Priorities for occupational safety and health research in Europe : 2013-2020 : summary report – (updated Jan 2014).
Date: 2015-06-03
Institutions: European Agency for Safety and Health at Work
Subjects: EU research policy, European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, Socialist International, occupational health, occupational safety, organisation of health care, organisation of work, report, sustainable development, working conditions

European Agency for Safety and Health at Work 

ISSN 1831-9351

Priorities for occupational safety 
and health research in Europe  
for the years 2013–2020 

Summary report – (updated Jan 2014) 

Priorities for occupational safety and health research in Europe for the years 2013–2020 

Authors:  

Based on an input from the Topic Center – Occupational Safety and Health (TC-OSH) 

Project management: Katalin Sas, Adrian Suarez (EU-OSHA) 

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Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2014 

ISBN: 978-92-9240-316-4 

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Priorities for occupational safety and health research in Europe for the years 2013–2020 

Contents 
Contents ................................................................................................................................................. 1 

Foreword................................................................................................................................................. 3 

Executive summary ................................................................................................................................ 4 

The economic, societal and policy contexts ....................................................................................... 4 

2 

Overview of research priorities .................................................................................................. 13 

2.1  The economic dimension of occupational safety and health ..................................................... 13 

2.2  Occupational safety and health communication and risk communication ................................. 13 

2.3  Intervention research ................................................................................................................. 13 

2.4  Demographic change — sustainable work for healthier and longer working lives .................... 14 

2.5  Globalisation and the changing world of work ........................................................................... 15 

2.6  Occupational safety and health research for safe new technologies ........................................ 17 

2.7  New or increasing occupational exposure to chemical and biological agents .......................... 19 

3  Main  findings  of  the  seminar  ‘Moving  towards  2020:  Priorities  for  occupational  safety  and 

health (OSH) research in Europe for the years 2013–2020’ ........................................................... 21 

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Priorities for occupational safety and health research in Europe for the years 2013–2020 

Foreword 
In 2012, the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) prepared a report to define 
the  priorities  for  occupational  safety  and  health  (OSH)  research  for  2013–2020.  The  aim  was  to 
provide input into the preparation of a possible European Union (EU) OSH strategy and into the EU 
Research  Framework  Programme  Horizon  2020,  as  well  as  to  promote  OSH  research  coordination 
and  funding  in  the  EU.  The  report  is  an  update  of  the  EU-OSHA  working  paper  ‘Priorities  for 
occupational  safety  and  health  research  in  the  EU-25’,  published  in  2005,  taking  into  account  the 
latest developments in scientific knowledge in the field, changes in the world of work and recent trends 
that have an impact on safety and health at work. 

The  report’s objective  was  to  identify  priorities  for  OSH  research in  the  coming  years  in  accordance 
with the Europe 2020 strategy and the Horizon 2020 programme and their priorities and key objectives 
of ‘smart, sustainable and inclusive growth’ and ‘excellent science — competitive industries — better 
society’. 

The report is structured around four major themes: 

  demographic change — sustainable work for healthier and longer working lives; 
  globalisation and the changing world of work; 
  OSH research for safe new technologies; 
  new or increasing occupational exposures to chemical and biological agents. 

These themes reflect the global economic, social and technological challenges that the EU is facing 
and links the reports priorities for OSH research to the targets set by the Europe 2020 strategy 

The seminar ‘Moving towards 2020: Priorities for OSH research for the years 2013–2020’ was held on 
8–9  October  2013  in  Brussels  as  a  follow-up  to  the  report  and  aimed  to  validate  the  findings  of  the 
report and to discuss the priorities for OSH research for 2013–2020 in view of the broader challenges 
Europe  is  facing.  The  aim  was  also  to  provide  a  platform  for  discussing  the  ways  in  which  to  foster 
OSH  research  coordination  and  funding  and  promote  mainstreaming  OSH  research  in  other  policy 
areas.  The  participants  of  the  seminar  included  research  directors  and  representatives  of  funding 
bodies  (PEROSH,  former  NEW  OSH  ERA  Members),  representatives  from  Member  States, 
representatives of the European Commission (DG EMPL, DG SANCO, DG Research, DG Enterprise) 
and European social partners. 

The  first  day  of  the  seminar  was  chaired  by  Ms  Maria  Teresa  Moitinho,  Head  of  Unit,  B3  (Health, 
Safety  and  Hygiene  at  Work),  DG  EMPL,  and  was  mainly  dedicated  to  providing  feedback  on  the 
report.    Directors  and  research  directors  of  major  European  OSH  research  institutes  and  funding 
bodies  commented  on  the  four  thematic  areas  of  the  report  and  the  session  was  followed  by  a 
discussion.  The  first  day  of  the  seminar  also  included  a  round  table  discussion  moderated  by  Ms 
Moitinho. 

in  other  research  and  policy  areas.  The  programme 

The second day was chaired by Dr Christa Sedlatschek, Director of EU-OSHA, and it focused on the 
ways  in  which  to  foster  OSH  research  and  promote  research  coordination  and  mainstreaming  OSH 
research 
included  presentations  by 
representatives of the European Commission, DG RTD, DG SANCO and DG ENTR. The international 
perspective  was  provided  by  Jukka  Takala,  the  Executive  Director  of  Workplace  Safety  and  Health 
Institute,  MOMSC,  Singapore.  Examples  of  OSH  research  cooperation  were  also  presented.  The 
seminar was concluded by Dr Christa Sedlatschek. 

This  publication  contains  the  executive  summary  of  the  EU-OSHA  report  ‘Priorities  for  occupational 
safety and health research in Europe: 2013–2020’; the list of priorities identified in the report; and the 
main findings of the seminar ‘Moving towards 2020: Priorities for OSH research for the years 2013–
2020’  held  on  8–9  October  2013  in  Brussels.  A  summary  of  the  seminar  and  the  presentations  are 
available 
https://osha.europa.eu/en/seminars/moving-towards-2020-priorities-for-occupational-
safety-and-health-research-for-the-years-2013-20 

at 

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Priorities for occupational safety and health research in Europe for the years 2013–2020 

Executive summary 

1.1  The economic, societal and policy contexts 

In  June  2010,  the  European  Council  adopted  the  new  10-year  Europe  2020  strategy  for  smart, 
sustainable and inclusive growth; a strategy for delivering high levels of employment, productivity and 
growth  and,  at  the  same  time,  social  cohesion (1).  The  strategy  identifies  the  major  challenges  that 
Europe faces: demographic change, globalisation and rising global competition for natural resources, 
which all put pressure on the environment. The strategy is proposing five measurable EU targets for 
2020  that  will  steer  the  process,  which  include  targets  for  employment,  research  and  innovation, 
climate change and energy, education, and combating poverty. The key goals, set out in the strategy, 
are reflected in the seven flagship initiatives, the digital agenda and the agenda for new skills and jobs. 
All  EU  policies,  instruments  and  legal  acts,  as  well  as  financial  instruments,  should  be  mobilised  to 
pursue  the  strategy’s  objectives.  The  importance  of  mainstreaming  priorities  across  policies  is 
emphasised in many policy documents. The optimal achievement of objectives in some policy areas 
— including climate action, environment, consumer policy, health and fundamental rights — depends 
on  the  mainstreaming  of  priorities  into  a  range  of  instruments  in  other  policy  areas (2).  These  policy 
goals have a clear relevance for safety and health at work and related research. 

