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COM(77)657
Vol.1977/0211

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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COM(77)657 final.
Brussels ,12Decoir.ber1977
DRAFT
RESOLUTION OFTHECOUNCILOFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
ONACOMMUNITY ACTIONPROGRAMME ONSAFETYANDHEALTHATWORK
(submittedtotheCouncilbytheCommission)
er,;.;(77)657final.

DRAïT
RESOLUTION OFTHE COUNCIL OFTHE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
ONACOMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAMME ONSAFETY AND HEALTH
ATWORK
THE COUNCIL OFTHE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
Having regard tothe Treaties establishing the European Communities ,
Having regard tothedraft from theCommission ,
Having regard totheOpinion oftheEuropean Parliament ,
Having regard totheOpinion oftheEconomic andSocial Committee ,
1)VJhereas Resolution oftheCouncil oftheEuropean Communities of
21January 1974*onasocial action programme envisages thesetting •
upofanaction programme onsafety andhealth atwork ;
2)Whereas ,inparticular ,..under Article 2oftheTreaty estab­
lishing the European Economic Community ,the
Community shall have asaparticular task topromote throughout the
Community aharmonious development ofeconomic activities ,aconti­
nuous andbalanced expansion and anaccelerated raising ofthe
standard ofliving ,which entails suitable health protection for
thegeneral public and theeffective prevention ofrisks atwork ;
3)Whereas under Articles 117a^d 118ofthesaid Treaty theMember
States agree upon theneed topromote improved working conditions and
animproved standard ofliving forworkers soastomake possible their
harmonization while theimprovement isbeing maintained andthat both
theprevention ofoccupational accidents anddiseases_and health
conditions atwork areamong theessential tasks :
* O.JNoC13,12.2.1974 ,p.-1.

-2-
4)Whereas the Heads ofState orofGovernment ,atthe Conference held
inParis inOctober 1972 ,affirmed that economic expansion should
result inanimprovement inthequality oflife aswell asinthe
standard ofliving ;
5)Whereas thelarge number ofpeople killed ,injured andsuffering from
»
invalidity orsickness asaresult ofaccidents atwork oroccupa­
tional diseases represents aserious problem which requires con­
stant attention ;
6)Whereas considerable effort isneeded atCommunity level topre- ,
serve the human capital represented bytheCommunity workforce and
toendeavour toimplement suitable means tomaintain orcreate a
working environment tailored tothe needs ofman having regard to
his rightful job aspirations ;
7)Whereas this effort requires not only astrengthening ofthe colla­
boration between Member States and the Commission but also the
increasing participation ofmanagement andlabour indecisions and
action inthefield ofsafety ,hygiene andhealth protection atwork at
alllevels ,particularly atthelevel oftheundertaking ;
8)Whereas the improvement ofworking conditions and theworking envi­
ronment must beenvisaged onaglobal basis andmust concern all •
sectors ofthe economy ;
9)Whereas theAdvisory Committee onSafety ,Hygiene andHealth Pro­
tection atWork ,setup "bytheCouncil Decision of27June 1974*should "be
associated with this sphere ofaction ;
* OJNoL185 ,-9.7.1974 ,p.15'

-3-
Approves theaction programme annexed ,hereto ;...
Notes that theCommission will present ,within the context ofthe
actions described intheprogramme and inaccordance with thetime
schedule andpriorities setouttherein ,suitable proposals for the
successful implementation oftheprogramme .

ACTION PROGRAMME
OFTHE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
ONHEALTH AND SAFETY ATWORK

ACTION PROGRAMME
OFTHE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
ONHEALTH AND SAFETY ATWORK
TABLE OFCONTENTS
Introduction
I. General objectives oftheaction programme onhealth and safety
II.Description ofthe actions tobetaken atCommunity level .

INTRODUCTION
Ahigh percentage ofthe population ofthe nine Member States is
exposed tovarying degrees ofmany and widely divergent occupational
risks which could threaten their health andpersonal safety .Occupa­
tional pathology ishabitually concerned with accidents and diseases
resulting from work ,the prevention ordiagnosis ofwhich have been the
subject ofaction within the Community for several years ,and the harm­
ful effects ofwhich arepartly ortotally compensated through various
schemes .
Despite the efforts made inthe Member States oftheCommunity ,the
number ofaccidents anddiseases resulting from work remains high .
Quite apart from their financial importance ,thehuman and social
consequences ofoccupational accidents and diseases are incalculable ,
since itisnot easy toassess the psychological damage done ortotake
into account the long-term factors connected with accidents and disease .
Thus there isgood reason tobelieve that the total social and financial
cost ofoccupational accidents and diseases isfar greater than the
quantitative estimates atourdisposal suggest .
•Modern technology uses increasingly advanced processes which present
new dangers .They produce oruse chemical substances which are inade­
quately tested for their harmful effects onman .All chemical ,physi­
cal ,mechanical andbiological agents and thepsychosocial factors
connected with work must bereadily recognizable andbrought under
control oreliminated bysuitable means soastoavoid anydamage to
health orasignificant reduction insafety .
The prevention ,limitation and ,where possible ,elimination of
occupational risks constitute major elements ofapolicy toprotect the
health andsafety oftheworkers .

