This document outlines plans to strengthen the prevention culture in Europe through initiatives in education, awareness raising, anticipating new risks, and promoting prevention across policies and business practices. Key strategies include integrating occupational safety and health (OSH) into education curricula, raising awareness through campaigns and information sharing, establishing a risk observatory to identify emerging threats, and mainstreaming prevention through public procurement, corporate social responsibility programs, and international cooperation.

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