Promoting good health is an integral part of the smart and inclusive growth objectives of Europe 2020. 
Keeping  people  healthy  and  active  for  longer  has  a  positive  impact  on  productivity  and 
competitiveness  ( 3).  Thus,  safety  and  health  at  work  and  OSH  research  have  a  role  to  play  in 
delivering smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. 

Reaching  the  high-level  goals  of  Horizon  2020  and  the  overall  EU  policies  for  the  next  decades  will 
depend on the success of new enabler technologies such as those needed for new energy policies, 
climate  adaptation  and  future  manufacturing.  However,  new  technologies  will  succeed  only  if  the 
benefits are clearly visible and the potential risks are regarded as acceptable by society. This requires 
identifying  and  addressing  stakeholder  and  public  expectations  and  responding  to  their  concerns  in 
order to build trust and confidence and to show that the new technologies are ‘well under control’ (4). 
This  in  turn  requires  identifying  and  assessing  the  safety  and  health  risks  associated  with  new 
technologies and integrating OSH aspects in the development of new technologies and processes, as 
well as strengthening risk communication and OSH communication. 

  The economic dimension of occupational safety and health 

Work  is  an  economic  activity  and  occupational  injury  and  illness  are  also  matters  of  economics. 
Understanding the role of economic factors in the aetiology of workplace ill health and the effects this 
has on the economic prospects for workers, enterprises and society is crucial for policy development 
and to support decision-making at enterprise and society levels. 

According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), some two million people worldwide die every 
year  from  work-related  accidents  and  diseases.  An  estimated  160  million  people  suffer  from  work-
related diseases and there are an estimated 270 million fatal and non-fatal work-related accidents per 

(1) Europe 2020: A strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. Available at: 

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2010:2020:FIN:EN:PDF 

(2) A Budget for Europe 2020 /* COM/2011/0500 final */. Available at: 

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2011:0500:FIN:EN:HTML 

(3) A Budget for Europe 2020 /* COM/2011/0500 final */. Available at: 

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2011:0500:FIN:EN:HTML 

(4) European Emerging Risk Radar (E2R2) Initiative: ‘Matching the technology challenges of 2020’ European 

Parliament/Science and Technology Options. Available at: 
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/stoa/cms/cache/offonce/home/events/workshops/integ;jsessionid=4A9AAC6D54988A0292C11
92038303A57 

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Priorities for occupational safety and health research in Europe for the years 2013–2020 

year. The economic cost of these injuries and deaths are colossal at individual, enterprise and societal 
levels (ILO, 2007)(5), inhibiting economic growth and affecting the competitiveness of businesses. 

Research on the economic dimension of OSH, including an estimation of the socioeconomic costs of 
the consequences of poor or no OSH and an analysis of the costs and benefits of OSH prevention, is 
necessary to support evidence-based policies and decision-making at society and enterprise levels. 

  Transversal issues 

The impact of OSH research on workers’ safety and health will depend on how research findings are 
translated  into  practical  and  accessible  workplace  solutions.  It  is  paramount  that  OSH  research  is 
focused on the transfer and translation of scientific knowledge into practical and accessible workplace 
solutions and interventions. 

It is widely recognised that there is a lack of good-quality intervention research in OSH. There is an 
urgent  need  for  studies  that  evaluate  the  feasibility,  effectiveness,  and  costs  and  benefits  of 
interventions in the workplace, in occupational health service settings and at a policy level. 

It  is  equally  important  to  integrate  OSH  research  in  the  development  of  new  technologies  and 
processes (prevention through design). 

Risk  communication  and  OSH  communication  in  general  are  closely  related  to  the  transfer  and 
dissemination of research results. Risk communication is particularly important in the context of new 
technologies,  where  there  are  uncertainties  regarding  potential  risks.  There  is  a  need  to  strengthen 
risk communication research to identify efficient ways of delivering timely and appropriate information 
on OSH to various target audiences. 

In order to find sustainable solutions to complex issues, it is necessary to build bridges between OSH 
research and other disciplines. In particular, the links between OSH and economic, general health and 
environmental issues have to be considered. Closely connecting OSH research with these and other 
relevant fields will help to mainstream OSH, so that it will be considered when important decisions are 
made at societal and company levels. 

  Demographic change — sustainable work for healthier and longer working lives 

The  EU’s  population  is  becoming  older:  the  number  of  people  aged  60  years  and  over  in  the  EU  is 
increasing  by  more  than  two  million  every  year.  The  working  population  is  also  ageing,  as  the 
proportion of older workers in employment is increasing in comparison with the proportion of younger 
workers. In the 27Member States of the EU, the 55- to 64-year-old working-age population is expected 
to increase by about 16 % between 2010 and 2030. Policies that address the ageing of the population 
and its workforce focus on enabling older workers to remain active and productive for longer. 

Given current policy directions, which are focused on preventing premature retirement and prolonging 
workforce  participation,  identifying  the  factors  affecting  retirement  decisions  is  crucial.  Research  on 
the employability of older workers has identified that the low participation of older people in the labour 
market is the result of a combination of wage conditions, rigidity in workplace organisation, inadequate 
skills and competencies, and poor health status, rather than the wish to retire early. 

It  is  obvious  that  prolonging  working  careers  strongly  depends  on  the  adaptation  of  workplaces  and 
the organisation of work. Workplace accommodations are likely to benefit workers of all ages. Several 
studies acknowledge that more research is needed into how workplaces should be designed and how 
work should be organised to meet the needs of older workers. Further research is also needed on the 

(5) ILO (International Labour Organization), GB.300/LILS/10: Project on economic dynamics of international labour 
standards, 2007. Available at: 
http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/ed_norm/relconf/documents/meetingdocument/wcms_084831.pd 

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effects  of  specific  workplace  exposures  on  the  trajectory  of  normal  ageing.  Workplace  interventions 
targeted  at  older  workers, 
training  and  workplace 
accommodations, deserve the highest level of attention. 

improving  work  organisation, 

including 

Over  the  past  10  years,  female  employment  rates  have  increased  throughout  Europe  (EU-27),  from 
57.9 % in 2001 to 62.3 % in 2011. As the Europe 2020 strategy envisages a 75 % total employment 
rate  in  the  EU  by  2020,  involving  more  women  is  seen  as  one  of  the  major  factors  in  meeting  this 
target.  The  goal  of  higher  female  employment  underlines  the  need  to  more  effectively  address  the 
safety and health issues that affect women. 

