment vs. advice
• Lack of resources to visit regularly

13
Occupational health services

• For
• Expertise in health surveillance
• Qualified personnel
• Access to treatment
• Against
• Academic specialization
• Lack of competence in other fields
• Lack of qualified personnel

14
Private OSH services

• For
• Professional consultancy services
• Knowledge of law and requirements
• Broad range of services
• Against
• Cost
• Being able to find appropriate service

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Employers organizations as OSH providers why?

• Fundamental to members needs
• Awareness of OSH
• Concern with costs of accidents
• Regulatory burden concerning responsibilities
• Unions pushing for OSH improvements

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Employers organizations as OSH providers what
employers can expect

• Consultancy services
• Risk assessments and reports
• Safety surveys of specific areas, e.g. machinery,
  electrical, work organisation
• Assessment surveys and reports
• Preparation of OSH policy statements
• Claims management and injury prevention
  programmes
• Training programmes
• Information base
• Products

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EOs as OSH providers the advantages

• One-stop shop
• Broad range of services
• Linked to other activities
• Employer-friendly
• Easy access for members (already established
  contact)
• National profile with government
• National profile as bargaining partner
• Access to latest international information
• Preferential cost of services

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Conclusions

• OSH service is an opportunity for EOs
• Relevant to needs of members
• Enhances image of EO
• Can be non-adversarial (unlike industrial
  relations)
• Revenue potential