About 10 % of workers in the European Union belong to the health and welfare
sector, and many of them work in hospitals. These workers may be exposed to a
very wide variety of risks. EU legislation on health and safety at work
currently covers most of these risks - nevertheless, the combination of such
diverse risks arising at the same time and the fact that this is clearly a
high-risk sector have given rise to a debate on the need for a specific
approach in order to improve the protection of the health and safety of
hospital personnel at Union level.

Practical instruments to support employers in identifying the risks for the
health and safety of their employees and to guide the implementation of
preventive measures in their healthcares facilities are outlined and clarified
in a Guide to prevention and good practice. This publication will be available
in printed format in German, English and French and in electronic format in all
other EU official languages.

The main focus of this guide is to present up-to-date technical and scientific
knowledge regarding the prevention of the most significant risks in healthcare,
especially biological, musculoskeletal, psychosocial and chemical risks, and to
support the implementation of the relevant European Union directives in force.

More information

AplusA-online.de - Source: European Agency for Safety and Health at Work