Taking  into  account  the  different  safety  and  health  risks  to  which  female  and  male  workers  are 
exposed to at work, the different effects of those risks on men and women (in terms of exposure to 
hazardous  substances),  the  impact  of  those  risks  on  reproductive  health,  the  physical  demands  of 
heavy work, the ergonomic design of workplaces, the length of the working day and domestic duties 
(ILO, 2009)6, a more targeted gender-sensitive approach to research and prevention is needed. It is 
necessary to integrate the gender aspect into all work-related research topics. 

Over the past decade, unprecedented levels of immigration, both from third countries and within the 
EU-27, have substantially increased the proportion of EU-27 inhabitants who do not live in their native 
country. As most migrants are relatively young, they contribute to the size of the EU-27 labour force. In 
the  future,  the  labour  force  will  increasingly  include  people  with  a  migration  background.  By  2060, 
close to one-third of the EU-27 workforce will be of foreign descent. These trends imply that additional 
efforts are needed to enable immigrants to integrate into their host society and contribute to the labour 
market by making full use of their potential. 

In the coming years, more than has previously been the case, the labour market will be characterised 
by  increasing  diversity.  As  a  consequence  of  the  diversification  of  the  labour  supply,  there  is  an 
increasing  need  to  engage  with  a  more  demographically  diverse  workforce  (females,  migrants, 
younger  and  older  workers  and  workers  with  disabilities).  These  demographic  groups  are 
disproportionally  represented  in  precarious  employment  arrangements  and  non-standard  working 
times.  There  is  a  lack  of  information  and  research  on  these  groups  of  workers  and  the  jobs  they 
occupy. As the proportion of these groups in the workforce increases, monitoring and research of the 
changing scale and nature of the risks to which they are exposed is critical. 

There is a considerable body of evidence showing that health has strong effects on the participation in 
the labour market in general and the labour supply of older workers in particular. Ageing leads to an 
increase  in  the  risk  of  developing  disorders  and  diseases,  and  health  issues  are  the  most  common 
reason  for  leaving  the  workforce  before  the  statutory  retirement  age.  Musculoskeletal  disorders 
(MSDs) and the growing incidence of mental ill health are the primary diagnostic causes for disability 
retirement. Therefore, it is crucial to organise work and to design workplaces in such a way that the 
manifestation (or at least the aggravation) of these illnesses can be prevented and more employees 
are able to work until the regular retirement age. 

Although there is growing evidence that, in addition to mechanical load, psychosocial risk factors play 
a role in the development of MSDs, more research is needed to clarify this influence in the context of 
multifactorial  causation.  More  high-quality 
the 
effectiveness  of  interventions  that  apply  a  multi-risk  approach  in  order  to  promote  evidence-based 
practice in the prevention of MSDs. 

intervention  studies  are  needed 

to  evaluate 

Although  there  is  evidence  that  the  prevalence  of  common  health  problems  does  increase  with  age 
because  of  the  normal  and  inevitable  ageing  process,  this  does  not  necessarily  hinder  work 
performance and is not a valid reason to exclude an individual from the workforce. More research is 
needed into how workplaces should be designed and work should be organised to meet the needs of 
people  with  chronic  diseases  and  health  conditions.  In  addition,  modifiable  factors  and  possible 
interventions need to be identified in order to prevent work disability and unnecessary job loss. 

(6) ILO (International Labour Organization), Providing safe and healthy workplaces for both women and men . 2009. Available at: 

http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/@dgreports/@gender/documents/publication/wcms_105060.pdf  

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Too  many  workers  leave  the  labour  market  permanently  as  a  result  of  health  problems  or  disability, 
and  too  few  people  with  reduced  work  capacity  manage  to  remain  in  employment.  The  amount  of 
money  spent  on  disability  benefits  has  become  a  significant  burden  on  public  finances  and  hinders 
economic  growth,  as  it  reduces  the  effective  labour  supply.  Although  the  main  factors  predicting 
disability  are,  to  a  large  extent,  known,  there  is  only  scattered  information  available  from  workplace 
intervention  studies  aimed  at  preventing  disability  in  long-term  settings.  Irrespective  of  diagnosis-
related issues, further research on the determinants of return-to-work outcomes, based on longitudinal 
data, is required. This research must take into account more thoroughly the complexity of processes 
related  to  the  development  of  long-term  sickness  absence  and  disability,  as  well  as  successful 
reintegration after illness. 

  Globalisation and the changing world of work 

In the past, globalisation has often been seen, more or less, as an economic process. Nowadays, it is 
increasingly perceived as a more comprehensive phenomenon that is shaped by a multitude of factors 
and  events  that  are  quickly  changing  our  society.  It  has  created  more  opportunities  for  economic 
development,  but  it  has  also  intensified  competition  and  increased  economic  pressure,  resulting  in 
companies restructuring and downsizing and business activities being outsourced and offshored. The 
consequences for workers include job insecurity and work intensification. 

reorganisation,  closures,  mergers  and  acquisitions,  downsizing, 
Restructuring  —  company 
outsourcing, relocation, etc. — is necessary if companies are to remain competitive. Restructuring is 
now  becoming  permanent  and  tends  to  occur  in  all  Member  States.  In  operation  since  2002,  the 
European Restructuring Monitor (ERM) recorded over 14,000 cases of large-scale individual company 
or organisation restructuring from 2002 to mid-2012 (Eurofound, 2012)7. 

Before  the  global  economic  crisis,  restructuring  had  already  become  a  permanent  structural 
component  of  the  economy.  In  this  difficult  context  of  the  economic  crisis,  anticipating,  managing, 
limiting  and cushioning  job  losses,  however  they  are  caused  (from  mass  redundancies  following  the 
closure of large companies to sporadic lay-offs in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the 
termination of contracts of casual workers), is increasingly challenging. The issue of restructuring has 
been placed at the top of the political agenda of governments and social partners in the EU since the 
economic crisis began. 

Data  relating  to  health  and  restructuring  are  lacking  and  fragmented  at  both  national  and  European 
levels. Collecting and evaluating data on workers’ health in restructuring processes, including in SMEs, 
is important for assessing the real-life situation and planning future activities in this area. 

