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13.9.93 NoC249/12 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities
Opiniononhealth/safetyattheworkplace—training
(93/C249/07)
On24March1993theEconomicandSocialCommittee,actingunderthefourthparagraph
ofArticle20ofitsRulesofProcedure,decidedtodrawupanOpiniononhealth/safetyat
theworkplace—training.
TheSectionforSocial,Family,EducationalandCulturalAffairs,whichwasresponsiblefor
preparingtheCommittee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon10June1993.The
RapporteurwasMrEtty.
Atits307thPlenarySession(meetingof30June1993)theEconomicandSocialCommittee
adoptedthefollowingOpinionunanimously .
1.Introduction
1.1.Safetyandhealthatworkhasbeenamajor
elementinCommunitysocialpolicyandmostprobably
itwillremainsointhefuture.ofprotectingworkerswithinenterprises,withstrict
applicationoftheregulations,representshalfofthese
costs.(FiguresoftheEuropeanCommission.)
1.4.Asitisanestablishedfactthatalargeproportion
ofaccidentsatworkresultfromnon-compliance with
rulesorfromalackofknowledgeoftheserulesand
basicprocedures (e.g.lackofsafetydatasheets),but
alsoandinparticularfromlackofawarenessofrisks
andhazardsandofacommitmenttocontrolthem,
theCommitteecanbutfullyagreewiththeimportant
trainingprovisionsintheFrameworkDirective.
1.4.1.Atthesametimeitmustbesaidthatthey
areverygeneral.TheindividualDirectivesunderthe
FrameworkDirectivedonotgointomuchgreater
detail.1.1.1.AcornerstoneofthispolicyistheFramework
DirectiveontheIntroductionofMeasurestoEncourage
Improvements intheSafetyandHealthofWorkersat
Work(89/391/EEC)(1).Underthisinstrumentaseries
ofindividualDirectiveshavebeenproducedbythe
Commissioninthepastfewyears.
1.5.Inthisconnection,itshouldbenotedthat
nationalpracticeregardingoccupationalsafetyand
healthtrainingseemstovaryconsiderablyintheMem­
berStatesoftheCommunity .Thissituationiscompli­
catedstillfurtherbythelargenumberanddiversityof
small-andmedium-sizedenterprises (SMEs).1.2.IntheFrameworkDirective,whichisbasedon
Article118AoftheTreaty,significantimportanceis
attributedtotrainingofworkersinsafetyandhealth.
Article6,forexample,setsoutthegeneralobligations
onemployersforsafetyandhealthtrainingandrisk
prevention.Article12specifiesamongothersthatthe
employershallensurethateachworkerreceives
adequatesafetyandhealthtraining,inparticularinthe
formofinformationandinstructionsspecifictohis
workstationorjob,includingworkersemployedfrom
outsideundertakingsplustheself-employed .Italso
specifiesthatworkers'representatives withaspecific
roleinprotectingthesafetyandhealthofworkersshall
beentitledtoappropriatetraining,andthatallsuch
trainingmentionedaboveshouldnotbeattheworkers
expense.Finally,Article13setsouttheworkers'obli­
gationsasregardstraininginstructions .2.Thedesirabilityofanintegratedapproach
2.1.Expertsinoccupationalsafetyandhealth,and
indeedtheEuropeanCommissionitself,areonrecord
withtheviewthatthebestwaytoachievegoodsafety
andhealthprotectionatworkisanintegratedapproach
inwhichthekeyelementsshouldinclude:
—generaleducationofchildrenatschoolinriskpre­
vention;
—vocationaltraining;
—riskrelatedsafetyandhealthtrainingatwork;1.3.Thesocialandeconomiccostsofdeficientwork­
ingconditionsareconsiderable .Inahighrisksector
suchasconstruction (with15%ofallaccidentsatwork
intheCommunityand30%ofthefatalaccidentsin
theindustrialsector)theyrepresent3%oftheturnover
ofthebuildingandpublicworkssector.Thecosts
—trainingofworkers'representatives withresponsi­
bilitiesforsafetyandhealth(andotherriskpreven­
tionspecialists). HOJNoL183,29.6.1989.
i

13.9.93 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC249/13
relevantcategoriesnotclearlycoveredbytheFrame­
workDirectiveandindividualDirectivesemanating
fromit(see2.3above);2.2.TheCommitteethinksthat,indeed,thiscould
bethebestapproach.However,ifandwhenitcomesto
thepointtodecidewhethertheEuropeanCommission
shouldhavetoplayaroleinthis(andifso,bymeans
ofwhichinstruments?),someproblemsemerge.
2.2.1.WhilstthereisanestablishedEClegalbasis
onmattersconcerningvocationaltrainingandworkers'
training,thisisnotyetthecaseasregards(elementary )
educationinschoolsandoccupationrelatedtrainingof
categoriesofpersonnelotherthanworkers.thedrawingupoftrainingcriteria,minimumstan­
dardsforinductiontrainingforallnewstarters,
andmodeltrainingprogrammes ;
promotionofstudyofandresearchintooccu­
pationalsafetyandhealth,ensuringthattheresults
areintegratedinthecontextoftrainingcourse
programmes ;
evaluationofsafetyskillsacquiredthroughtraining;
thetrainingoftrainers,especiallyinhigh-risksec­
tors(forinstancethroughpilotprojects);
closercooperationbetweenpublicauthorities,wor­
kers,employersandtrainingestablishments .2.3.Undertheseconditions,theCommitteeisin
favourofanintegratedprogrammeofEuropeanCom­
missioninitiativeswithregardtosafetyandhealth
trainingatworkforthoseinrelevantfunctionsnot
yetclearlycoveredbytheFrameworkandindividual
Directives .Thiswouldhavetobeonthebasisof
recommendations for(elementary )educationinrisk
preventionatschoolandforoccupationalsafetyand
healthtrainingalsoinvolving,forexample,theself­
employedandtherelevantmanagerialandsupervisory
staff,occupationalmedicalofficers,safetyinspectors,
emergencyservicestaff,designers,etc.