-2-
Ofcourse ,theMember States have along tradition intheorganization of
industrial safety andhealth but they must also agree toshoulder ajoint pro­
gramme ofpositive andeffective actions toimprove theconditions under which
manperforms his joband doeverything possible toensure hiswell-being and
guarantee thequality ofhis working environment .Inorder toimplement such a
programme /itisnecessary notonly toharmonize ideas andbasic principles ,but
also toplan and guide technical progress and theorganization ofwork insuch a
way astotake account oftherequirements ofhealth and safety .
Inview ofthepersisting gravity oftheproblem ,theCommission must
initiate ,promote and develop acommon preventive policy with regard toall
occupational risks ,especially byobtaining fresh knowledge ,byencouraging
cooperation and coordination andbydeveloping appropriate actions atdifferent
levels ofresponsibility orcompetanceC Inaddition topromoting exchanges and
theimprovement ofreciprocal information ,such aprogramme should aim toper­
suade responsible authorities intheMember States and the social partners to
join forces against risks ofallkinds which thework environment brings tobear
onthehealth and safety ofworkers andonsociety atlarge .
The present programme takes account ofthe guidelines proposed bythe
Commission and ofseveral studies made and consultations' held over the past two
years .Italso takes into consideration the experience gained bytheCommis­
sion inthe coal and steel industries and the nuclear field where ,under the
terms oftheECSC and Euratom Treaties ,research programmes andwork onharmo­
nization and standardization inaccident anddisease prevention andprotection
with regard tospecific risks inthese three sectors have been carried out for
many years .
This programme does not affect other programmes such asthose for the
elimination oftechnical barriers totrade and for the protection ofthe envi­
ronment .Inproposing specific actions within the framework ofthis programme ,
thework undertaken byother research programmes ,notably intheenvironmental
field will betaken into account ,sothat maximum coordination isensured .
Some action could betaken incollaboration orconjunction with other
organizations ,such astheEuropean Foundation forthe Improvement ofLiving and
Working Conditions and theEuropean Centre for theDevelopment ofVocational
Training .

I. GENERAL OBJECTIVES OFTHE ACTION PROGRAMME ONSAFETY AND HEALTH
Themain aim oftheprogramme istoincrease the level ofprotec­
tion against occupational risks ofall types byincreasing the effici­
ency ofmeasures forpreventing ,monitoring and controlling these
risks .
One oftheprimary conditions for the implementation ofsuch apro­
gramme isthe full participation ofboth sides ofindustry inpreventive
and protective measures .
Each ofthe actions proposed inthe programme must beseen asan
element contributing tothebetter organization ofpreventive andpro­
tective measures for workers and tocloser collaboration between the
social partners towards that end .Furthermore ,inorder totake ac­
count ofthe experience obtained byinternational organizations and to
avoid duplication ofeffort inthe surveys oractions undertaken ,liai­
sonbetween Member States must beimproved with aview toorganizing
joint action ininternational agencies responsible foroccupational
health and safety .
Such aprogramme should make itpossible toachieve the following
general objectives :
a) Improvement ofthe working situation with aview toincreased
safety and with due regard tohealth requirements inthe organiza­
tion ofthework .Such animprovement should cover not only the
existing situation but also new technical developments .Technical
progress which contributes tothe creation ofanewworking situ­
ation ortotheimprovement ofanexisting situation isnotalways
conceived anddirected inline with thedictates ofsafety and
health ;where machinery ,premises andplant areconcerned ,safety
aspects should beconsidered atthedesign stage and integrated
into thesubsequent stages oftheir production andcommissioning .
Dueattention must also bepaid tohealth considerations atevery
stage intheproduction anduse ofchemical substances .
There isaclose link between occupational accident anddis­
ease prevention onthe one hand ,and the organization ofwork and
safety andhealth training andinformation attheplace ofwork on
theother .There isanurgent need toreview andredefine a .more
effective accident anddisease prevention strategy inorder toup­
date traditional methods .

Where isitnotpossible toeliminate it,exposure tooccupa­
tional risks must bekept topermissible levels applicable toall
workers within theCommunity andbased oncommon concepts and
references .
Soastomonitor more effectively theapplication ofpreven­
tive measures ,surveillance ofhealth andworking conditions must
beintensified ,notably inline with the exigencies ofoccupational
medicine ,hygiene and safety appropriate topresent-day conditions .
b)Improvement ofknowledge inorder toidentify and assess risks and
perfect prevention and control methods .
Inview ofthe complexity and diversity ofthe factors it
embraces ,aetiology isapriority subject forresearch and^analy­
sis .Valid and comparable statistics must beprepared and exis­
ting research coordinated .The promotion ofnew research isan
essential corollary toanyCommunity action inoccupational medi­
cine ,hygiene and safety . '
c)Improvement ofhuman attitudes inorder topromote anddevelop
safety andhealth consciousness .
Alongside the technical aspects ofaccident prevention and
health protection ,areal system ofsafety instruction andhealth
education must becreated .This hasyet tobeintroduced andwill
betaught indifferent ways atthevarious educational levels and
atthevarious levels ofresponsibility and action within under­
takings .

-5-
II DESCRIPTION OFTHE INITIATIVES TOBETAKEN ATCOMMUNITY LEVEL
Attainment ofthe general objectives requires many initiatives
involving various scientific disciplines .Such initiatives presuppose
the effective participation ofindividuals inmanaging their ownhealth
and safety and should encourage the social partners and the various
professional associations andbodies totake amore active part inthe
formulation and implementation ofapolicy for the prevention ofdangers
attheworkplace . '
The following six concrete initiatives are planned within various
time limits for the attainment ofthese general objectives .
1) incorporation ofsafety aspects into the various stages ofdesign ,
production and operation ;
2)determination ofexposure limits forworkers with regard topollu­
tants andharmful substances present orlikely tobepresent atthe
workplace ;
3)more extensive monitoring ofworkers' safety andhealth ;
4)accident and disease aetiology and assessment ofthe risks connec­
ted with work ;
5)coordination andpromotion ofresearch onoccupational safety and
health ;
6)development ofsafety andhealth consciousness byeducation and
training .