There is empirical evidence of the negative health impact of restructuring both  on the direct victims, 
that  is  those  who  lose  their  jobs,  and  on  the  survivors  of  restructuring.  Given  the  evidence  of  the 
potentially  negative  health  effects  of  restructuring,  occupational  health  services  should  promote 
prevention and workplace health intervention before, during and after restructuring. 

Increased competition, economic pressure and restructuring owing to globalisation, the rapid spread of 
information and communication technology (ICT) and the Internet and the shift from manufacturing to 
services  have  all  affected  the  world  of  work.  Employment  and  working  patterns  have  undergone 
significant change, resulting in increased exposure of workers to psychosocial hazards. In the context 
of  organisational  changes,  and  of  restructuring  in  particular,  job  insecurity  and  work  intensification 
appear to be major OSH risk factors. 

Globalisation  and  increasing  competition  have  had  a  large  impact  on  production  methods  and  work 
organisation,  resulting  in  a  gradual  transition  from  relatively  standardised  work  organisation  and 
working time patterns to more complex and diversified structures. Since the early 2000s, the number 
of  workers  employed  under  atypical  arrangements  (fixed-term  contracts,  self-employed,  temporary 

(7) Eurofound, ERM report 2012 - After restructuring: Labour markets, working conditions and life satisfaction Publications Office 
of the European Union, Luxembourg. Available at: http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/pubdocs/2012/61/en/1/EF1261EN.pdf 

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agency  workers)  has  risen  significantly,  while  there  has  been  a  relaxation  of  legislation  governing 
dismissal in various countries. Studies on the OSH effects of precarious employment found there is a 
negative  association  with  OSH;  it  was  also  found  that  the  higher  the  instability  of  employment,  the 
more it is associated with morbidity or mortality. 

Globalisation is closely linked to the development of new technologies, in particular of ICT. The rapid 
spread  of  ICT  and  the  Internet  is  changing  the  way  in  which  companies  organise  production  and  is 
also modifying working conditions and work organisation. ICT has contributed to the development of 
the  24/7  economy,  which  requires  flexible  work  organisation,  high  flexibility  in  working  hours  and 
quasi-continuing availability. The growing use of computers and automated systems at work has also 
led  to  an  increase  in  fixed  body  postures  and  physical  inactivity  at  work.  Physical  inactivity  is 
associated with increased health risks such as coronary heart disease, certain types of cancers and 
psychological disorders such as depression and anxiety. 

Structural,  organisational  and  technological  changes  in  the  work  environment  increase  the  pressure 
on work–life balance. Sources of pressure include factors such as advances in ICT, information load, 
the  need  for  speed  in  response,  the  importance  attached  to  the  quality  of  customer  service  and  its 
implications  for  constant  availability,  and  the  pace  of  change.  Research  is  needed  on  the  impact  of 
new  working  patterns,  different  types  of  flexibility  and  the  implementation  of  new  technologies  (e.g. 
mobile ICT-supported work) on work–life balance and on health and well-being at work. 

The ongoing shift towards a service- and knowledge-based economy underlines the importance of the 
services sector. This sector provides an increasing number of high-skilled jobs, for example in ICT and 
marketing,  but  also  provides  an  increasing  number  of  low-skilled  and  low-wage  jobs,  often 
characterised  by  non-standard  working  conditions  and  unsociable  working  hours.  Particularly  in  the 
education  and  health  and  social  sectors,  employee’s  experience  distressing  working  conditions  with 
high  emotional  load  and  may  be  exposed  to  violence  and  harassment  at  work.  The  potential  health 
hazards  in  the  services  sector  include  growing  psychosocial  pressures  to  increased  availability 
demand  and  frequent  and  new  human  contact.  It  is  likely  that  this  phenomenon  will  become  more 
important as the services sector continues to grow. 

Those  affected  by  violence  and  harassment  in  the  workplace  tend  to  report  higher  levels  of  work-
related ill health. Victims of violence and harassment experience, among other problems, depression, 
anxiety, nervousness, sleeping problems and concentration difficulties. Organisational consequences 
include  absenteeism,  accidents  and  impaired  performance.  Commonly  accepted  definitions  and 
classifications, as well as systematic strategies, are needed to better assess the prevalence of work-
related violence at the European level. There is a lack of intervention evaluation research in relation to 
harassment and violence at work; therefore, too little is known about the most effective measures of 
preventing harassment and violence at different levels. 

Psychosocial and organisational risk factors such as high workloads, tight deadlines, long and/or non-
standard working  times  (shift  work,  night  work),  precarious  or  isolated  work —  whether  or  not  these 
factors  are  combined  —  are  likely  to  contribute  to  the  development  of  certain  chronic  disorders  and 
diseases.  The  nature  of  many  of  the  complex  interactions  between  work-related  psychosocial  risk 
factors, risk behaviours and chronic diseases and health conditions, including occupational diseases 
and  disorders,  is  not  well  studied  or  understood.  A  better  understanding  of  the  links  between  work-
related  psychosocial  risk  factors  and  morbidity  and  mortality  is  needed  for  the  development  of 
evidence-based policies and effective prevention strategies. 

Traditionally,  occupational  health  psychology  has  focused  on  risk  factors  in  the  workplace  and  their 
adverse  health  effects.  The  vast  majority  of  intervention  research  concerns  the  detection  and 
management  of  occupational  health  problems,  rather  than  the  reinforcement  of  positive  aspects  of 
work.  The  mechanisms  that  underlie  employee  ill  health  and  malfunctioning,  however,  are  not  the 
same as those that constitute employee health and optimal functioning. Positive occupational health 
psychology  advocates  an  integrated  approach  that  balances  positive  and  negative  aspects  of  work 
and  well-being.  This  positive  approach  in  occupational  health  psychology  research  needs  to  be 
strengthened. 

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Priorities for occupational safety and health research in Europe for the years 2013–2020 

As new technologies and globalisation reduce the importance of economies of scale in many activities, 
and  larger  firms  downsize  and  outsource  more  functions,  the  weight  of  SMEs  in  the  economy  is 
increasing. In 2008, two-thirds of the EU-27’s non-financial business economy workforce was active in 
an SME. 

The  potential  of  small  enterprises  has  been  recognised  and  it  is  appreciated  that  employment  and 
economic growth to a large extent depend on these enterprises. Both political and scientific interests 
in OSH in small enterprises have, therefore, grown considerably during the last decade. 

In  terms  of  OSH,  small  businesses  present  a  challenge:  they  are  difficult  to  regulate,  as  they  are 
typically heterogeneous, geographically scattered, lack cohesive representation and have a short life 
cycle.  The  need  to  focus  OSH  research  on  small  businesses  is  now  recognised,  but  effective 
mechanisms to reach, assist and impact these companies continue to be a challenge. To date, most 
OSH research and interventions have been primarily focused on large companies. 

