Survey highlights changes in occupational risks
An
European Agency For Safety And Health At Work product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Dec 9, 2005
Changes in society, work organisation and production methods are leading to new types and new combinations of occupational risks, which demand new approaches, concludes a recent survey.
Changes in society, work organisation and production methods are leading to new types and new combinations of occupational risks, which demand new approaches, concludes a recent survey.
The survey was carried out among a panel of over 60 safety and health experts in fourteen European countries and the USA.
Its results have now been published in a report by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EASHW).
The report looks into emerging physical risks, ie risks which are both new (or changing) and increasing.
"The world of work is changing rapidly and work-related health issues are changing too', explains Hans-Horst Konkolewsky, the Agency's director.
"Our report sheds new light on these changes by defining top ten emerging physical risks and major trends behind them.
"With this knowledge EU policymakers and governments will be better equipped to review current prevention measures".
The top emerging risks include lack of physical activity, the impact on workers of increasing complexity of new technologies, and a greater vulnerability of low-status workers, eg to thermal risks.
A new underlying trend is also visible: work health and safety is increasingly affected by multifactoral issues.
In places like call centres, for instance, staff can be exposed to a combination of interacting risks, such as prolonged sitting at desks poorly adjusted to their personal needs, background noise, inadequate headsets, low job control, high time pressure, and high mental and emotional demands.
This, in turn, may lead to a combination of health problems, ranging from musculoskeletal disorders, varicose veins, nose and throat diseases and voice disorders due to fatigue, stress and burnout.
"The report clearly indicates that multifactoral and combined risks are a growing concern", concludes Hans-Horst Konkolewsky.
"The resulting message for policymakers and health and safety experts is that we can no longer treat individual risks separately.
"What we need is a holistic approach to risk prevention".
This publication is said to be the first report of a risk observatory set up by the European Agency to monitor emerging risks.
Apart from emerging risks, this on-line observatory currently offers thematic sections on noise exposure and hearing loss, and a review of OSH monitoring systems.
More information will follow, including forecasts on emerging human, social and organisational risks, on chemical and biological risks, and thematic sections on accidents, stress and occupational diseases, with a focus on specific sectors and groups of workers.
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