2.3.1.Asfarastrainingforworkersassuchiscon­
cerned,existingprovisionsintheFrameworkDirective
andintheindividualDirectivesderivedfromitcould
beamended.
2.3.2.InthiscontexttheCommitteewouldreferto
itsearlierOwn-initiative Opinionon'Training,Safety
andProtectionoftheEnvironment'(1).3.3.Inamendingthepresentrequirementsfortrain­
ingofworkersintheFrameworkDirectiveandthe
individualDirectivesderivedfromit,theCommittee
thinksthatthefollowingpointsareofparticular
importance :
theFrameworkDirectiveshouldmakeitclearthat
inallMemberStatesanadequateinfrastructureof
training/educationinstitutionsshouldexistinorder
toensurethatsufficientopportunitiesforsafetyand
healthtrainingareavailable;
safetyandhealthrepresentatives 'trainingshouldbe
supportedbypublicfunds;3.Specificproposals
3.1.InaRecommendation foreducationregarding
theprinciplesofsafetyandhealthbothatschooland
athome,theCommissioncouldlaydownguidelines
concerning,forexample:
—theintroductionofsafetyandhealthprotection
intheschoolcurriculathroughouttheEuropean
Community ;
—adequatepreparationofteachingpersonnelwho
shouldimplementthis;
—thepromotionofpedagogicalresearchandthe
developmentofnewteachingaids;
—preventivesafetyandhealthprovisionsandaware­
nessinschools;
—thelinkageofthesegeneraleducationprogrammes
withworkexperienceprogrammes .thefieldstobecoveredbythetrainingofworkers,
ofworkers'representatives andoftrainersshould
beoutlinedmoreprecisely.Trainingshouldnotbe
limitedtoknowledgeoflegalregulationsbutalsobe
orientedtowardsotherrelevantfactors,including
safetydrillswithaviewtoemergencysituations.It
shouldenhancetheindividual'scapacitytotakehis
orherresponsibility inthemattersconcernedand
transmitadequateknowledgewithregardtoallthe
principlesofpreventionlistedinArticle6ofthe
FrameworkDirective;
employersshould,aspartoftheirwrittensafety
andhealthpolicies,berequiredtoidentifytraining
provisionsandstandardsforallgradesof
employees,fromseniormanagementdown;3.2.InaRecommendation fortraininginthepreven­
tionofoccupationalrisks,guidelinesshouldbegiven
for:
—promotingworkers'representatives interestand
involvementinproblemsandactivitiesofoccu­
pationalsafetyandhealth;theestablishmentofastandardprocedureproviding
forthedrawingupofasafetyandhealthtraining
planbytheemployer(inaccordancewithArticle6
oftheFrameworkDirective),incooperationwith
management ,workersandtheirrepresentatives and
assessedforadequacybythelabourinspector. HOJNoC159,17.6.1991.

NoC249/14 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 13.9.93
3.4.Withaviewtowhathasbeenstatedearlierin
paragraph2.3,theCommitteethinksthat,asfaras
workers'representatives areconcerned,aprocedure
shouldbeestablishedwiththeinvolvementofworkers
andemployersorganizationsfortheimplementation of
Article12.3oftheFrameworkDirective.
3.4.1.Inaddition,minimumtrainingrequirements
forworkers'representatives withresponsibilities inthe
fieldsofsafetyandhealthatworkmightalsobean
aimtoachievethroughtheFrameworkDirective.existinginfrastructureforoccupationalsafetyand
healthfortrainingintheMemberStates:itsavail­
ability,itsfunctioning,themodeoffinancing,a
comparativeanalysisofthedifferentsystems;
thepossibilitiesofdevelopingtrainingandedu­
cationprogrammesinschools,foremployers,safety
experts,designers,etc.,withaviewtodeveloping
anintegratedpolicyforsafetyandhealthatwork
intheCommunity (thiscould—atleastpartly—
createapositiveside-effectonsafetyinprivate
householdsinwhichthefiguresof(work)accidents
areremarkablyhightoo);
requiredtrainingandadvicetomanagersinsmall
andmedium-sizedenterprises(SMEs);
thepossibilityoftrans-bordersafetyandhealth
trainingprogrammes,withtheviewforinstanceto
promotethepracticalimplementation oftheCon­
ventiononTransfrontier Accidents;
theencouragement ofcooperationonallsuchmat­
tersbetweentheECMemberStatesandEastern
andCentralEuropeancountries.3.4.2.Workers'representatives shouldbefully
involvedinworkplacetrainingneeds,auditsandinthe
monitoringoftraining.Theyshouldalsohavetheright
toparticipatein'in-company'andotherjob-based
safetyandhealthtrainingprogrammes .
3.5.InadditiontothesesuggestionsforCommission
Recommendations andDirectives,theCommitteerec­
ommendsthattheCommission shouldundertake
researchconcerning,forexample:
DoneatBrussels,30June1993
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
SusanneTIEMANN