COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 
gssr^prag-C0M(93) 560 final 
Brussels, 19 November 1993 
GENERAL FRAMEWORK FOR ACTION 
BY THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 
IN THE FIELD OF SAFETY, HYGIENE AND 
HEALTH PROTECTION AT WORK 
[1994 - 20001 
Hfej (presented by the Commission) 
fwjF, 
GENERAL FRAMEWORK FOR ACTION 
BY THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 
IN THE FIELD OF SAFETY, HYGIENE AND 
HEALTH PROTECTION AT WORK 
11994- 2000| 
Page 
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2 
1. INTRODUCTION 3 
2. OBJECTIVES - TIME-SPAN - LEGAL BASIS 6 
3. ACHIEVEMENTS TO DATE 7 
3.1 The third action programme 7 
3.2 The European Year of Safety, Hygiene 9 
and Health Protection at Work 
4 THE COMMUNITY'S ROLE IN SAFETY 10 
AND HEALTH AT WORK 
5. GENERAL FRAMEWORK FOR ACTION 11 
5.1 Social dialogue 11 
5.2 Links with other programmes 12 
5.3 Economic and social impact of measures aimed 12 
at improving occupational safety and health -
Small and medium-sized enterprises 
5.4 Actions 13 
5.4.1 Implementation, consolidation, rationalisation 13 
and completion 
5.4.2 Promotion of the Community's work in the field of 14 
occupational safety and health outside the Community, 
and international cooperation 
5.4.3 Information, training, education 15 
5.4.4 Development of non-legislative accompanying 16 
initiatives intended in particular to supplement 
and support legislative objectives 
6. DEFINITION OF PRIORITIES 17 
/. 
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 
The objective of the Commission's policy in the field of safety and health at work over 
the last thirty years has been to reduce to a minimum both work accidents and 
occupational diseases. However, despite the progress made, and the efforts that have been 
undertaken by all those concerned, both the number of work accidents and the incidence 
of occupational diseases are still too high. Statistics from Member States show that even 
today about eight thousand people die each year in the Community as a result of 
occupational accidents. Of the 120 million or so workers in the Community, almost 10 
million are victims of work accidents or occupational diseases each year. 
Quite apart from the human aspects, including the suffering caused to individuals and 
their families, the economic consequences are considerable: the money paid out each year 
as a direct consequence of work accidents and occupational diseases throughout the 
Community was estimated in 1991 at ECU 26,000 million. 
Studies have shown that work accidents and occupational diseases are often associated 
with poor management practices. Good management involves the best use of available 
resources, and this requires a safe workplace which will protect the safety and health of 
workers, improve morale and motivation, promote the quality of production and thereby 
assist the economic performance of the enterprise. 
Community Action 
Community activities in the field of safety and health at work were initiated in 1957 in 
the framework of the Coal and Steel Treaty. Two action programmes followed in 1979 
and 1984 and a number of legislative measures were adopted. However it was the 
introduction in the 1987 Single European Act of a specific legal basis, Article 118a, 
which gave a new impetus to the Community's work. A third action programme, based 
on this Article, has resulted in the adoption of a significant amount of safety and health 
legislation and a new level of awareness of these issues. 
The third action programme culminated in the European Year of Safety, Hygiene and 
Health Protection at Work, which has just drawn to a close. The many initiatives taken 
in Member States and at Community level provided the opportunity to raise awareness 
among workers and employers, particularly in small and medium-sized enterprises, of 
occupational risks and how to overcome them. 
Future Action 
The Commission will pursue its objective to bring about a further improvement in 
occupational safety and health in the coming years. 
To this end the Commission intends. 
- to ensure that the Member States correctly transpose the Community directives and 
that they take the necessary steps to ensure the proper enforcement of such legislation; 
- to promote the work of the European Community in this area, in non-member 
countries 
- to continue to develop safety and health at work in the Community. 
