Posted to News on 24th Oct 2008, 09:47
Free magazine shows practical risk reduction measures
The European Week for Safety and Health at Work was launched on 20 October 2008 with the aim of reducing work-related accidents and illnesses. Organised by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA), the week's campaign activities will highlight the importance of assessing health and safety risks in the workplace. To mark the week, EU-OSHA has also produced a new magazine, Risk Assessment, that showcases practical ways to manage and reduce workplace risks.
The European Week is part of the Healthy Workplaces campaign on risk assessment. During the week hundreds of campaign events and activities will take place across Europe. These will include conferences, exhibitions, training sessions and activities in which both large and small companies will work together. The common goal linking all these events is to promote the importance of carrying out risk assessment in every workplace.
Jukka Takala, Director of EU-OSHA, says: "Every three-and-a-half minutes somebody in the EU dies from work-related causes, and every four-and-a-half seconds an EU worker is involved in an accident that forces them to stay at home for at least three working days*. This is unacceptable! We need a change, and this change starts with assessing workplace risks. We have to make employers, workers, safety representatives and policy makers aware that proper risk assessment is the key to good workplace safety and health management."
Workshops and training events
Lord McKenzie, Minister with responsibility for health and safety at work, launched the campaign in the UK on 24 June. Stuart Bristow, UK Focal Point Manager in the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), said: "We are very pleased that the national focal point network in the UK has stepped up to the challenge of promoting risk assessment as the starting point for sensible, proportionate action to protect people at work. For example, EEF, the manufacturers' organisation, has arranged eleven workshops around the country to demystify risk assessment for employers and show how it can be put to use to manage risks. In addition, the TUC has organised risk assessment training events for safety representatives so that workers can play their full part in assessing risks and protecting their fellow workers."
The success of the Healthy Workplaces campaign and its European Week is largely due to the support of the EU-OSHA network of focal points in the 27 EU Member States and accession countries. The contribution of many local and regional initiatives carried out by trade unions, enterprises, NGOs and government administrations also plays an important role. All these activities show that workplace accident and illness prevention is a top priority in Europe.
The newly published Risk Assessment Magazine is one of many initiatives to increase awareness about the importance of proper risk management. It shows examples of good practice by government ministries, employers' organisations and trade unionists from across Europe to improve workplace risk management.
Links
EU-OSHA Risk Assessment entry point