In order to develop effective OSH strategies and policies targeted at small businesses, it is important 
to  understand  their  organisational  and  cultural  realities  and  to  know  their  specific  needs  and 
motivations.  Moreover,  knowledge  is  needed  on  the  specific  success  and  obstacle  factors  in  the 
different  stages  of  the  enterprise  life  cycle,  on  the  one  hand,  and  during  different  economic  cycles 
(growth, recession), on the other. 

The  quality  of  research  on  small  and  micro-enterprises  needs  to  be  improved.  Innovative  support 
schemes  adapted  to  the  realities  and  needs  of  small  and  micro-enterprises  need  to  be  developed, 
implemented and evaluated. 

  Occupational safety and health and new technologies 

OSH research has a key role to play in contributing to the development of safe, new technologies. A 
global  shift  towards  a  greener  and  more  sustainable  economy  results  in  the  development  of  new 
technologies and processes. As with any new and developing technology, workers in ‘green jobs’ will 
also be  exposed  to new  hazards,  which  probably  have  not  been  previously  identified.  These  ‘green’ 
challenges can be met only by developing safe working processes together with workplaces that fully 
exploit new processes and technologies. In addition to new hazards, workers in green jobs are also 
exposed to traditional OSH hazards in new settings and conditions; the challenge is how to deal with 
this  exposure  to  a  combination  of  old  risks  within  new  settings  and  conditions.  Means  by  which  to 
transfer  existing  knowledge  to  new  applications  and  working  environments  need  to  be  identified. 
Furthermore, the current rate of expansion in green jobs will also lead to a skills gap and a reliance on 
a large number of inexperienced and/or under skilled workers who will be handling and interacting with 
new or unfamiliar technologies. 

The  need  to  decrease  greenhouse  gas  emissions  by  2020  has  contributed  to  the  development  of 
renewable  energy  technologies  such  as  wind,  solar  and  waste-to-energy  applications.  These  new 
technologies  are  needed  to  be  able  to  move  towards  a  greener  economy;  however,  their 
implementation brings about occupational exposure to biological agents, chemicals and new materials, 
generating potential health risks that have to be assessed and managed. 

to  resolve  environmental  protection 

issues  has  encouraged  and  developed 

The  need 
the 
industrialisation of waste treatment and large-scale waste disposal systems such as incineration and 
recycling.  As  raw  materials  such  as  rare  elements  are  becoming  scarcer  and  more  valuable,  their 
recovery  and  recycling by  landfill  mining  may  become  economically  viable.  Waste  management  and 
recycling is one of the fastest growing green economy sectors in terms of employment. However, the 
OSH issues associated with them have not yet been adequately addressed. Workers are exposed to 
injuries,  biological  agents  that  are  able  to  provoke  infections,  allergies  or  toxicity  and  dangerous 
chemicals  (e.g.  heavy  metals,  flame  retardants,  rare  earth  elements  or  nanomaterials)  present 
especially in waste electrical and electronic equipment or associated with their treatment. The health 
risks related to these activities need to be identified, assessed and brought under control. 

The implementation of ICT has the potential to change the nature of how work is carried out and to 
affect the working environment. However, it is these ICT-related changes in the world of work, rather 

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Priorities for occupational safety and health research in Europe for the years 2013–2020 

than the technology itself, that bring about not only great opportunities, but also a certain number of 
safety and health risks. 

Ambient intelligence (AMI) refers to the extension of the working or living environment with intelligent 
functions  that  adapt  to  the  needs  and  tasks  of  the  user.  AMI-based  working  assistance  systems 
include  head-mounted  devices  equipped  with  information  displays  and  other  vision-based  or  tactile 
systems.  The  possibilities  of  using  AMI  solutions  for  creating  tailored  support  systems  to  adjust 
workplaces to the changing abilities of older people or to the needs of people with disabilities need to 
be explored. 

The rapid development of ICT has enabled the development of flexible work forms and virtualisation of 
the working environment (virtual offices, teleworking), which can contribute to well-being at work. On 
the  other  hand,  certain  OSH  risks  related  to  ICT-supported  work,  including  mental  workload, 
permanent  accessibility  and  human–computer  interactions,  have  increased.  Research  is  needed  to 
find prevention solutions to these issues. Furthermore, usage and usability of ICT should be studied to 
also  take  into  account  the  specific  needs  of,  for  example,  migrant  workers  or  older  and  disabled 
workers. Research in cognitive ergonomics concerned with mental processes is necessary to ensure 
that OSH aspects are effectively integrated into the development of new technology applications. 

Intelligent but complex new technology applications are increasingly used in the workplace. Safety and 
health aspects should be taken into account as early as possible during their development. Moreover, 
it should be noted that risks can emerge not only when these devices are used, but also throughout 
their  entire  life  cycle.  It  is therefore  important  to  consider  in  advance  not  only  the  environmental  but 
also the potential occupational hazards related to these applications, from research and development 
to disposal and recycling (prevention through design). New modelling and simulation methods can be 
advantageously  used  for  these  purposes.  Virtual  and  augmented  reality  applications  are  particularly 
useful when designing safe workplaces and should be further developed. 

Smart and interactive materials have the potential to improve OSH. New high-performance materials 
based  on,  for  example,  nanotechnology  applications  may  be  used  to  improve  the  safety  and 
performance  of  working  clothes,  personal  protective  equipment  and  so  on.  Moreover,  new 
adaptive/wearable  sensors  monitoring  workers’  physiological  parameters  and  environmental 
conditions can be integrated to give online information that helps in decision-making in difficult working 
environments.  Their  efficacy  and  functionality  in  prevention  applications  should  be  evaluated, 
particularly with regards to new hazards and changes in the working environment. 