The Commission has therefore identified the following topics and issues as being worthy 
of further attention in order to define specific measures: 
- implementation, consolidation, rationalisation and completion oi' Community 
legislation; 
- promotion of the Community work in the field of occupational safety and health 
outside the Community, and international cooperation; 
- information, training and education, with special attention to the small and medium 
size entreprises ; 
- development of non-legislative accompanying measures intended to supplement and 
support legislative objectives. 
In addition, the effectiveness of Community action in the field of safety and health at 
work will be reinforced by strengthening the linkages with other policy areas of the 
Community. 
The main basis for Community action in the field of safety and health at work will 
continue to be Article 118a, which lays down respective roles of Member States and of 
the Community with due regard to subsidiarity. The Commission will continue to promote 
and develop dialogue between the social partners at Community level. 
The European Council, at its meeting in Brussels on October 29th 1993, confirmed the 
creation of an Agency for health and safety at work. This Agency will have a key role 
to play in the future in this field. 
1. INTRODUCTION 
The objective of the Commission's policy in the field of safety, hygiene and health 
protection at work (hereinafter referred to as safety and health at work) has been, and will 
continue to be, to reduce to a minimum both work accidents and occupational diseases 
The Commission, on the basis of over thirty years' experience in this field, and the 
progress already achieved by the Community, intends to pursue and consolidate this 
policy with due regard to the principle of subsidiarity. 
Despite the efforts that have been undertaken by all those concerned both the number of 
work accidents and the incidence of occupational diseases is still too high and the cost 
to entreprises and society is considerable. Despite a constant decrease in the number of 
accidents, statistics from Member States show that even today about eight thousand 
people die each year in the Community as a result of occupational accidents. Of the 120 
million or so workers in the Community, almost 10 million are victims of work accidents 
or occupational diseases each year. 
Quite apart from the human aspects, including the suffering caused to workers and their 
families, the economic consequences are considerable: the money paid out each year as 
a direct consequence of work accidents and occupational diseases throughout the 
Community was estimated in 1991 at ECU 26, 000 million, and this sum does not take 
into account the indirect costs arising from time lost, increased administrative costs, 
damage to equipment, etc. Furthermore, the loss or injury of highly-trained or skilled 
workers is a burden for both the enterprise concerned and for society generally. 
Studies have shown that work accidents and occupational diseases are often associated 
with poor management practices. Good management involves the best use of available 
resources, including in particular the workforce, and this requires a safe workplace which 
will protect the health of workers, improve morale and motivation, promote the quality 
of production and thereby assist the economic performance of the enterprise. Safety and 
health training are a means of promoting quality consciousness and professionalism, and 
therefore an asset in human resource development. 
In summary, there is a continuing need to make every effort to reduce the number of 
work accidents and occupational diseases in order to protect workers, reduce associated 
costs and improve the competitiveness of enterprises. 
Community activities in the field of safety and health at work were initiated in 1957. The 
Commission launched "pilot" projects to promote research into occupational safety and 
health in the coal and steel sectors under the ECSC Treaty and the Council established 
both the Safety and Health Commission to promote the safety and health of workers in 
the mining and extractive industries, and the Advisory Committee on Safety, I Iygiene and 
Health Protection at Work (hereinafter referred to as the Advisory Committee). Two 
action programmes followed in 1979 and 1984 and a number of legislative measures were 
adopted. 
The introduction in the 1987 Single European Act of a specific legal basis for 
occupational safety and health , Article 118a, gave a new impetus to the Community's 
work On this basis, the Commission adopted in 1988 a third action programme in this 
field, which the Council recognised as a useful framework for commencing 
implementation of Article 118a at Community level. 
Furthermore, in the context of the internal market and free movement of workers, the 
objective of Community legislation is to provide a set of minimum standards which will 
ensure an adequate level of protection against work accidents and occupational diseases 
and facilitate such free movement. 
There is widespread public support for Community action in this field lor example, a 
Eurobarometer survey carried out during the European Year of Safety, Hygiene and 
Health Protection at Work (hereinafter referred to as the European Year) revealed that a 
large majority of the Community's working population were in favour of introducing 
minimum common requirements at Community level, and that almost two-thirds were of 
the opinion that this would lead to an improvement in the safety and health conditions 
of their work. 