-6-
Iniative 1
Incorporation ofsafety aspects into the various stages ofdesign ,
production anfl operation ■■
Aim
Inorder topromote this incorporation theCommission will consider
actions aimed essentially atharmonizing ,from the safety point ofview ,
theprinciples and designs ofworkplaces ,machinery ,equipment andplant
and atthe formulation orcoordination ofrules for their use andgui­
dance onthe use ofdangerous substances .
%
The principle ofintegrated safety istoday generally regarded as
essential for allpreventive measures and itisreceiving increasing
attention atnational and international level . Inall decisions with
regard toundertakings (planning and construction oftheundertaking ,
purchase andoperation ofplant ,organization ofproduction ,working me­
thods ,etc .)more attention must bepaid tosafety .Similarly opera­
tional safety should bestudied inadvance for thedesign andmanufac­
ture ofmachinery and tools soastoguarantee protection ofthewor­
ker'shealth asfar aspossible .Asconcerns theproduction and
distribution ofdangerous substances ,the same principles have tobe
taken into account .
Theprinciples ofergonomics arenotyet sufficiently well applied
inthe search forbetter safety .Inparticular design ergonomics which
isalready widespread intheCommunity has notbeen sufficiently adop­
ted ,ascompared with thework carried out inthe Scandinavian countries
and inthe United States . .■ .
The results ofresearch carried outover several years inthe coal
and steel industries indicate themeasures which should beplanned at
Community level inother sectors ofindustry .
Inthis field theCommission isplanning topropose acertain
number ofmeasures which will encourage theapplication ofthese prin­
ciples andwhich could progressively form abasis oflegal ,regulatory
andadministrative provisions orofup-to-date technical guides drawn up
atCommunity level inorder toimprove the current situation inmany
industrial oragricultural spheres .These measures concern inparti­
cular :

-7-
a)Setting upofundertakings and planning oflayout and equipment .
The Commission has selected the following points from amongst the
numerous factors which must betaken into consideration :ventilation
and lighting ,temperature ,protection against falling from heights
and against falling heavy objects ,protection against fire ,noise
and vibrations ,gases ,vapours and dusts ,design ofgeneral and
emergency thoroughfares and location ofdoors andwindows .
b)Organization ofwork within undertakings orbetween several under­
takings .The following points are toreceive special attention :
equipment and layout ofworkplaces ,outdoor workplaces ,warning signs ,
dangerous jobs ,no-access and limited access areas ,transport within
the undertaking ,inspections ,maintenance work ,plant testing ,coordi­
nation ofwork within the undertaking ,coordination ofthe work of
various departments belonging tothe same undertaking ortodifferent
undertakings ,etc .
c)Manufacture and use ofmachinery ,equipment and tools .This isthe
chief area for the application oftechnical accident anddisease
prevention which isofparamount social and economic importance .In
this sector harmonization measures require lengthy preparation .
With regard tothemanufacture ofmachinery and equipment the
concept oftheir safety was already considered inthegeneral pro­
gramme of28May 1969 onthe elimination oftechnical barriers to
trade *. However ,there exist inherrent dangers inthe use ofmachi­
nery andequipment and aprocedure should beintroduced forthe ex­
change ofexperience and information sothat such dangers are recog­
nized and identified .Furthermore ,since 1969 the Council had al­
ready pointed out that ityould bepossible ,ifnecessary ,tolaydown
rules onuse supplementing Community Directives onharmonization with
»
jregard tothemanufacture ofmachinery andequipment .Guidelines and
rules must bedrawn upwith aview todetermining appropriate legis­
lation atCommunity level ,
d) 'Handling ofdangerous substances andpreparations .Inthis field
Community harmonization action must betaken with regard tothehand­
ling ofdangerous substances andpreparations ,with aview toimpro -
ying thepractical organization ofsafety ,that is,handling atthe
workplace ,storage ,marking ofcontainers
O.J. No76of17June 1969 .

-8-
andpipes .Technical andhealth protection measures ,working restric­
tions andprohibitions ,thenumber ofhours worked andmedical protection
measures should also beharmonized atCommunity level .The distribution
ofdangerous substances (classification ,identification andpackaging )is
taken into account intheprogrammes for the "elimination ofthe techni­
cal barriers totrade "and "environment ".
Contents
Some oftheobjectives setout above canbeachieved only inthemedium
and long term .The problems will beselected for study onthebasis ofthe
wishes expressed orguidance given byrelevant bodies who should above all
bear inmind practical considerations and onthebasis ofurgent needs which
may arise from unforeseen dangerous situations such asaccidents ordisasters ,
orwhich may berecognized asaresult ofthe acquisition offresh knowledge
onthe effects ofchemical substances and the need tocontrol their use with a
view toprotecting health .
The Commission plans tobegin work inthis field bystudying the fol­
lowing matters :
a)Setting upofundertakings and planning oflayout and equipment .
1)Organization andlayout ofagricultural holdings ."There isreason to
consider that modern agricultural holdings should meet requirements
similar tothose imposed upon industrial enterprises .Sofarthese
requirements have generally notbeen taken into account innational
regulations and itwould beappropriate totake thenecessary steps at
Community level .
'2)Noise andvibration control .This requires special medium andlong term
attention .The main task consists insetting anoptimum machine noise
level onthe basis ofhealth data and anassessment ofresults obtained
todate byresearch and the examination ofpractical experiments (for
example the use ofmachinery with alownoise level ,which has already
been perfected ).Noise emission levels ,designed totake account espe­
cially ofthepractical problems involved inoccupational protection ,
will beestablished after national experts have been consulted andwill
bepublished inthe form ofdirectives .
b)Organization ofwork within undertakings
1)Transport within undertakings .Internal transport ,particularly the
safe organization ofgeneral thoroughfares ,needs tobeexamined and
suitable practical instructions should bedrawn up.This sector has a
particularly high accident rate .

