How is the network organised?
The German network (www.osha.de) is part of the information network of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (http://europe.osha.eu.int/) , which is located in Bilbao, Spain.
The Agency was born of the European Union's realisation that the resources and expertise of one country or institution alone were not sufficient to create a safe and healthy working environment in Europe. The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work is intended to bring together the wealth of knowledge which is scattered across Europe and the information on OSH issues and prevention measures and to make them available to everyone.
Each of the European Union's 25 member states has its own network within the overall network. In dealings with the Agency, the national networks are represented by national Focal Points, which work with other national institutions, the Main Points.
This unique on-line network offers a swift and efficient means of obtaining up-to-date, quality-assured information on questions of safety and health from all over the world. It supplies direct access to an ever-growing store of information concerning such core issues as legislation and regulations, best practice in the field of safety and health, research, statistics and publications.
By clicking on the pull-down menu
in the top line of the page, users can find cross-references to key facts from all of the EU member states and the organisations involved in the network.
The service navigation
indicate the language(s) in which the information is available and the "Translation Help" button navigates the user to on-line translation services.
Since its inception in 1997, the Agency's information network has expanded and it now takes in not only the 25 EU member states but also the EU accession countries, the four EFTA states and Japan. International organisations, including the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), plus leading OSH organisations from the US, Canada and Australia, Japan and Korea have also joined the network, and together we have created a global information portal.
If you would like to know more about the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, please click here: FAQs regarding the European Agency for Safety and....
Which organisation acts as the "Focal Point"?
In Germany, Unit IIIb 2 - OSH Affairs at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, acts as the Focal Point.
The Focal Point serves as an interface between the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, Bilbao, and the German network. Its extensive range of activities includes gathering and distributing information, coordinating activities and organising information projects.
The Focal Point represents the national network at the European level.
Welcome to the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work!