The European Year, which has just drawn to a close, and the many initiatives taken both 
in Member States and at Community level, provided an opportunity to raise awareness 
among workers, employers, particularly in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) 
and the authorities of occupational risks and how to overcome them The Commission's 
role included funding projects and initiatives undertaken by public authorities, 
professional associations and the social partners in the Member States. The principles o\' 
subsidiarily and Community added value underpinned the Commission's involvement 
During the past few years, a large amount of Community legislation has been introduced, 
with the adoption by the Council, on the basis of Commission proposals, of a framework 
directive and a series of individual directives, some supplementing those which had been 
subject to technical harmonisation measures in preparation for the completion of the 
internal market and others covering specific risks and high-risk sectors. The directives 
which have been adopted are now in the process of being incorporated into national law 
by the Member States. 
At Community level it is important to ensure that the Commission's actions are both 
visible and transparent. This will be carried out primarily by means of information, 
thereby reaffirming the common objective shared by the Community, the Member States, 
the social partners and all workers of improving safety and health at work An initial 
step will be to widely distribute information concerning the prospects for action defined 
in this document. 
The European Council, at its meeting in Brussels on 29 October 1993 decided on the 
creation of the Agency for safety and health at work proposed by the Commission1. The 
Agency will collect and analyse information, including information on training and 
educational programmes, promote the exchange and dissemination of research findings, 
develop and support co-operation between Member States as well as providing technical 
input to the Commission in the field of occupational safety and health. The Commission 
will take the necessary measures as soon as possible to facilitate the establishment of the 
Agency which, working in close co-operation with the Commission's Services, will have 
a key role to play in this area in the future. 
2. OBJECI IVES - TIME-SPAN - LEGAL BASIS 
The objectives of the action which the Commission intends to take are the following: 
- to ensure that the Member States correctly transpose the Community directives and 
that they take the necessary steps to ensure the proper enforcement of national 
legislation; 
- to promote the work of the Community in this area in non-member countries; 
- to continue to develop safety and health at work in the Community; 
Attainment of these objectives should involve measures designed to: 
- implement, consolidate, rationalise and extend Community legislation in this area 
whenever necessary; 
- complement legislation with appropriate information, training and promotion of a 
healthy working environment, with particular emphasis on SMEs; 
- promote studies and research, codes of good practice and other instruments aimed at 
improving knowledge and action in this area; 
- evaluate the socio-economic impact of all measures taken in this area, and develop 
networks in association with other Community policies. 
Following a broad consultation on the basis of this document, the Commission will define 
its priorities up to the year 2000 and then present detailed proposals for action. These 
priorities will take into account emerging needs and the financial and human resources 
available, making it possible to incorporate new measures and modify objectives on the 
basis of new knowledge, innovative techniques or changes in the socio-economic 
environment. 
Com (90) 5(>4 final 
The legal basis for the measures in this field are essentially Articles 118 and 118a of the 
Treaty, which deal with social policy and the need to improve the working environment 
to protect the health and safety of workers, taking into account the measures taken 
pursuant to Article 100a which also aims to establish a high level of protection in the 
field of health and safety. Article 118b will also be taken as a basis for the promotion 
of dialogue with the social partners on this subject. 
3. ACHIEVEMENTS TO DATE 
The Community has been active in the field of occupational safety and health since 1957 
It was, however, the introduction of Article 118a in the Treaty which gave a considerable 
boost to activities in this area, with the implementation of the third action programme, 
culminating in the organisation of the European Year in 1992. 
3.1 The third action programme 
In 1988, the Commission adopted a third action programme in the field of safety, 
hygiene and health at work, which the Council recognised as a useful framework loi 
commencing the implementation of Article 118a at Community level The programme 
focused on five topics: 
- safety and ergonomics at work; 
- occupational health and hygiene; 
- information and training for workers; 
- small and medium-sized enterprises; 
- social dialogue. 