-9-
2)Safety signs atworkplaces .Council Directive 77/576/EEC of25July
1977 onsafety signs atworkplaces provides that these signs must beable
tokeap UpWith techriicSel £areQro »«and r«eorrwnond «tion8 Sor hazTsofii -
zation atinternational level . \
Inthis connection provision ismade for acommittee tomeet at
regular intervals .This action was initiated in1977 andwill beconti­
nued in1978 and 1979 bymeans ofproposals fordirectives .
3) Coordination ofthe work ofprincipal and secondary undertakings .The
internal and external collaboration ofprincipal and secondary under­
takings (subcontracts )requires special technical examination from the
point ofview ofsafety . Inpractice -especially for the coordination
ofcollaboration between several independent undertakings -there are
many problems still tobesolved .ACommunity examination ofthese
questions leading tosuch coordination bymeans ofsuitable legal instru­
ments isrequired .
c)Manufacture and use ofmachinery ,equipment and tools .
Inaddition tothe work completed within the context ofthe elimination
oftechnical barriers totrade which isconcerned with the design and
manufacture ofmachines ,equipment and tools itseems essential toexa­
mine inthe short and medium term the need for joint rules onthe use of
the following :agricultural machinery ,lifting gear ,machinery used in
construction ,metal scaffolding andwoodworking machines .Depending on
the circumstances and onthe results ofthe collaboration tobeorganized
such rules would take the form ofguidelines ordirectives .
d)Handling ofdangerous substances and preparations
Anurgent study must bemade ofthe handling ofdangerous ortoxic sub­
stances and agreement reached oncommon standards which will then be
proposed totheMember States .Anessentially practical approach is
required andattention will initially bedirected towards theproblems of
health protection connected with theuse ofpesticides andherbicides in
agriculture .Similar problems arise with other products ,e.g. arsenic ,
lead ,.mercury ,cadmium ,chrome ,nickel ,vegetable dusts ,biological
pollution ,etc .
Asinformation isobtained onthe toxicological effect ofthese
substances ,asoutlined inpoint 5ofInitiative 2,practical guidelines
will bedrawn upforallproducts which involve handling problems or
health risks .

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Initiative 2
Determination ofexposure limits forworkers with regard topol­
lutants ,andharmful substances present orlikely tobepresent
sent atthe workplace .
Aim
•With aview tothfeorganization ofdisease prevention andtothemoni­
toring ofmany occupational risks itisessential tohave data onexposure
limits forworkers with regard topollutants andharmful substances .Itis
?
therefore important for theCommission toachieve ,atCommunity level ,har­
monization ofthe concepts ,methodologies and references onthebasis ofwhich
theMember States determine their permissible exposure limits .
There are already standards forprotection against radiation atCommunity ,
level which have been inforce since 1959 (Directive )andwhich were recently
revised byaDirective issued inJune 1976 .They are anexample ofajoint
health policy concerned with anindustrial risk facing workers andthegeneral
public andbased onuniform standards for thewhole Community .This example
should beextended toother pollutants present attheworkplace .
Moreover the studies carried outbytheCommission over thepast four
years inparticular inrelation totheenvironment programme and theexperi­
ence acquired with regard tocertain environmental pollutants nowmake it
__possible topresent concrete proposals foraction with regard tocertain
specific pollutants affecting workplaces inparticular .
Inaddition tothese short-term actions ,however ,theCommission plans to
make anobjective analysis atCommunity level oftheharmful orundesirable
effects ofexposure topollutants ingiven circumstances -taking account of
theresults already obtained atinternational level ,inparticular bytheWHO
and theILO .From this analysis itisproposed todeduce criteria ofno­
xiousness onwhich tobase acceptable exposure limits forworkers .Such a
project would cover alarge number ofsubstances andwould beextended as
industrial toxicity studies currently inprogress arecompleted .
Theprotection ofhuman health against chemical substances requires a
complex toxicological evaluation which atpresent isincomplete .TheCom­
mission must take priority action with regard tocarcinogens ,since itis
generally accepted that ahigh proportion ofhuman cancer iscaused byex­
ternal factors including chemicals present attheworkplace .

-11-
Contents
The Commission isplanning the following initiatives :
1) Non-Ionizing radiation ana otftOr phyaiaal agents
With regard tonon-ionizing radiation ,proposals for directives will be
submitted totheCouncil onmicrowaves ,laser radiation ,ultra-violet
radiation andultrosound ,onthebasis oftheprocedure followed for
standards inprotection against radiation ..
2)Harmonization ofexposure limits
TheCommission plans ,attheearliest possible opportunity ,tomake a
comparative study ofexisting regulations and recommendations inMember
States with regard topermissible exposure levels ofworkers totoxic
substances orphysically harmful substances .
*
Thevalues adopted indifferent countries vary ,theterminology used
isnot the same and the concepts used todetermine the limits are not
based onthe same principles .Harmonization istherefore essential and
ageneral directive coordinating and harmonizing exposure levels ,pos­
sibly updated later oninaccordance with the latest scientific data and
international information available totheCommission ,could beprepared
between now and 1979 .
This short-term initiative would have the advantage ofachieving
harmonization atCommunity level and avoiding the delay ofwaiting for
the completion ofongoing research projects inthe field ofoccupational
toxicology ,whether within theCommission orintheMember States .
3)Directives onspecific pollutants
The general harmonization discussed in2)must besupplemented bythe
preparation ofspecific directives such asthose proposed bytheCommis­
sion forvinyl chloride monomer and those shortly tobeput forward on
asbestos ,lead ,mercury ,solvents ,carbon monoxide ,noise andvibrations .
The studies inprogress within theCommission and the state ofknowledge
ha,ve nowreached thestage where they canbeused todetermine theper­
missible exposure levels for theabove-mentioned pollutants from the
Ν
point ofview ofhealth protection .
4)Carcinogens
Specific Commission action with regard tocarcinogens present atwork­
places will consist in:
- collecting data onthedistribution ofcarcinogens and their con­
centration attheworkplace ;

