subject: The New European Campaign On Risk Assessment [print this page] "Safe and Healthy Workplaces" is a European campaign launched by the European Agency for Safety and Health (OSHA) for 2008 and 2009 that seeks to promote an integrated management approach to risk assessment.
This campaign assumes that the risk assessment was in all EU countries, "the cornerstone" of the approach to safety and health at work.
If in fact the process of risk assessment "is done poorly or if such process, which is the starting point of the approach to risk assessment, is not implemented", it is unlikely that you have in place proper preventive measures.
The right approach to risk assessment must take into account the different stages of this process, "the special needs of individual employers, changes in the world of work and a participatory approach involving all stakeholders in the workplace" .
The need to dwell, with a campaign dedicated on this topic arose during the work related to the "revision of EU Directive 89/391/EEC and its five additional specific directives.
This campaign assumes that the risk assessment was in all EU countries, "the cornerstone" of the approach to safety and health at work.
If in fact the process of risk assessment "is done poorly or if such process, which is the starting point of the approach to risk assessment, is not implemented", it is unlikely that you have in place proper preventive measures.
The review revealed a "general lack of awareness, especially among SMEs (small and medium enterprises), on what is required by law and how to carry out a risk assessment."
Specifically, the review noted that:
- Risk assessment is often considered one-time action and is not accomplished in a systematic way;
- The risks are not analyzed and evaluated as a whole, therefore, are put in place measures isolated, uncoordinated;
- During assessments of risk superficial attention is focused on identifying the 'immediate and obvious risk, "while long-term effects, such as those caused by chemicals, are neglected;
- Psychosocial risk factors and work organization are seen only rarely;
- Effectiveness of measures taken is not sufficiently monitored by employers.
In this campaign the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work will focus on communicating the principles of integrated risk assessment, its importance for effective prevention and reiterate that the risk assessment is mandatory, necessary and practicable " .
We recall that the campaign "Healthy Workplaces and safe" wants to involve all actors can contribute to improving the workplace: employers, workers, safety representatives, practitioners, preventive services, policy makers and other stakeholders in improving risk assessment.
Two weeks, one in October and another in the same month of 2009, will be dedicated to health and safety at work and in November of 2009 will hold a major summit on the theme of "risk assessment" in the working world.
The campaign "Healthy Workplaces and safe 'is an opportunity to make Europe's workplaces safer and healthier