When it decided to propose basic minimum requirements common to all the Member 
States on the basis of Article 118a, the Commission always took great care to respect the 
following principles underpinning its social action: 
- the specific nature of Community measures, complementing the role of the Membei 
Slates, and highlighting the added value of such measures without prejudice to existing 
high standards in some Member States; 
- the diverse nature of national systems and practices; 
- assessment of likely burden of directives on SMEs; 
- helping to reduce the differences in Member States' levels of protection, by setting 
minimum requirements across the Community. 
The Commission's approach in the third action programme was based on three 
fundamental concepts: the need to push on with improving the safety and health 
protection of workers on a broad front; the obligation to ensure that workers have 
adequate protection from the risks of work accidents and occupational diseases, and, 
finally, the will to avoid jeopardising the safety and health protection of workers 
resulting from the consequences of the internal market. With these three objectives in 
mind, the Commission attempted to: 
- cover a maximum number of risks with a minimum number of directives, in order to 
avoid fragmented legislation: 
The Commission developed a legislative structure focusing on the first directive 
adopted on the basis of Article 118a. This was a "framework" directive which is 
designed to encourage improvements in the safety and health at work in all sectors of 
activity, both public and private. It lays down general principles governing employers' 
obligations and responsibilities with regard to the safety and health protection of 
workers, and defines the procedures for the information, training, consultation and 
participation of workers in this field. The framework directive is also a "programme" 
directive, in that it specifically states that it is to be supplemented by individual 
directives. The majority of individual directives adopted by the Council can be 
described as horizontal as they cover all aspects of the safety and health of workers 
in a specific sector of activity. 
- Cover the specific requirements of certain high-risk activities or sectors and of certain 
categories of workers who are particularly vulnerable: 
Some of the individual directives and proposed directives cover the sectors where 
there is the highest risk of work accidents and occupational diseases, such as the 
construction sector and exposure to carcinogenic agents. Others cover the specific 
requirements of certain categories of workers, such as pregnant women and workers 
using visual display units 
- Ensure consistency between Community provisions adopted as part of the completion 
of the internal market (Article 100a), which lay down the main safety and health 
requirements to be met during the design, manufacture and marketing of products, and 
directives adopted on the basis of Article 11 Ha, which relate to their use at the 
workplace. 
Examples of this harmonisation of policies associated with the completion of the single 
market and social policy include on one hand the directive on machines (Article 100a), 
and on the other the directive on the use of work equipment at work (Article 1 18a); 
complementary directives based on Articles 100a and 118a have also been adopted for 
personal protective equipment, and chemicals. European standards established in 
support of the directives based on Article 100a are playing an important role in 
improving safety and health at work. 
These directives, which now constitute a fairly large body of legislation on the subject, 
lay down general and specific provisions applicable progressively from 1 January 1993 
to all sectors of employment in the Community. The minimum requirements which they 
define represent in many cases a considerable improvement on existing conditions. 
Although producing proposals for directives was a priority under the third action 
programme, the Commission's activities went further than that. It also took a series of 
related measures aimed at the Member States, firms, employers and workers, including, 
first and foremost, measures to provide for those concerned better information and 
guidance in various forms. 
The Commission set up a Community system for the exchange of information between 
Member States and regular information is provided in the quarterly publication "JANUS". 
A special edition of "Social Europe" dealing exclusively with health and safety at work 
was produced, along with numerous technical and scientific reports in order to make the 
Community's work more visible and transparent. 
The role of the Group of Senior Labour Inspectors, set up in 1982, has also expanded 
considerably, leading to even more exchanges of information and experience2 
Finally, it should be noted that the approach adopted by the Commission also involves 
a considerable amount of consultation with representatives of Member States' 
governments and the social partners. 
3.2 European Year of Safety, Hygiene and Health Protection at Work 
The Council,3 with the support of the European Parliament and the Economic and Social 
Committee, decided that 1992 was to be the European Year of Safety, Hygiene and 
Health Protection at Work. The Council's decision took into account the need to assess 
the third programme, demonstrate its consistency and underline how committed workers 
and employers were to promoting safety, and health at work. 