-12-
- collecting and analysing medical data ;
- perfecting readily applicable detection tests ;
- fix the lowest possible levels or,ifnecessary ,prohibit a
certain number ofcarcinogens present atthe workplace .
Toxicological evaluation
Toxicological evaluation iscentral tothe assessment ofthehealth
risks due tothe presence ofmany chemical andbiological agents in
theworking environment .This canbecarried out only ifsuffi­
cient knowledge isavailable onthe effects ofthe agents under
consideration onman .The methodology adopted bythe Commission
for assessing thedangers from environmental pollutants ingeneral
isbased onresearch into criteria for noxiousness from which
permissible human exposure levels may bededuced .The data al­
ready collected bytheCommission onthe effects onhealth ofurban
atmospheric pollutants and certain water pollutants provide abasis
for the action planned inindustry ,but itneeds tobeconsiderably
extended and developed .Priority will begiven tothe following
substances :arsenic ,cadmium ,chromium ,iron oxides ,nickel ,
vegetable dusts ,ozone ,nitrogen oxides andbiological pollutants .
The Commission ,while taking account ofstudies already car­
ried out andprojects being planned atinternational level ,isto
give priority tothe extension and development ofinformation
relating totheobjective evaluation ofrisks associated with toxic
substances present atthe workplace .This action will lead to
directives onexposure levels forworkers andalso tothecompila -
*
txon ofhandbooks onthe safe handling ofsuch substances atthe
workplace .TheCommission intends tocarry outthis action by
means ofaseries ofstudies and scientific and technical consulta­
tions .Itwill beassisted inthis action byaScientific Commit­
teeonToxicology planned for the end of1977 .

-13-
Initiative 3
More extensive monitoring ofworkers' safety and health
Aim
Whereas exposure limits forworkers and safety andhealth protec­
tion measures are essential factors inthe organization ofaccident and
disease prevention ,various permanent andwell-adapted methods are also
»
required with which tomonitor themeasures adopted and the exposure
levels prescribed for theworkplace .
These monitoring methods must beharmonized and coordinated at
Community level .
The monitoring ofworkers' health and safety depends upon several
types ofmonitoring which complement each other :
a)monitoring ofthe effectiveness ofindividual orgroup safety and
protection measures with regard tomachinery ,equipment andplant ;
b)monitoring ofhygiene andworking conditions from which thetypes
ofexposure todifferent physical ,chemical andbiological agents
present inthe working environment are derived ;
c)monitoring ofthe state ofhealth andbehaviour oftheworker as
part ofoccupational medicine ;
d) special monitoring asaresult ofwork entailing special risks ;
e)industrial toxico-vigilance ;
f) inspections .
, ι
TheCommission feels that itisessential toharmonize atCommunity
level principles andmethods applicable tomonitoring .Moreover ,
efforts should bemade tointerest workers inmonitoring within the
undertaking ,either bydirect means orbymeans ofexisting bodies or
institutions .
Any proposed solutions must allow workers' and employers' represen­
tatives toplay afuller part inthepractical organization ofsuch
monitoring atvarious levels ofaction and responsibility .

-14-
Contents
a)Monitoring ofthe effectiveness ofsafety and protection measures
Planning and execution ofthis form ofmonitoring varies atpresent
from country tocountry and according tothe regulations and acti­
vities concerned .Once the provisions currently governing such
monitoring have been analysed ,suitable proposals will besubmitted
tothe Council for adoption inorder toharmonize and strengthen
theorganization ofthis type ofmonitoring inwhich theworkers'
and employers' representatives should play agreater r61e .
b)Monitoring ofhygiene andworking conditions
Monitoring ofpollutant concentrations atworkplaces and the inten -
ιsity ofenvironmental factors isessential for theorganization of
disease prevention andmonitoring .
Measuring programmes doexist inMember States but they are
based ondifferent methods and sometimes different principles .
These measures must beharmonized atCommunity level with regard to
sampling ,techniques andmeasuring intervals .
When theCommission hasanalysed these different methods ,it
will draw upintercomparison programmes andprepare reference
methods for the determination ofthemajor pollutants present at
workplaces .
Special attention will bepaid topromoting thedevelopment of
new monitoring andmeasuring methods for individual exposure .
The Commission will make asimilar effort toapply thehuman
biological indicators already in .existence andwill carry out
research for new indicators which will make itpossible todetect
any changes inthe state ofhealth atanearly stage .The Euro­
pean list ofoccupational diseases will beused asareference
document fordrawing upthepriorities for this action scheduled to
take place asfrom 1978 .Account will have tobetaken notonly
ofindividual sensitivity ,which maybevery high forsome pollu­
tants ,and ofworkplaces sothat groups with ahigh occupational
exposure risk maybeidentified ,but also ofsome special groups of
workers such asadolescents and women .

