1. “Strengthening the prevention culture”
Hans-Horst Konkolewsky
Director
European Agency for
Safety and Health at Work
Community Strategy on health and
safety at work 2002-2006
Adapting to change in work and society

2. • Prevention culture: Proactive and
knowledge-based approach
• Common set of rules and values: a
European work and production
culture
• A lifelong process: from early
childhood throughout work-life
• Integrated in Community policies and
actions (social & employment,
enterprise, research, health etc.)
A European prevention culture

3. • Education - learning about OSH
• Awareness raising - campaigns
• Anticipating new and emerging
risks - “Risk Observatory”
• Other themes including
enforcement and guidance, CSR
and mainstreaming
New strategy: Consolidating the
prevention culture

4. Education activities
- Main conclusions of Education seminar (1)
• Integration of OSH in education and training an
emerging issue in all EU-Member States
• Closer collaboration needed between education and
employment ministries
• OSH has to be integrated into the curricula
• The profile of OSH training and education should be
raised in EU and national funding schemes for
Education and Training such as the ESF and
Leonardo
• Increased sharing of good practice and
experiences

5. Education activities
- Main conclusions of Education seminar (2)
• Definition of core OSH competencies for
teachers and pupils - transferability of diplomas
• OSH professionals need to work in partnership
with education professionals
• Teachers and trainers need to be trained as well
in “world of work” experiences
• Awareness should also be raised on OSH risks
in the “classroom”
• Agency network to play a key role

6. Awareness raising activities (1)
• Increase campaigns and awareness activities -
e.g. European Week for Safety and Health at Work
• Develop specific measures for SMEs and very
small businesses, e.g. multiannual scheme
• Strategic alliances with other Community action,
e.g. European Year of the Disabled 2003
• Improve risk communication and exchange of
good practice via the web and other media
• Develop synergies with prevention culture: a
safe, healthy and productive work culture

7. Awareness raising activities (2)
- integration of CCs into Agency networks and
designing specific tools
• Establishment of Candidate Countries Agency
Focal Points, national information networks and
national Agency web-sites (2002)
• Full participation in European Weeks (2002-3)
• From 2003 on - Devising working tools geared to
specific situation e.g. via a Topic Centre for the
Candidate Countries to transfer and adapt
knowledge about good practice and research
• Develop specific awareness campaigns

8. Anticipating new and emerging
risks via “Risk Observatory”
• Development of an information system for
research information on new and
emerging risks initiated 2002 by the
Agency and its Research Topic Centre
• Establishment of a special expert network
on new and emerging risks
• Develop an information system on good
practice re new risks collected from firms,
specific branches of activity etc.
• Organising special web-feature,
publications, events

9. Other Community strategy themes
as part of the prevention culture
• Mainstreaming OSH into other policy
areas
• CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility)
• Promoting a prevention culture at company
level (incl. enforcement and guidance)
• International co-operation

10. Mainstreaming OSH into other
policy areas
• Public contracts – OSH and procurement
• Sector-based mainstreaming:
- Transport
- Fisheries
- Agriculture
- Health care
• Policy-based mainstreaming:
- Public health
- Environment / Chemicals

11. OSH and Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR)
• Voluntary certification and labelling
initiatives, recognition/good practice
schemes
• Procurement, outsourcing and
subcontracting
• Voluntary Reporting and auditing
schemes
• Socially responsible investment
• HRM - (Re-)integration of
ageing or disabled workers

12. Promotion of prevention culture
at company level
• National or regional level - Effective enforcement
and guidance activities
• Sector level - campaigns in high risk sectors like
construction, fisheries, agriculture, health care…
• Preventive services - assist in the development of
knowledge, values and tools
• Company level - campaigns and action proven to
be most effective
• Staff/management training - important tool to
influence preventive culture

13. International co-operation
on prevention culture
• Development of a global approach for
information exchange to promote OSH
• Exchange information and develop joint
awareness raising campaigns on OSH with
international organisations like ILO,
WHO as well as other partners
• Co-operate globally to promote
preventive OSH-culture in developing
countries