WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1246/97 by Cristiana MUSCARDINI to the Commission. Industrial accidents
Date: 1997-04-08
Institutions: European Parliament, MUSCARDINI
Subjects: EU statistics, European social policy, application of EU law, labour inspectorate, national implementing measure, occupational accident, occupational health, occupational safety, working conditions













EUR-Lex - 91997E1246 - EN






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91997E1246

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1246/97 by Cristiana MUSCARDINI to the Commission. Industrial accidents  


Official Journal C 367 , 04/12/1997 P. 0105 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-1246/97 by Cristiana Muscardini (NI) to the Commission (8 April 1997)Subject: Industrial accidentsOn average, about a million industrial accidents occur in Italy every year, and the resulting death-toll was 1 153 in 1996.Protecting the health and safety of workers, in particular by improving the working environment, is one of the objectives laid down in Article 2 of the Agreement on social policy concluded between the Member States of the European Community with the exception of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, annexed to the Protocol on social policy adopted in Maastricht along with the Treaty.1. Does the Commission have figures on industrial accidents in each Member State in 1996?2. What steps will it take to cooperate with the Member States with a view to eradicating this scourge, caused largely by a failure to observe the most simple safety measures?Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission (2 June 1997)The Commission would remind the Honourable Member that the aim of improving safety and health protection for workers, particularly in the workplace, has, since the adoption of the Single European Act, been provided for in Article 118a of the EC Treaty, not just in the Protocol on social policy.1. No. Statistics on occupational accidents in the individual Member States in 1996 are not yet available. In Statistics in Focus (edition No 2, 1997, on population and social conditions), the Commission published the first results (for 1993) of the project to harmonise statistics on occupational accidents in the Community. Statistics for 1994 are due to be published in the course of 1997. The 1993 estimated average real number of occupational accidents resulting in more than three days' inability to work was 4.8 million over the entire Community. In that year, the global frequency rate in Europe was 4 505 accidents per 100 000 people working in the six major branches of activity.2. As part of its responsibilities, the Commission checks that Community Directives on health and safety in the workplace are transposed properly and effectively by the Member States. In keeping with the principle of subsidiarity, it is the responsibility of the Member States - in this instance the national labour inspectorates - to ensure adequate supervision and monitoring of the implementation of Directives.It should nevertheless be stressed that, in 1995, the Commission officially set up a Committee of Senior Labour Inspectors ((OJ L 188, 9.8.1995. )) (Decision 95/319/EC), one of the main aims of which is to promote cooperation and develop exchanges between labour inspection services of their experience in monitoring the enforcement of secondary Community law on health and safety at work, so as to ensure consistent enforcement throughout the Community.