-15-
c; Mona.J&ogj.ng ofworkers health
Inaccordance with the terms ofArticle 118 oftheTreaty estab­
lishing the EEC ,occupational medicine must beconsidered asan
area inwhich theCommission has the task ofpromoting close co­
operation between Member States inthe social field ,particularly
inmatters relating toworking conditions and totheprevention of
occupational accidents and diseases .The term "occupational
medicine ",asstated inthe 1962 recommendation onoccupational
medicine intheundertaking ,refers toaservice established inor
near aplace ofemployment for thepurposes of:
a)protecting theworkers against anyhealth hazard which may
arise out oftheir work orconditions inwhich itiscarried
on ;
b)contributing towards the workers' physical andmental adjust­
ment ,inparticular bythe adaptation ofthe work tothe
workers and their assignment tojobs forwhich they are sui­
ted ;and
c) contributing tothe establishment andmaintenance ofthe
highest possible degree ofphysical andmental well-being of
the workers .
Inaddition ,Recommendation 112 ofthe ILO stated that the role of
occupational health services should beessentially preventive and
defined their functions soastoinclude theprevention ofacci­
dents andoccupational diseases ,therehabilitation ofworkers ,job
analysis inthelight ofphysiological andpsychological considera­
tions ,surveillance ofhygiene ,advice ontheplacement ofworkers ,
.medical supervision ,emergency treatment andresearch inoccupa­
tional health .
Consideration must begiven tocloser harmonization ofthe
methods used byoccupational health services inundertakings in
order that thework ofthe industrial medical officer may bemore
fully integrated into thesystem formonitoring workers' safety and
health ,asrecommended inthis programme .
This revision will becarried outwith effect from 1978 by
consultation with the relevant bodies and should culminate ina
directive ontheorganization ofoccupational medicine inthe
Member States oftheCommunity ,tobeproposed in1979 .

-16-
d)Spécial monitoring
Inmany undertakings there are some jobs which present higher than
average risks ;certain types ofcasual work may also involve expo­
sure torisk wliich ishigher than that present innormal working
conditions orthan the exposure levels laid down .Such jobs are
done ,for example ,bymembers ofrescue teams orofmaintenance and
repair teams andbyworkers invirology laboratories and ininsti­
tutes producing sera orviruses ,etc .
Exchanges ofinformation and experience for cases involving
these aspects should beorganized atCommunity level and should
lead toadefinition oftheprinciples and criteria for this parti­
cular type ofmonitoring .
e) Industrial toxico-vigilance
The Commission plans toset upanindustrial toxico-vigilance
system along the lines proposed bythe ILO andwhich isaimed at
establishing acentral information system for all observations made
inindustrial activity concerning theharmful effects oftoxic sub­
stances .This system should bebased onanetwork ofhighly spe­
cialized centres which could analyse information received from
occupational health services and transmit itwhen required to
interested persons orinstitutions .
The Commission will make anappropriate proposal tothe Coun­
cil ,after holding thenecessary consultations .
f) Inspections
Inspections carried out forthepurposes ofoccupational safety ,
medicine andhygiene should beorganized sothat they assume full
responsibility and control byplacing theemphasis onpreventive
measures .With this end inview thenecessary provisions must be
made inclose collaboration with the competent authorities in
Member States for the strengthening anddevelopment ofthework of
inspection atnational level .The Commission intends toreview
therole oftheinspectorate responsible forimplementing ineach
Member State theregulations ofoccupational health ,hygiene and
safety .This review will cover diplomas ,certificates andother
qualifications ,andthepowers andscope oftheir responsibilities
inthis field .

-17-
Initiative 4
Accident anddisease aetiology andassessment ofrisks connected
with work
Aim
The risk ofaccident ordisease maybeestimated objectively only
ifreliable methods areavailable which make itpossible todetermine
thescope ,seriousness anddevelopment intime and ,inageneral way ,to
acquire greater knowledge ofthevarious factors involved inthecause
ofaccidents atwork and ofdiseases due towork .
Statistics areessential tools for theanalysis andinterpretation
offacts andforassessment oftheresults obtained from anaccident and
disease prevention policy .
Theimprovement ofstatistics andtheir comparability ,theharmoni­
zation ofmethodologies andthemore precise interpretation ofthedata
they provide areimportant steps inthedevelopment ofanimproved
organization ofwork with regard toaccident anddisease prevention .
Since somany different approaches areused adistinction must bedrawn
between action inrespect ofaccidents atwork andaction inrespect of
disease due towork .
Such actions must provide aclearer picture ofthedifferent causa­
tive factors ofaccidents atwork andofdiseases due towork andmust
use them asabasis forpractical preventive andprotective measures
against hazards connected with work .Itwill then bepossible to
provide preventive –type protfection formenatwork ,onanobjective and
realistic basis .
Inaddition ,special attention will bepaid tocalculating the
economic and social cost ofaccidents atwork anddiseases due towork
soastoestablish theorder ofpriority forpreventive measures .
Account will betaken oftheharmonization work already carried out
byother international organizations andofwork completed orinpro­
gress ,particularly bythe ILO .

-18-
Contente
These initiatives deal separately with accidents atwork and disr
eases resulting from work .
Asregards accidents atwork the two sectors forwhich Community •
statistics are already available are the iron and steel industry and
mining .Drawing onthe experience gained inthese sectors theCommis­
sion plans todraw upCommunity statistics concerning other sectors ,to
launch sectoral in-depth studies and toharmonize accident definitions
and methods ofreporting accidents inorder toestablish more precisely
the aetiology ofaccidents .Preparatory surveys are inprogress and
the first results will beavailable in1979 .
With regard todiseases due towork ,statistics collected atna­
tional level usually concern only occupational diseases and are drawn up
ondifferent bases sothat itisnot possible tocompare them .There
are noCommunity statistics inthis field and itwould beappropriate to
devise ajoint methodology assoon aspossible sothat existing national
statistics may beprocessed .The Commission therefore plans togather
and analyse national statistical information and todraw upproposals
formethodologies with aview toacommon approach ,sothat calculations
may bemade ofmortality ,sickness and absenteeism rates andtheir
evolution over aperiod oftime .
I
Close collaboration must beinstituted with the national statis­
tical offices and the national social security offices with regard to
these newproblems .
This isamedium-term initiative and the first results Will become
available only after two orthree years .