Use  of  new  technologies  brings  about  varied  and  potentially  increasing  risks  regarding  exposure  to 
electromagnetic  fields  (EMFs).  Although  most  sources  emitting  EMFs  can  be  considered  harmless, 
some types of appliances, such as magnetic resonance imaging scanners and transmitting antennae, 
may expose workers to acute risks such as induced currents and elevated temperature. Owing to the 
extensive use of wireless communication devices, there has been growing concern over the possibility 
of  adverse 
to 
radiofrequency EMFs. The potential adverse health effects of long-term EMF exposure have not been 
established, as the results of research so far are contradictory and warrant further study. In order to 
evaluate  the  long-term  effects  of  exposure  to  EMFs,  there  is  a  need  to  conduct  a  systematic 
evaluation  of  the  number  of  workers  exposed  to  EMFs  and  a  characterisation  of  emitting  sources. 
Furthermore, tools are needed for workplaces to assess the risks to particular groups of workers, such 
as persons with medical implants and pregnant women, as required in the EMF directive. 

including  carcinogenic  effects,  resulting 

impacts  on  health, 

from  exposure 

The  number  of  applications  generating  intermediate-frequency  fields  is  increasing  as  a  result  of 
increasing  use  of  devices  emitting  in  the  range  of  300 Hz  to  100 kHz,  examples  of  which  include 
radiofrequency  identification  devices  and  antitheft  devices  operated  in  shops.  Knowledge  on  their 
possible health effects is limited and they should be studied further. There is also a need to conduct 
research in order to evaluate the possible health effects of new frequencies, such as in the terahertz 
region, the utilisation of which is currently being developed for emerging applications. 

Industrial biotechnology enables the development of promising energy-efficient, sustainable processes 
for producing food, chemicals and pharmaceuticals. These processes have the advantage of relying 
principally on low-energy atmospheric pressure systems and they use far fewer synthetic chemicals as 

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Priorities for occupational safety and health research in Europe for the years 2013–2020 

raw  materials  than  the  equivalent  chemical  processes.  The  corresponding  risks  may  therefore  be 
diminished. The unknown OSH issues in industrial biotechnology are primarily related to exposure to 
biological  agents  (micro-organisms  and  their  components),  which  can be  harmful  to  workers’ health, 
provoking, for example, infections or allergies. 

 

Increasing occupational exposure to chemical and biological agents 

Innovations  necessary  to  improve  productivity  and  regain  competitiveness  according  to  the  Europe 
2020 strategy are likely to result in new challenges for OSH: new or increased exposure to biological 
and chemical agents, as well as mixed exposures. The burden of ill health at work is already heavy: 
23  million  people  in  the  EU  reported  a  work-related  health  problem  in  2007.  The  majority  of  work-
related  fatalities  are  attributed  to  work-related  diseases,  almost  half  of  which  are  the  result  of 
exposures  to  hazardous  substances  at  work.  European  statistics  show  that  the  number  of  fatal 
occupational accidents is decreasing, whereas the number of fatalities due to occupational diseases is 
increasing.  Moreover,  a  growing  number  of  allergies,  asthma  and  illnesses  related  to  sensitisation 
have  been  observed  in  workplaces.  Their  onset  is  associated  with  exposure  to  chemicals  and 
biological agents present in the working environment. 

Related to this trend, the use and safety of chemicals is becoming more challenging. The EU REACH 
regulation (EC 109/2006) intends to respond to this development: its registration process requires the 
industry to prove the safe use of chemicals. A revision is currently under way, which aims to extend 
the  REACH  legislation  to  cover  the  risks  of  exposure  to  carcinogenic,  mutagenic,  reprotoxic  (CMR) 
and  sensitising  substances.  Exposure  to  these  substances  is  not  limited  to  the  chemical  industry;  it 
also  concerns  waste  management  and  recycling,  as  well  as  the  development  of  ‘greener’  industrial 
products and processes. 

Occupational  cancers  are  one  of  the  major  causes  of  work-related  fatalities.  However,  many  are 
considered  avoidable.  A  lack  of  exposure  data  is  a  shortcoming  in  connection  with  not  only 
carcinogens  but  also  substances  that  have  mutagenic  and  reprotoxic  effects,  such  as  endocrine 
disruptors (EDCs). According to a recent study requested by the European Parliament’s Committee on 
Employment  and  Social  Affairs,  ‘the  absence  of  adequate  exposure  data  is  the  weakest  link’  in 
connection  with  EDCs.  The  report  underlines  that  ‘prevention  very  much  depends  on  uncertainties 
about the effects of EDCs’, whereas there is a lack of exposure data which could determine ‘whether 
the  observed  health  effects  in  humans  are  linked  to  EDCs’.  The  extent  of  exposure  to  CMR 
substances  should  be  determined  to  gain  a  better  knowledge  of  the  factors  leading  to  occupational 
cancers;  comprehensive  international  data  need  to  be  collected.  In  parallel,  biological  monitoring  of 
workers should be further developed, as this will provide information on the internal dose, as well as 
the  toxic  effects  and  individual  susceptibility.  A  further  fostering  of  biomonitoring  will  necessitate  the 
development of appropriate biomarkers. 

The substitution of hazardous substances with non-hazardous ones is preferred to minimise exposure. 
This  is  not  always  possible  and  therefore  quantitative  data  on  the  potency  of  CMR  and  sensitising 
substances are needed, as well as improved and harmonised risk quantification methods. 

The  number  of  substances  (e.g.  epoxy  resins  or  isocyanates)  that  are  predicted  to  have  sensitising 
effects  and  cause  allergies  is  continually  increasing.  Currently,  20 %  of  the  general  population  is 
sensitised  to  one  or  more  substances.  Allergic  diseases  have  the  potential  to  become  chronic  and 
reduce a person’s ability to work. In order to minimise the risks associated with dealing with sensitising 
substances and to establish safe working routines, a more refined allergenic potency ranking needs to 
be  developed  for  these  substances.  For  those  sensitising  substances  that  cannot  be  substituted, 
reliable toxicological thresholds at which a sensitising effect is produced should be established. This 
would  help  to  design  more  efficient  prevention  measures.  Another  current  concern  is  the  increasing 
sensitivity of the human body; factors leading to this should be identified. 

The  development  of  reliable  measurement  methods  is  the  first  step  towards  reducing  workplace 
exposure to CMRs and sensitising substances. As these substances can be harmful at extremely low 
concentrations, analytical methods should be further refined to be able to reliably detect and quantify 
trace amounts. 

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Priorities for occupational safety and health research in Europe for the years 2013–2020 

Nanomaterials possess unique chemical, physical and mechanical properties, and therefore are used 
in a variety of applications in different industrial sectors, ranging from food and feed to transport. New 
sophisticated  multicomponent  or  hybrid  materials  are  being  designed  at  an  accelerated  pace. 
Developing  these  innovative  materials  is  an  important  driver  for  European  competitiveness,  but  an 
increased  use  of  nanomaterials  also  means  that  an  increasing  number  of  workers  are  potentially 
exposed at every stage of the materials life cycle, from research and development through production 
to  disposal  and  waste  treatment.  The  knowledge  gap  between  the  technological  progress  and 
nanosafety research is estimated to be 20 years, and it is likely to expand. This means that knowledge 
on  new-generation  nanomaterials  in  the  work  environment  has  to  be  rapidly  increased.  New  toxicity 
testing methods and risk prediction tools have to be developed to be able to consider safety aspects 
from the product development phase onwards (safety by design). 

