European Healthy Workplaces Campaign 2023-2025
The theme for the 2023-2025 Healthy Workplaces Campaign, organised by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA), is ‘Safe and Healthy Work in the Digital Age’ and aims to raise awareness of the impact of digital technologies on work and workplaces.
In recent years digital technologies have transformed our society and our daily lives. For workers and employers in practically all workplaces and sectors, digital technology offers increased opportunities but also presents greater challenges and risks in terms of workplace safety and health.
If designed, implemented, managed and used in line with the human-centred approach, digital technologies will be safe and productive. But as the use of digital technologies at work is on the rise and its impact on work and workplaces is still not fully understood, it is important to raise awareness about how to fine-tune strategies that promote and protect workers’ safety and health.
How can risks be managed?
Digitalisation has a great potential for improving workers’ safety and health. Digital technologies help in automating repetitive tasks, reducing physical strain and improving ergonomics. Robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) can support employees in dangerous work environments. However, the benefits of digitalisation can only be enjoyed if the risks are properly managed. We can prevent and manage risks related to the increasing digitalisation of the workplace in a number of ways:
- Adopt a human-centred and human-in-command approach.
- Guarantee equal access to information by employers, managers, workers and their representatives.
- Consult workers and their representatives and get them to participate in the decisions taken regarding the development, implementation and use of digital technologies and systems.
- Maintain transparency about how digital tools operate, and about their main benefits and drawbacks.
- Foster a holistic approach in evaluating digital technologies and their effects on workers and society as a whole.
Priority areas
Each priority area of the campaign covers a specific topic related to digitalisation in the workplace. It is accompanied by a broad range of materials, including reports, infosheets, infographics and case studies. These will be available on the campaign website here as the campaign progresses.
The focus will be on the following priority areas throughout the campaign:
- Digital platform work
- Automation of tasks
- Remote and hybrid work
- Work management through AI
- Smart digital systems
Further details
Full details about the 2023-25 Healthy Workplaces Campaign including lots of helpful information and guidance can be accessed at the campaign website.
To find out more about the campaign theme, European Safety Week or how to get involved, please email pressoffice@hsa.ie