The decision was relevant for several reasons: 
- first of all for safety and health at work reasons alone there is still a high level of 
work accidents and occupational diseases; 
- secondly for economic reasons: in the present circumstances it is essential to curb the 
steadily rising costs of work accidents and occupational diseases which have to be met 
from Member States' social budgets and from firms' finances; 
- thirdly to ensure the involvement of social partners : studies in this area attach crucial 
importance to the heightening of public awareness and the information of both workers 
and employers; 
- finally, because of a lack of information on Community involvement in this field. 
This decision was in line with the subsequent declaration on the right of access to 
information annexed to the Treaty on European Union and the declaration on a 
"Community close to its citizens" adopted in 1992 by the Birmingham European Council 
2 OJC49, 19.2.1993, p. 6. 
3 OJ L214, 2.8.1991, p. 77. 
The campaign was based on the one hand on Community directives drawn up under the 
Commission's third action programme and on the other hand on the promotion of projects 
to improve safety and health at work. The surveys and discussions organised throughout 
the European Year proved that the third action programme and the progress made lived 
up to the expectations of the working population in the Member States 
As a result of the information disseminated, nearly one European worker in four is now 
aware that safety and health at work is one of the Community's priorities. With the large-
scale distribution of general information booklets and technical documentation, the 
broadcasting of numerous TV programmes on the major national channels, and, above 
all, the implementation of 2 600 actions by and within the Member States, the 
awareness-raising campaign, was on an unprecedented scale. It not only reached over a 
fifth of the population, i.e. approximately 60 million citizens, but also underlined the 
need for information on the subject and, consequently, the need to continue the 
Community's efforts in future. Nearly two-thirds of workers thought that the Community 
must do everything possible to guarantee safety, and health at work and a similar 
proportion thought that information on this subject was a priority. 
This campaign also allowed convergence between the search for optimum cost-
effectiveness and the application of the concept of subsidiarity. The Commission ensured 
the coherence of all the operations, with Member States developing those initiatives they 
thought best. Almost two-thirds of the funds allocated to this campaign went to national 
initiatives, with precedence being given to the implementation of actions within 
enterprises, particularly within SMEs. There is therefore good reason for considering that 
the European Year, based on the existing body of Community legislation, was a good 
investment which considerably heightened awareness and gave a new impetus to safety 
and health at work. 
The impact of the European Year, in particular on workers and employers, provided 
wide scope for discussion on the continuation of Community actions in the field of 
safety and health at work. In this respect, the European Year can be seen as a turning-
point between the results of previous programmes and the definition of a future policy. 
4. THE COMMUNITY'S ROLE IN SAFETY AND HEALTH AT WORK 
Safety and health at work is a matter which concerns not only all the Member States but, 
above all, the 120 million workers in the Community, a proportion of whom regularly 
work in a Member State other than their country of origin. Prior to the Single Act there 
were considerable differences in Member States' legislation; article 118a underlines the 
need to encourage improvements in safety and health at work through a joint effort by 
the Member States and the Community. 
10 
It should be emphasised that since the adoption of the Single Act, Community action in 
this field has in no way been confined to legislation (directives). In addition practical 
recommendations, codes of good practice, informative documents, and financial 
assistance have been used to support and supplement legislative measures. The 
Commission, for example, by organising the European Year in 1992, supported initiatives 
taken by the Member States and gave them Community added value. 
The main basis for Community action in the field of safety and health at work is 
Article 118a. This Article lays down the respective roles of Member States and of the 
Community in line with the principle of subsidiarity. It specifies that Member States 
must pay particular attention to encouraging improvements, especially in the working 
environment, as regards the safety and health of workers. They set as their objective the 
harmonisation of conditions in this area, while maintaining the improvements made. The 
Article also stipulates that the Community must help achieve this objective, and that, in 
order to do this, the Community legal instrument is the directive; such directives must 
lay down minimum requirements for gradual implementation, having regard to the 
conditions and technical rules existing in each of the Member States. 
Article 118a thus establishes that there is a need for Community intervention in this area 
and specifies that this intervention shall be by means of directives. However Community 
actions which are not based on Article 118a can take other forms such as practical 
recommendations, guidance and information notes, etc... . In addition, standards based 
on Article 100A Directives play an important role in improving safety and health at 
work. 
