European Healthy Workplaces Campaign 2018-2019

The theme for the Healthy Workplaces Campaign 2018-19, organised by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA), is ‘Healthy Workplaces Manage Dangerous Substances’.  The campaign aims to raise awareness of the risks posed by dangerous substances in the workplace and to promote a culture of risk prevention to eliminate and, where that’s not possible, effectively manage these risks.

Many workers across Europe are affected by exposure to dangerous substances.  In recent decades some substances, such as asbestos, have been banned, restricted or subjected to strict regulatory control.  However, dangerous substances continue to be a major safety and health issue in some workplaces.

For the purposes of this campaign, a dangerous substance is any substance in gas, liquid or solid form, including aerosols, fumes and vapours, that can pose a risk to workers’ health or safety.  This includes manufactured chemicals, process-generated substances such as diesel exhaust or silica dust, and naturally occurring substances used in work processes such as crude oil or flour dust.

Full details of the Health Workplaces Campaign including lots of helpful information and guidance can be accessed at the campaign website.

For further details about the campaign theme, European Safety Week or how to get involved, please email wcu@hsa.ie.