Risk  management  of  nanomaterials  requires  exposure  assessment  data,  which  in  turn  calls  for 
standardised  measurement  methods  to  quantify  and  qualify  (i.e.  characterise  chemically  and 
physically) the nanoparticles present in the working environment. It is crucial to develop such methods 
to  facilitate  the  development  of  risk  management  tools.  To  be  able  to  compare  measurement  data 
globally, internationally harmonised measurement strategies should also be established. 

There is evidence that some nanoscale particles are toxic, with their toxicity inversely proportional to 
their diameter. However, decisive scientific knowledge is still lacking. In this situation, a precautionary 
approach should be applied, and pragmatic, easy-to-apply exposure assessment methods need to be 
developed in order to estimate the related risks. Appropriate risk management approaches could then 
be created so that workplaces could be designed to be as safe as possible. The final aim would be to 
validate and implement harmonised risk assessment and management at an international level. 

Data on workplace exposure to nanomaterials are needed to develop exposure scenarios and models. 
As  the  measurement  of  nanoparticles  is  difficult  and  expensive,  it  is  necessary  to  further  develop 
information  databases  that  could  give  a  realistic  overview  of  the  occurrence  of  nanomaterials  in  the 
workplace and of the workforce exposed to them. 

A parallel complementary approach would be to develop and promote ‘responsible’ nanotechnology, 
integrating safety and health considerations. 

The  progression  of  a  greener  and  more  resource-efficient  economy  may  result  in  an  increased 
exposure  to  biological  agents  (micro-organisms  that  may  be  able  to  provoke  infection,  allergy  or 
toxicity).  At  the  same  time,  globalisation,  that  is  international  trade  and  traffic,  fosters  the  worldwide 
spread  of  old  and  new  pathogens.  The  occupational  health  effects  attributable  to  biological  agents 
range  from  sensitising  effects  and  allergic  reactions  to  acute  and  chronic  disease.  They  are  still  far 
from being fully understood. 

Workplace  exposure  to  biological  agents  can  be  direct  or  indirect  as  an  unintended  result  of  work 
processes.  Direct  exposure  may  occur  during  the  use  of  micro-organisms  in,  for  example,  the  food 
industry  or  research  laboratories,  whereas  indirect  exposure  occurs  during  activities  such  as  waste 
treatment,  retrofitting  and  agricultural  activities  and  in  the  healthcare  sector,  where  antimicrobial-
resistant  micro-organisms  can  pose  a  serious  threat.  Workers  in  the  rapidly  growing  waste 
management  and  recycling  industry  face  various  health  problems  including  pulmonary,  skin  and 
gastrointestinal  problems  owing  to  exposures  to  bioaerosols  that  may  contain  not  only  micro-
organisms,  but  also  endotoxins,  sensitising  substances  and  volatile  organic  compounds.  They  can 
also be present in biotechnology installations. 

In  order  to  develop  suitable  risk  management  strategies,  a  further  development  of  detection  and 
identification methods for biological agents is needed to cover the whole spectrum of micro-organisms. 
This  is  particularly  true  for  airborne  viruses,  which  can  be  an  occupational  health  risk  for  transport, 
public and health service workers (recent examples include severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) 
and  avian  influenza)  and  which  are  prone  to  spread  quickly  in  a  globalised  world.  Direct  measuring 
techniques  allowing  for  quick  decisions  to  be  made  are  needed,  and  it  is  particularly  important  to 
develop  and  validate  protective  measures.  To  be  able  to  understand  the  complex  relationships 
between  work-related  exposure  to  bioaerosols  and  observed  health  effects,  new  investigation 
methods also need to be developed. 

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Priorities for occupational safety and health research in Europe for the years 2013–2020 

Mixed exposures are a reality in workplaces. In all working conditions, workers are exposed to varying 
extents  to  different  kinds  of  hazards  (including  chemical,  physical  and  biological).  Workplaces, 
technologies and work tasks are becoming ever more complex; knowledge of multifactorial exposure 
is not sufficient and should be developed. 

In particular, workers are often exposed simultaneously to several chemicals used in or generated by 
industrial  processes.  Exposure  descriptions  to  such  chemical  mixtures  are  lacking.  Their  toxicology, 
mechanisms  and  modes  of  action  should  be  studied  and  criteria  should  be  defined  to  predict 
potentiation or synergy between different chemical agents. 

2  Overview of research priorities 

2.1  The economic dimension of occupational safety and health 

  Strengthen  research  on  the  economic  dimension  of  OSH,  including  an  estimation  of  the 
socioeconomic  costs  of  the  consequences  of  poor  or  no  OSH  and  an  analysis  of  costs  and 
benefits of OSH prevention to support evidence-based policies and decision-making at society 
and enterprise levels. 

  Develop  further  the  methodologies  for  estimating  the  socioeconomic  costs  of  occupational 

diseases, work-related stress and violence at work. 

  Undertake studies on the effects of regulatory systems, employment relations, social security 
systems  and  other  contextual  factors  at  the  society–enterprise  interface  in  order  to  identify 
ways in which to influence OSH decision-making at the company level. 

2.2  Occupational  safety  and  health  communication  and  risk 

 

communication 
Identify  and characterise stakeholder  and  target  groups (e.g.  in  terms  of  risk perception  and 
factors influencing it) to be able to define optimal message contents and formats. Focus on the 
groups that are difficult to reach, such as small and micro-enterprises, self-employed, workers 
in temporary and precarious work, etc. 

  Evaluate the effectiveness of different communication channels and media and adapt these to 

 

 

the specific characteristics and needs of different audiences. 
Investigate  the  possibilities  that  new  technologies  can  offer  in  fitting  communication  to  the 
attitudes and expectations of different audiences. 
Identify and investigate the influences and underlying mechanisms that are determinants for a 
sustainable adoption of prevention measures and innovations. 

  Further develop methodologies suitable for evaluating the effectiveness of communication in 

the specific context of OSH. 

  Develop  risk  communication  strategies  that  can  handle  uncertainties  surrounding  possible 
hazards associated with new technologies or materials. For example, for risks associated with 
nanotechnologies,  where  knowledge  of  new,  emerging  nanomaterials  will  continue  to  lag 
behind their development and use. 

2.3  Intervention research 

  Formally  evaluate  OSH  interventions  at  all  levels,  including  evaluation  of  the  process, 
effectiveness,  feasibility  and  cost-effectiveness,  in  order  to  justify  and  improve  safety  and 
health  investments.  The  quality  of  OSH  intervention  research  needs  to  be  improved  by 
developing the methodology, including process documentation and evaluation. 