The Copenhagen Council in June 1993 underlined the importance of approximation of 
laws, including those in the area of protection of workers, in relation to the countries of 
Central and Eastern Europe, with which Association Agreements had been concluded. 
As in the past attention will be paid to the principle of subsidiarity when assessing the 
need to propose legislation or other types of action at Community level. When the 
directives already adopted are updated and consolidated, the Commission will pay 
particular attention to the possibility of simplifying them in the context of subsidiarity 
5. GENERAL FRAMEWORK FOR ACTION 
5.1 Social dialogue 
Since their creation, the Advisory Committee and the Safety and Health Commission have 
been the Commission's main source of advice for all its measures taken at Community 
level or proposed to the Council in the field of safety and health at work. The Advisory 
Committee in particular was involved in detailed consultations concerning the preparation 
of this communication in order to take into account at Community level the wishes of the 
social partners in this area, in which they primarily are concerned 
The Commission will continue to consult and inform both the Advisory Committee and 
the Safety and Health Commission when defining priorities and specific actions. 
Close cooperation between the Advisory Committee and the Safety and Health 
Commission will be considered in order to facilitate this consultation process and avoid 
duplication of effort. In the same context, the Commission will continue to promote and 
develop dialogue between the social partners at Community level in the specific area of 
safety, and health at work. 
5.2 Links with other programmes 
In a number of Community policies and programmes, such as environmental and 
consumer protection, agriculture and research, matters of safety and health at work are 
often dealt with implicitly. The working document of the Commission [COM(43)459 
final] concerning the 4,h Framework Research Programme in its chapter on health and 
biomedical research explicitly foresees a research section on prevention, occupational 
health and risk factors. 
The effectiveness of Community action in the field of safety and health at work will be 
reinforced, firstly, by taking greater account of it in other Community policies, 
programmes, actions, funds, and other bodies and, secondly, by incorporating, where 
appropriate, the requirements of other policies into the Commission's actions and 
proposals in the field of safety and health at work. Ways of reinforcing existing links, in 
particular through the establishment of networks, will be examined for this purpose. 
Telematics and transeuropean networks could be used to strengthen the exchange of 
information, to establish comprehensive databases for work accidents and occupational 
diseases, and for improving training. Safety and health at work issues will also be taken 
into account to stimulate cooperation and develop exchanges of information and 
experiences between Member States' training systems. 
5.3 Economic and social impact of measures aimed at improving occupational 
safety and health - Small and medium-sized enterprises 
The creation of SMEs is a key factor in the socio-economic development of the Member 
States. One of the Commission's main concerns since it began implementing Article 118a 
has been the need to avoid imposing administrative, financial and legal constraints which 
would jeopardise the creation and development of SMEs, while at the same time 
protecting the safety and health of all workers. 
12 
The Commission's proposals have been accompanied by impact studies which have sought 
to assess whether such proposals imposed constraints on SMEs Other studies have 
highlighted the close link which exists between good company management and the 
implementation of safety and health at work measures. It has to be admitted, however, 
that finding ways of evaluating not only the costs of occupational safety and health 
measures to entreprises, but also the human and material benefits of such measures is a 
difficult task. Nevertheless the Commission will continue its efforts to improve such 
evaluations. 
It is necessary to expand on this methodology, in agreement with the Member States, and 
then use it to evaluate the impact within enterprises of the application of safety and 
health at work directives as transposed into national law; pilot sectors could be selected 
in agreement with the Member States, with particular emphasis on SMEs. 
This would make it possible to improve the methodology of the impact studies 
accompanying the proposals for directives which the Commission presents to the Council 
in this area either for the purposes of updating existing legislation or supplementing it. 
SMEs often do not have their own specialised staff to implement such policies within the 
entreprise. Special attention will be focused on information activities (practical 
recommendations, codes of good practice, documentation, establishment of networks) and 
training to help SMEs understand how to implement national laws derived from 
Community directives, taking into account the specific problems which might be 
encountered by them. 
5.4 Actions 
The Commission has identified the following topics and issues as being worthy of indepth 
attention and examination in order to define appropriate measures. 
