International News

Every time, he delivers the same: puts a wide smile on your face and gives you safety tips that stick in your mind. Whatever their age, Napo has an important lesson for anyone who enters his animated world of work, faced with safety issues.

EU-OSHA’s 2020 stakeholders’ survey confirms a positive perception about the Agency’s contribution to occupational safety and health (OSH) risks awareness and solutions and to improved OSH in the workplace - (90% of the respondents).

85% of those surveyed agree that the Agency addresses the right priorities on OSH, and 87% consider that the work of EU-OSHA adds value to the work done by others, such as national organisations. 94% have used EU-OSHA’s work for at least one purpose.

A police officer, a receptionist and a podiatrist, each with a chronic musculoskeletal disorder (MSD), discuss their experiences in a study on the most widespread global health issue affecting workers.

They feature in a set of case studies examining the journey of returning to work or staying at work with a chronic MSD, such as pain in the back, neck, arms or legs. The report analysing the studies emphasises that valued employees with MSDs should continue to be seen as ‘assets, not problems’.

A new report summarising the findings of a major EU-OSHA project aims to raise awareness of workplace exposure to biological agents and provide crucial information for policy-makers.

Exposure to biological agents in the workplace is associated with numerous health problems, including infectious diseases and allergies. Even though a broad range of occupations is affected, there is a general lack of awareness of this issue.

Under the tagline, ‘Healthy Workplaces Stop the Pandemic’  EU-OSHA has started an initiative to address the occupational health and safety challenges linked to the current pandemic, offering a range of workplace guidance on COVID-19.

Resources include: EU guidance to limit the spread of the virus and on preventive measures for a safe and healthy return to workplaces;  information on how to minimise exposure to biological agents; awareness-raising videos and a range of links to good practice material from EU and international organisations.

The challenge of an ageing and shrinking workforce is not new to Europe: by 2030, workers aged 55-64 are expected to make up 30 % or more of the workforce. Meanwhile, many workers leave the labour market well before reaching the pension age.

Sustainable solutions to ensure safe, healthy and fair conditions from the start of a person’s working life are key to halting this negative process and improving productivity in the long run.

Whether you’re an occupational safety and health (OSH) practitioner, a researcher or simply passionate about the latest developments, EU policies and endeavours in the world of OSH, our newsletter is your best source of information.

It keeps you up to date with key OSH events around the world and EU-OSHA’s flagship awareness raising and research project activities, designed to help make workplaces safer and healthier for everyone.

Do you need more reasons to subscribe to OSHmail? Get it delivered monthly to your e-mail for free.  

Two resource kits to tackle musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in the workplace are now available in many languages and can be used in combination.

The MSD conversation starters facilitate group discussions in the workplace or during training. The tool contains practical guidance to support effective communication about a musculoskeletal health problem between workers and their managers.

Germany will hold the Presidency — one of the EU’s most important decision-making bodies — until 31 December 2020. It takes over from Croatia and is the first in a new 18-month Presidency trio, with Portugal and Slovenia.

The German Presidency aims to fight coronavirus and tackle the economic consequences of the pandemic without neglecting other important issues facing the EU. The overall goal is to ensure that Europe emerges from the crisis stronger and more resilient than ever.

Physically demanding work such as patient handling is a significant risk factor for musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), making them a widespread concern among healthcare workers, with backache and upper limb pain as commonly reported problems. So how can we tackle MSDs in this sector?

Our discussion paper gives an overview of MSDs in healthcare workplaces, reviews the risk factors and discusses effective interventions to prevent, reduce and manage MSDs.

The expansion of global trade in the last decades has lead to a growth of cross-national supply relationships. This has often been accompanied by a trend within Member States towards outsourcing in supply chains.

This discussion paper looks at the challenges and opportunities for workplace safety and health presented by recent and future changes in supply chain relationships. The authors give examples of good practice and discuss the way forward.

A new report summarises the findings of EU-OSHA’s multiannual project exploring research, policy and practice on the prevention of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), aimed at supporting the development of strategies to tackle this highly prevalent occupational safety and health issue in Europe’s workplaces.