European Agency for Safety and Health at Work

Description

EU-OSHA is the European Union information agency for occupational safety and health. Its work contributes to the European Commission’s Strategic Framework on Health and Safety at Work 2021-2027 and other relevant EU strategies and programmes.It was established in 1994 by Council Regulation (EC) No 2062/94 (updated in Regulation (EU) 2019/126 of the European Parliament and of the Council) to support the improvement of occupational safety and health (OSH). EU-OSHA has a tripartite management board and a national focal point in each Member State, typically the competent national authority for safety and health at work.

EU-OSHA supports and offers the Union institutions and bodies, the Member States, the social partners, and other actors involved in the field of safety and health at work relevant technical advice, scientific and economic information and qualified expertise in order to improve the working environment as regards the protection of the safety and health of workers.

EU-OSHA publishes reliable and relevant information in research reports, case studies or policy briefs, conducts surveys, data analysis and offers a range of tools to advance knowledge, raise awareness, assess workplace risks and exchange OSH information and good practice to serve the needs of those involved in the field of OSH including policy makers.

Key activities regarding climate change and health

Climate change may lead to significant impacts on worker’s safety and health and business continuity, and its consequences can cause major supply chain disruptions, which in turn may impact on OSH. Workers in all sectors of activity will suffer from the consequences of climate change.

EU-OSHA has conducted an in-depth analysis on the future of agriculture and forestry, identifying climate change and environmental degradation as main trends affecting the sector, and published a policy brief on how climate change is creating new and emerging OSH risks in the sector. EU-OSHA research on workplace exposure to biological agents has highlighted the risk of rare infections spreading and becoming endemic in Europe, due to climate change. An earlier EU-OSHA report provided an overview of the OSH risks to emergency workers, which might be exacerbated when climate change affects the frequency of natural disasters such as forest fires, floods, or storms. More recently, practical guidance on how to manage the risks associated with working in heat and information on what to do if a worker begins to suffer from a heat-related illness has been released in 22 EU languages.

EU-OSHA has also addressed potential OSH risks caused by climate change mitigation measures in its foresight studies on green jobs, digitalisation and the circular economy, for instance the OSH risks associated with the increased use of alternative energy forms such as wind energy or small-scale solar energy applications, green building or recycling and waste management. In 2024, a new foresight study specific to climate change impacts has started. It focuses specifically on anticipating future climate change-related developments and disruptions (crises and structural changes) and related OSH risks, building on knowledge and insights gained in previous foresight projects.

Heat waves and natural disasters are likely to put high strain on healthcare systems and consequently on healthcare staff, as occurred during the Covid-19 pandemic. A systematic evaluation of the burden of mental health impacts of working during the COVID-19 pandemic on EU health and social care workers, and an in-depth assessment of existing interventions and good practices for their prevention and management carried out by EU-OSHA can contribute to the discussions around the resilience of healthcare systems in the context of climate change.

From 2025 onwards, a multiannual research activity on climate change and OSH (so-called OSH overview) will assess the direct and indirect consequences of climate change on worker’s health and safety including the spread of infections, pollution weather events, etc. It will also collect information on practices and effective strategies to adapt and to increase OSH resilience at the workplaces.

Both foresight and OSH overview address the emerging challenges identified for OSH related to climate change mitigation policies and the green transition.