5.4.1. Implementation, consolidation, rationalisation and completion 
The amount of Community legislation introduced during the past few years in the field 
of safety and health at work means that particular attention must now be paid to the 
implementation by Member States of the adopted directives. This should ensure that 
derived national legislation is applied effectively with equal rigour, as underlined in the 
conclusions of the Council of 21 December 1992 on the effective implementation and 
enforcement of Community legislation in the area of social affairs. 
The Commission has first of all to carry out its task of verifying transposition of the 
directives, being careful to establish a constructive dialogue with the competent 
authorities in Member States. 
13 
The Commission will then continue to develop its cooperation with Member States in the 
field of safety and health at work in application in particular of Article 4(2) of Directive 
89/391/EEC which requires them to have adequate control and monitoring procedures 
for their national legislation. To assist Member States the "Group of Senior Labour 
Inspectors" will be formalised as a Committee. 
Certain directives may need to be updated, extended or amended in the light of new 
knowledge, or technical progress, or to remedy shortcomings and sometimes on the basis 
of the results of the Commission's own work. This will provide an opportunity to 
redefine existing provisions more clearly or to incorporate elements necessary for their 
implementation. Special attention will be given to carcinogenic, toxic and harmful 
agents, and lo other high risk areas. 
At the same lime, in the light of the practical implementation of derived national 
legislation in the Member States, work will be undertaken and proposals made with a 
view to consolidating existing texts as much as possible in order to rationalise them and 
render them more accessible to all users. 
Finally, consideration will also be given in this context to safety and health at work 
issues which might occur as a result of new types of work and innovative technologies, 
including clean technologies. 
5.4.2. Promotion of the Community's work in the field of occupational safely and health 
at work outside the Community, and international cooperation 
Care must be taken to ensure that differences in the level of safety and health at work 
protection measures at international level do not cause problems for trade and 
competition. Efforts must be made at the same time to achieve an adequate level of 
protection for workers exposed to the same risks in non-member countries as in the 
Community. 
In the context of the Association Agreements between the Community and certain 
countries of Central and Eastern Europe, and the conclusions of the Presidency of. the 
Copenhagen Council in 1993, the Commission will endevour to ensure, in preparation for 
accession, that progress is achieved in the field of protection for workers, in particular 
through the implementation of measures aimed at improving occupational safety and 
health at work on the basis of existing Community legislation. Likewise, in the context 
of partnership and cooperation agreements between the Community and countries of 
Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States, particular 
attention will be paid to the implementation of those aspects of the agreements relating 
lo safety and health at work. 
The safely and health at work requirements of developing counlries, in particular those 
which have concluded agreements with the Community, will be examined carefully in the 
light of new economic pressures and restructuring of their activities; a collaboration will 
be established in order to ensure the progressive implementation of adequate protection 
measures for the workers of these countries. 
14 
There is substantial political pressure at international level, and in particular within the 
United Nations, to improve the coordination and effectiveness of the various bodies in 
the light of the commitments made by Heads of State and Governments at the 1992 Rio 
Conference on the environment and development; this also extends to various aspects of 
safety and health at work. There is at the present time substantial cooperation with 
international organisations such as the ILO and the WHO; this has taken various forms, 
including joint activities. An effort will be made to intensify this cooperation, not just 
to facilitate the exchange of information and avoid duplication of work, but more 
particularly to ensure the consistency and effectiveness of actions. 
5.4.3 Information, training, education 
These are the three fundamental requirements for an effective safety and health at work 
policy. Information and training must be targeted at workers at the appropriate levels 
Safety and health education must be incorporated into the educational curriculum so that 
regard for safety and health becomes second nature. Similarly the training of specialists 
in this area is also of crucial importance. The Commission's activities will be defined in 
close association and cooperation with the Member States. 
