EU OSH Agency to launch a new campaign in April 2016, focusing on safe and healthy working conditions
The contribution from U. S. Steel Košice entitled “Stress-free workplace = approaching the zero injury objective”, for which we have been given a “Good practice award” in the campaign of the European Occupational Safety and Health Agency (EU–OSHA - 2014 – 2015 Stress-free healthy workplaces), was presented last month by the representative of the National OSH network Mr. Marek Begányi to the Unit of General Manager Safety, Hygiene and REACH. The meeting was held at the National Labor Inspectorate in Košice on January 13, 2016.
The attenders of the meeting reviewed the activities of the EU – OSHA National Contact Point in 2015, reported on the cooperation of trade unions in carrying out EU-OSHA activities, and presented the upcoming “2016-2017 Healthy workplaces for all age categories” campaign.
The main message of this campaign (to be launched in April 2016) is the fact that safe and healthy working conditions throughout working life are beneficial for employees, companies and society as a whole. The campaign will promote sustainable work and healthy ageing from the beginning of working life, provide information on how to avoid health problems during working life, suggest to the employers and employees methods for occupational safety and health management with respect to the ageing labor force, and support the exchange of information and good practice.
It is well known that the European labor force is ageing. It is also true that the retiring age is rising, with resulting longer working life. As EU-OSHA presents on its website, work is good for physical and mental health, and good occupational safety and health management improves productivity and efficiency. Demographic changes can cause problems, but provision of working life sustainability enables these challenges to be addressed.
The “Healthy workplaces for all age categories” campaign will also be a topic of “European occupational safety and health weeks” in October 2016 and 2017. The winning contributions in the “Good Practice Award” contest will be presented by EU-OSHA in April 2017 and the “Healthy Workplaces” campaign meeting will take place in November next year.
