Safety and health at work
EU Strategic Framework 2021 - 2027.
SW – 11/2020
On 29 October 2020, the European Commission
presented its "roadmap" for a new strategic framework for health and
safety at work and initiated a consultation on this subject, in which the German Social
Insurance also participated by presenting its opinion.
The German Social Insurance welcomes the
initiative of the European Commission to present a new strategic framework for
safety and health at work. The setting of common policy objectives in a
strategic framework can help to maintain and develop the high occupational
health and safety standards for workers in the EU, to reduce occupational accidents
and work-related diseases and to tap the health-promoting potential inherent in
work.
It is also to be welcomed that the new
strategy should also address new risks, such as those arising from new forms of
work and technologies, digitisation and the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to
traditional risks such as exposure to hazardous substances at work. One example
of this is the increasing mental stress caused by technical and organisational
change, globalisation and digitisation.
Accidents at work in the EU
There are still too many victims of
accidents at work despite significant progress in reducing the number of
accidents at work in the EU over recent decades. According to the European
Commission, there were around 3,000 fatal accidents and around 3.2 million
non-fatal accidents in the EU in 2017 resulting in at least four days of
absence from work. The economic cost of work-related illness and accidents in
the EU-28 amounts to 476 billion euros per year, or 3.3 per cent of the GDP.
Including "Vision Zero" prevention strategy
Further efforts must be made despite
significant reductions in the number of fatal and non-fatal accidents at work
in the past. The aim must be to avoid fatal and serious accidents at work and
occupational diseases in line with the "Vision Zero" prevention
strategy.
With the new strategic framework, the
European Commission aims to contribute to improving health and safety at work,
including the prevention of occupational accidents and preventable work-related
illnesses. Therefore, the approaches of the 'Vision Zero' prevention strategy
should be incorporated into the strategy in order to promote a culture of
prevention, as also requested by the Council in its conclusions on the new strategic framework of 10 December
2019.
With the new strategic framework, the
European Commission aims to contribute to improving health and safety at work,
including the prevention of occupational accidents and preventable work-related
illnesses. Therefore, the approaches of the 'Vision Zero' prevention strategy
should be incorporated into the strategy in order to promote a culture of
prevention, as also requested by the Council in its conclusions on the new
strategic framework of 5 December 2019.
Next steps
As foreseen in the roadmap, the European
Commission plans to initiate a public consultation in the fourth quarter of
2020. It will then present the new strategic framework in the second quarter of
2021.