In order to ensure that information is an effective cornerstone of safety and health at work 
policy, the following measures and activities might be envisaged, taking into account all 
the activities already undertaken, in particular during the European Year, and the 
experience acquired in certain areas: 
- promote both within the Community, and as far as possible in non-member states, 
information regarding the behaviour and expectations of different sectors of the 
population, workers and enterprises; 
- reinforce special networks at Community level (such as JANUS) to promote the 
exchange of information, experience, synergies and cooperation between Member States 
and among social partners and thus avoid duplication of effort. The following areas 
could be covered: 
* legislation, practical experience and results of research; 
* chemical, physical and biological risks and ways of preventing them, 
* technical, psychological and organisational aspects of the working environment, 
* statistics; 
- provide regular information, organise thematic campaigns on various aspects of safety 
and health at work, by means of, for example a European week or day, and promote 
the use of audiovisual and other new techniques; 
- find suitable ways of raising awareness and promoting access to information for non-
specialists. 
15 
With regard to training, the establishment of a network of centres and institutions 
providing education in various disciplines and training for workers and supervisory staff 
might facilitate this important task which is primarily the responsibility of Member States. 
The development of training models and modules, in close cooperation between the 
Member States and the Commission, could be continued along the lines of the training 
modules developed in high-risk sectors, and for labour inspectors. In the general context 
of activities related to training, priority could be given to the training of trainers 
The Commission has already carried out numerous activities in the field of safety and 
health education in compulsory education. The Council has also stressed the importance 
of health education and health promotion. The Commission will continue with its efforts 
to support initiatives taken by the Member States, possibly by means of networks and/or 
practical recommendations. 
5.4.4 Development of non-legislative accompanying measures intended in particular to 
supplement and consolidate legislative objectives 
The knowledge and experience required by the Commission in the pursuit of its activities 
will be acquired systematically under the various initiatives. The most pertinent results 
of these studies and research will be made available to those concerned in the interest of 
transparency and cooperation. 
Joint studies and activities will continue to be carried out with the Member States in 
order to find ways of achieving better comparability of work accident and occupational 
disease statistics within the Community. This will facilitate the development and 
validation of preventive measures and the definition of priorities for action. 
The available experience and problems relating to the establishment of multidisciplinary 
preventive and protective services for all workers in the different sectors of activity, will 
be studied. 
It is important that the criteria and procedures for risk assessment, which are the key to 
all types of risk management, should be defined at Community level, possibly by drawing 
up guides. 
16 
Certain activities need to be dealt with specifically in view of the particular working 
conditions involved. It is intended to intensify or initiate investigations into the 
following: 
- certain high-risk sectors of activity; 
- exposure to certain toxic or harmful chemicals; 
- problems encountered by specific groups, such as young people and self-employed 
workers; 
- problems associated with well-being at work, and in particular the prevention of 
excessive physical, nervous and mental strains as well as stress; 
- the possible ethical, social, psycho-medical and legal consequences of certain types of 
health surveillance of workers. 
6. DEFINITION OF PRIORITIES 
This document is to provide the basis for consultation with the other Community 
institutions, Member States and social partners. The Commission will take all comments 
into account in drawing up priority measures in 1994 to be implemented up to the 
year 2000. 
17 
Article Ilia 
Clu-mu al 
agents Protection 
of pregnant 
women 
Information Young 
people 
V\oik 
equipment Conditions 
for health 
and safety 
Framework 
Directive 
89/391/EEC Disabled 
workers 
Temporary workers 
Working 
conditions Medical 
treatment on 
board fishing 
vessels 
Physical 
agents Biological 
agents 
Limit values 
Carcinogens 
Speciru prost options 
Asbestos 
lead 
Vinyl «.blonde monomer 
General protêt lion measures Safety signs Work equipment 
Person.il piotei live 
equipment 
\ I Ids 
I l.mdlini; < >i In i> \ loads Workplace 
Mobile and lempoi.iiv 
sites 
[\tr.n tivt' itultf.tiits 
Transotnl Noise 
Vibrations 
Non-ionizing radiation 
Italics denotes work in progress. 
ISSN 0254-1475 
COM (93) 560 final 
DOCUMENTS 
EN 04 
Catalogue number : CB-CO-93-601-EN-C 
ISBN 92-77-61152-9 
Office for Official Publications of the F.uropean Communities 
L-2985 Luxembourg