-19-
Initiative 5
Coordination andpromotion ofresearch onoccupational safety
and health
Aim
The action planned intheprogramme must find its scientific sup­
port inaresearch programme .which iscoordinated and/orcarried out
jointly and which deals onthe one hand with themeasurement and effects
onhealth ofpollutants and harmful substances and ,onthe other hand .,
with the development within undertakings ofsafer ,"cleaner "technolo­
gies which donot threaten the general environment ..
Collaboration must beorganized and strengthened between the insti­
tutes and laboratories ofMember States inorder toavoid duplication of
work ,toderive greater benefit from the financial resources available
andwhere necessary tobring together highly specialized laboratories to
work onproblems which cannot besolved inasingle Member State .
Moreover ,research must becarried out infields where little orno
work hasbeen done ,such asagriculture and the tertiary industries .
Contents
Two permanent inventories ofresearch mprogress orplanned (oc­
cupational safety andmedicine )atnational level are already being
prepared atCommunity level .From 1978 the inventories will make it
possible tosetupareciprocal information system onresponsible bodies
inorder topromote the exchange ofknowledge and create conditions for
close collaboration between research institutes .These permanent
inventories will also mention fields inwhich there are gaps .Three
pilot studies are inprogress oninflammable substances ,occupational
risks inthebuilding industry andcertain carcinogens .During 1978
these studies will also indicate which subjects should becovered by
joint research .
Onthebasis ofthese inventories the data bank being compiled
within theCommission should beprogressively supplemented and should
include details ofnew research ;account istaken ofthe fact that this
data bank will subsequently belinked tothe information system on'
medical research which isbeing set upatCommission level .

-20-
Research work aimed atclotting the gape inknowledge ontoxic
agents and their effects onhealth oratimproving methods formeasuring
these agents isofmajor importance for the success ofseveral parts of
theprogramme -inparticular the section onthe determination ofcri­
teria forharmfulness . Itwill also help todetermine asaccurately as
possible thepotential and actual effect onhealth ofpollutants and
nuisances present orlikely tobepresent attheworkplace .
The results ofthe implementation ofthevarious initiatives making
uptheprogramme will beanalysed bytheCommission with effect from
1979 and could form abasis forthepreparation ofadetailed andpre­
cise Community research anddevelopment programme which could bethe
subject ofafuture Commission proposal for adoption bytheCouncil .

-21-
ν
Initiative 6
Development ofsafety and health consciousness bymeans of
education and training
Aim
This initiative isaimed atdeveloping safety andhealth conscious­
ness bymeans ofeducation and training .Itisofparamount importance
for the success ofthepromotion ofsafety andhygiene atworkplaces .
Itisbased oninstruction and training and involves various levels of
education and the undertaking itself . Italso concerns inageneral
way occupational and social sectors involved inproblems ofaccident
prevention andhealth protection atwork .
This isamedium -and long-term initiative inview ofthe different
sectors involved and ofthe absence todate ofany real methodology and
common principles .Various studies and consultations will berequired
before results and concrete proposals areobtained atCommunity level .
This action concerns educational bodies ,undertakings and society
ingeneral .
Asforeducation thebasic principles ofsafety and ofhealth edu­
cation must betaught inschools .Knowledge ofand the correct atti­
tudes towards occupational safety and hygiene must betaught atvarious
levels ofeducation asanintegral part ofthe curriculum and atthe
same time attention must bepaid tothe requirements ofprevention in
relation toreal life situations .The question isone ofestablishing
atCommunity level asafety training scheme which takes account ofthe
differences between national characteristics and traditions but which is
based oncommon principles and acommon approach .
Within undertakings steps for the elimination ofrisks must be
systematically organized and coordinated atall levels ofresponsibility
and management .Principles ofsafety must beconsolidated ,developed
and made public .Action designed tosharpen the awareness ofindustri­
alists andheads ofundertakings must betaken together with the cam­
paign aimed atworkers .

-22-
For the training ofsociety ingeneral the action taken ineduca­
tion must feesupplemented byaction aimed atcertain population groups .
The use ofaudiovisual aids isone ofthe most modern and most effective
means ofinforming thepublic ofthe importance and significance of
accident and disease prevention .
Contents
1) Education
The Commission plans tocarry out ,together with thebodies res­
ponsible for national education ,preparatory studies for thepur­
pose ofdefining harmonized planning atCommunity level .
Ingeneral education -starting atthe earliest age and con­
tinuing throughout school life -instruction must beontwo levels :
- theoretical andpractical instruction togive children and
young people anawareness oftherisk ofaccidents ;
- instruction todevelop asense ofmoral and public responsibi­
lity with regard tosafety andhealth protection .
Intechnical education relevant training insafety andhealth
protection should accompany all levels oftechnical instruction and
vocational training .Special attention should bepaid tothe
training ofpersons particularly concerned with safety andhealth
protection who have aspecific task orresponsibility inthis
field .
The Commission plans topropose Community training models for
persons incertain occupations and concerned with specific tasks ,
such asindustrial medical officer ,occupational safety officer ,
engineer ,architect ,member ofacompany safety committee orunion
official .
2)Undertaking
Within anundertaking training insafety must beunder the control
oftheundertaking itself since general and technical training
cannot take the place ofappropriate action attheworkplace .
This type oftraining must supplement the instruction received in
schools and itmust also begiven tothose whohave notpreviously
received any such instruction .
Such training ,tobecarried outwithin industry ,will bemore
specialized andmore detailed .Inmany cases itwill beorganized

