Just after the first campaign year, the number of official partners has risen
to 30 as more pan-European organisations and multinational companies signed up
to support the Healthy Workplaces campaign organised by the European Agency for
Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA). The campaign aims at reducing work-related
accidents and illnesses by promoting risk assessment as the first step to a
sustainable prevention culture. Improvements in this area are urgently needed
as it is estimated that every year in the EU 167.000 people die from
work-related causes.

"All of these workers' and employers' federations, NGOs and enterprises from
different industry sectors are renowned organisations and they invest a lot of
time and money", Jukka Takala, Director of EU-OSHA said. "We are very proud
that they help us to reach the workplaces and get our main messages across:
First, risk assessment is the key to preventing accidents and ill health at
work - for any type of organisation, whether large or small. And secondly: Risk
assessment is not necessarily complicated or bureaucratic. Even micro-firms and
SMEs are able to carry out their own risk assessment. To help them, we are
promoting a simple five-step approach."

Takala also highlighted that improvements must be achieved. "Although risk
assessment is a legal obligation throughout Europe, there are still companies
that do not assess their risks regularly, especially in SMEs, and we would like
to see this change."

By signing up as official partners, the 30 organisations commit themselves to
organise seminars, workshops and press conferences on risk assessment and to
disseminate the campaign messages and material. Other activities include the
production of workplace safety and health videos, photo competitions or
training sessions with clients, partners and contractors.

In return for their substantial involvement in the campaign, every official
campaign partner receives a Partner Certificate and EU-OSHA rewards them with
extensive promotion via its website and newsletter to more than 40,000
subscribers and to the media.

More information

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