evaluation of the european strategy on safety and health at work ...

EVALUATION OF THE EUROPEAN STRATEGY ON SAFETY AND HEALTH AT WORK 2007-2012175affect many more workers than occupational accidents. A fair balance shouldbe stricken between research on <strong>the</strong> emergence <strong>of</strong> new risks (e.g. Green andBlue Economy) and research on prevention from more traditional but morecommon risks. Finally, <strong>the</strong> issue <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> increasingly blurred frontier between<strong>the</strong> development <strong>of</strong> health problems within and outside <strong>the</strong> work place wasalso mentioned as deserving attention.› Links to o<strong>the</strong>r EU policy areas should be made stronger and in particularpublic health and <strong>the</strong> general agenda <strong>of</strong> workplace health promotion,environmental policy, with a particular emphasis on REACH and educationand training policies, in order to reinforce promotion <strong>of</strong> a preventive culturefrom an early age and throughout working life.› Streng<strong>the</strong>ning <strong>the</strong> collection <strong>of</strong> sound statistical data on occupationalaccidents, occupational diseases and exposures patterns has been mentioned asa key instrument to reach any type <strong>of</strong> objective <strong>of</strong> reduction <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se threeelements.In addition to <strong>the</strong>se, some stakeholders have also emphasized that it is importantthat those issues that have not been dealt with during <strong>the</strong> past cycle, such assubcontracting, self-employed workers and external preventive services, remain on<strong>the</strong> agenda for <strong>the</strong> next OSH policy cycle and are not forgotten.6.5 Summary <strong>of</strong> findingsThe current economic situation and outlook for <strong>the</strong> immediate future is likely tocreate additional pressures on <strong>the</strong> financial viability <strong>of</strong> businesses and consequentlyon employment. This places extra strain on occupational health and safety which isseen by many as an expense to <strong>the</strong> business ra<strong>the</strong>r than adding value. Initiatives toillustrate and promote <strong>the</strong> financial benefits <strong>of</strong> good health and safety willpotentially <strong>the</strong>refore be <strong>of</strong> considerable value.Although <strong>the</strong>re is evidence for a downward trend in accidents at work across <strong>the</strong>majority <strong>of</strong> MS <strong>the</strong>re are no grounds for complacency. Again, many <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> risksare known and <strong>the</strong> deaths and serious injuries arising from accidents at work arepreventable in many instances, given suitable action.In addition to financial pressures, <strong>the</strong> economic situation will result in increasingpsychosocial pressures including high demands at work, and <strong>the</strong> disruption <strong>of</strong>work-life balance. These changes are likely to result in an increase in stress-relatedillness or poor mental well-being. Attention to psychosocial risks in <strong>the</strong> workplacewill <strong>the</strong>refore be <strong>of</strong> continuing and growing importance.Current ongoing major health concerns such as MSDs and stress are likely tocontinue for <strong>the</strong> foreseeable duration <strong>of</strong> any new <strong>strategy</strong>. Both are matters <strong>of</strong>some debate, in that both can be related more to non-work than work-relatedfactors. Debate continues as to <strong>the</strong> extent to which ei<strong>the</strong>r can be defined asoccupational diseases. However, disorders such as back problems related toexcessive manual handling at work and those attributable to age-relatedhttp://projects.cowiportal.com/ps/A019055/Documents/3 Project documents/Interim and final report/Final report October 2012/OSH <strong>evaluation</strong>-report_Final_submitted 14 March2013.docx