-23-
byspecialist bodies whose work must becoordinated atCommunity
level . Itshould baremembered that education covers abroad
span oflearning situations -for example instruction given by
experienced workers and learning on-the-job.
Beginning in1978 ,theCommission intends :
- todraw upCommunity models for safety training and refresher
courses for certain categories ofstaff :administrative
grades ,executive grades ,instructors for courses onsafety
and health education and safety delegates ;
- todraw upCommunity models forpresenting various aspects
ofsafety tonewly recruited workers ,migrant workers and
workers who have changed jobs ;
- todraw upmanuals and codes ofpractice with regard tosecto­
ral activities ordangerous jobs;'
- toorganize safety campaigns oflimited duration with aspe­
cific aim ,inwhich workers will feel fully and actively
involved ;
- toextend thegroup training courses already inexistence to
other groups ofpersons concerned with accident prevention
and safety measures .
This action will befurthered bymaking available toboth
management and labour knowledge orconcepts acquired either byex­
change ofexperience within specialist groups inthe relevant
sectors orbyresearch projects jointly agreed and financed .Such
knowledge could beincluded ininstructions ,regulations orcodes
ofpractice ,tobedistributed with commentaries intheappropriate
quarters and tobekept constantly uptodate .
TheCommission will support this type ofcooperation andpro­
motion ofsafety byproviding information gathered from specific
aspects ofthe action programme ,such asinformation onaccidents
and ontechnical progress inthedesign ,manufacture and use of
machinery andplant ,andbymaking available the industrial toxico -
yigilance results .
3) 'Population groups '
Inaddition tothe action taken ineducation ,general information
forcertain population groups (such asparents' associations ,pro­
fessional bodies ,women 'sassociations )must beorganized with
regiard tothe importance ofaccident anddisease prevention .Some
steps have already been taken inthis field atnational level .
Audiovisual aids arealready used toprovide this

-24-
infoarma-feion .The Cennaiseidh plans tocoersinate these initia­
tives and develop them jointly ,toproduce films and setupa
permanent file .onaudiovisual aids availaJbe onanexchange basis .

FICHEFINANCIERE
1.Limebudgétaire concerr.ee /
Poats35^0 , ' '. ■
2.Intitulédel'action .;• ■
Pr-o^rammed'actiondesCommunautéseuropéennesenmatièredesantéetsecuri"
surlelieudetravail.
3»Base.juridique
3.0Articles117et118duTraitéC„E„E. .
3.1RésolutionduConseildu21janvier1974concernantunprcgra^r.e •d'a.;-.i;r.
socialeetnotaientlaprioritéKo6»
4.Objectifdel'action .
L'élévationdu,niveaudaprotectionàl'égarddesrisquesprofessiczr.eisas
'toutenature,enrendantplusefficacelaprévention,lecontrôleet
-V«~c?^<^1ar%iT-T."*■***CT^,
50_Inclder.cefinancièredel'action
■surle?derer.ses sactionpermanente
5,0,0.1alacharredubudgetcommunautaire
5„0.1échéancierpluriannueldescrédits
1°7S- 1979 1980
825.0C0u.c.e.1.100.000UoC.e,l«300«0w0u«c*:r.«
aprixconstants
Sileprogrammed'actiondesCommunautés européennes enmatièrede
santéetsécuritésurlelieudetravailestadoptécommeprévudans
lecourantdupremiersemestre1978,desactionsnouvellesseron*â
entreprendre etjustifientuneaugmentation desressources ,aussi
.bienencequiconcernelesréunionsdeconcertation etdeconsulta­
tionquedesétudesetdesprogrammes d1intercomparaison .
m*«•*•«

-2-
• .
5.1.Incidencefinancièresurlesressources :néant
5.1.1.Modedecalcul
D'ôprâol'expériencecuitâfieuWonpduïeutlmifgfualasdépenses8*
répartissent commesuit:1976
u.c.e.
–Réunionsd'experts . 125.000
–contratsd-'étudesetdeprestation deservices
pourlamiseaupointdedirectives ,recomman–
dationsetguidesdetonnepratiqueetc. 400.000
–organisation decolloques,symposia,sémin­
airestechniquesetscientifiques etpublication
desactesainsiquederapportsscientifiques 100.000
–stagesetséminairesdestinésauxresponsables
desEtatsmembresetdespartenaires sociaux 90*000
–visitesd'information et*coordination auprès
desorganesetinstallations quiparticipent
àl'actioncommunautaire deprévention * 30.000
"Γ»Ι^ Λ*ΛΛ·*ΛΛ·<* 11»»·ρ'ίΓ»-»·■*£
permanentdedocumentation etd'information
technique70.000
–développement demoyensaudio-visuels surla
sécuritédutravail,l'éducationetlaforma–'
tionsanté-sécurité 30.000
825.000
Pourcequiestderéunions,missions,étudeset.colloques,les
coûtsontétécalculésd'aprèslesbarèmesutilisésparlaCor.iisîirr .
peurlesdépensesdeceger.re.
Pourlesannées1979eti960,lesdépensesserépartirontvraisembl&ble~ent
delamêmemanière.
6.Financement
6.0Financementpossibleparcréditsinscritsauchapitreconcernédansle
budget.
7«Informationsurlepersonnelnécessairepourlaréalisation del'action
Ensupposantqueleprogrammesoitacceptépar:leConseilaucoursdel'année197
leseffectifsnécessaires àlaréalisation duprogrammequidoiventêtrecis
àladispositiondesservicesdeLuxembourg(D.G.V.etOfficeStatistique )
doiventêtreévaluésà9A,5Bet5,serépartissant commesuit":
-OfficeStatistique :1A-1B(effectifsupplémentaire )
-D.G.V.- :8.A-4B-5C.■

-3-
©anslepersonnelactuelenserviesàlaB.S.V.àLuxembourg (Direction
SantéetSécurité)ilya4Aet1Cquisontdéjàdirectementconcernés
parleprogramme.L'effectifsupplémentaire àmettreàladisposition dès
1979secomposerait doncde:
-4A-4B-4C.