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Priorities for occupational safety and health research in Europe for the years 2013–2020 

  Develop comprehensive intervention models and strategies in which good working conditions 
and a high level of employee health and well-being are integrated into the efforts for increased 
productivity and quality. 

2.4  Demographic  change  —  sustainable  work  for  healthier  and 

longer working lives 

  Older workers 

 

 

Investigate  the  physiological,  pathological  and  psychological  effects  of  prolonged  workplace 
exposures  to  physical,  chemical,  biological  and  psychosocial  hazards  on  older  workers.  In 
addition, investigate how these exposures affect the trajectory of normal ageing throughout the 
life span as well as functional abilities and the occurrence of diseases later in life. 
Investigate  the  association  of  work,  health,  work  ability  and  work  motivation  with  work 
participation. Further research on the determinants of early withdrawal from the labour market 
is  needed,  with  a  specific  focus  on  the  age  group  45–54  years,  in  order  to  support  the 
development of efficient interventions. 

  Conduct  high-level  intervention  studies,  including organisational, training  and accommodation 

interventions, and evaluate their efficacy for older workers and their cost-effectiveness. 

  Women at work and gender aspects in occupational safety and health research 

 

Improve  OSH  research,  epidemiological  methods,  monitoring  and  prevention  activities  by 
systematically including the gender dimension in order to provide an evidence base for gender 
impact  assessments  of  existing  and 
future  OSH  directives,  standard  settings  and 
compensation arrangements. 

  Conduct  further  scientific  research  on  the  effects  of  exposure  to  hazards  associated  with 
reproductive  health  problems  (such  as  certain  hazardous  substances,  physical  work,  noise, 
extreme  temperature  conditions  and  occupational  stress)  for  males  and  females,  including 
fertility and sexuality. 

  Conduct  research  on  women’s  reproductive  health  issues,  such  as  menopause  and 
menstruation  disorders,  including  the  occupational  risks  that  can  cause  menstrual  disorders, 
and the effects of menstrual or menopausal symptoms (including tiredness, stress and anxiety, 
headaches and migraines) on coping with work. 

  Focus  on  specific  female-dominated  sectors  and  types  of  jobs  in  which  women  are  over-

represented, such as healthcare, education, retail, hospitality, personal and household services, 
and part-time and precarious jobs. The safety and health needs of domestic workers (who are 
predominantly female) should be a particular focus, especially as they currently fall outside the 
terms of existing EU legislation. 

  Migrant workers and other vulnerable groups 

 

Identify  major  challenges  for  OSH  arising  from  an  increasing  proportion  of  workers  with  a 
migration background in the labour force and ways of improving their integration into the labour 
market in order to make full use of their potential. 

  Conduct further research on migrants and other vulnerable groups of workers and the jobs they 
occupy;  as  the  proportion  of  these  groups  in  the  workforce  is  increasing,  monitoring  and 
research on the changing scale and nature of the associated risks is needed. 

  Health inequalities and work 

  Develop  strategies  and  interventions  to  reduce  socioeconomic  and  gender-specific  health 
inequalities  at  work.  Direct  these  measures  at  business  activities  and  professions  with  the 
highest levels of exposure and strain and in which unhealthy lifestyles are common. 

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Priorities for occupational safety and health research in Europe for the years 2013–2020 

  Major health problems 

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders 

  Clarify the interaction of combined physical and psychological factors and their effects on the 

development of MSDs. 

  Develop  and  conduct  high-quality  multidimensional  intervention  studies  combining  technical, 
organisational and person-orientated measures and a participatory approach to prevent MSDs, 
and evaluate the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of such interventions. 

Working with chronic diseases 

  Conduct research on the effects of harmful workplace exposures on individual and population 
outcomes among older workers with existing chronic conditions, both during employment and 
after retirement, to facilitate evidence-based interventions and improve accommodations. 

  Evaluate  models  of  integrated  and  collaborative  health  management  (including  work  design, 
work  organisation,  workplace  health  promotion  and  rehabilitation)  for  workers  with  chronic 
diseases  and  health  conditions,  including  mental  illness  and  disorders,  to  prevent  work 
disability  and  unnecessary  job  losses.  Interventions  also  need  to  address  the  psychosocial 
aspects of working with a chronic disease. 

  Early retirement versus prolonging working life — work disability prevention and return-to-

work research 

 

Investigate  practical  and  feasible  ways  of  modifying  the  physical  and  psychosocial  working 
conditions at both individual and company levels to prevent work disability in long-term settings. 
Various industrial sectors and occupations where the risk of work disability is particularly high 
need to be targeted. 

  Develop  the  methodology  for  designing  and  implementing  complex,  high-quality  workplace 
interventions, aiming to reduce the duration of time off work and improve the sustainability of 
return-to-work  (RTW)  following  long-term  sick  leave  or  work-related  disability.  A  tailored  and 
multifaceted  approach  directed  at  various  groups  and  settings,  including  evaluations  of  the 
process, effect and cost-effectiveness, should be used. 

  Conduct  further  studies  in  order  to  better  understand  the  individual,  environmental  and 
societal determinants of RTW outcomes and identify principles and solutions that are common 
across health conditions and work situations. 

  The  priority  target  groups  for  work  disability  prevention  and  RTW  are  ageing  workers  with 
chronic  health  conditions  at  risk  of  early  retirement  and  temporary  workers  in  unsecure, 
flexible work arrangements without a job to return to after the disability occurred. The latter is 
a growing group of vulnerable workers representing 15–20 % of the workforce in the EU. 

2.5  Globalisation and the changing world of work 

  Health management in restructuring 

  Monitor  the  health  effects  of  restructuring,  including  in  SMEs:  collect  and  evaluate  data  and 

evidence on the effects of restructuring on the health and well-being of workers. 

  Conduct  workplace  health  interventions  aimed  at  providing  psychosocial  support  to  workers 
before,  during  and  after  restructuring  processes.  These  interventions  should  better  enable 
them  to  cope  with  the  transition  and  new  demands  placed  on  them  while  maintaining  their 
health. Evaluate the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of interventions. 

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Priorities for occupational safety and health research in Europe for the years 2013–2020 

  Changing organisations, new employment and work patterns, and psychosocial risks 

 

Investigate  the  impact  of  new  employment  and  working  patterns,  including  different  forms  of 
flexibility,  on  safety  and  health  at  work  in  order  to  support  evidence-based  policies  and 
practices at societal and company levels. This should consider the potential psychosocial risks 
and  the  associated  adverse  health  effects,  as  well  as  the  opportunities  they  may  provide  for 
improving health and well-being at work. 

  Focus on the safety and health aspects of precarious work in terms of access to occupational 
healthcare,  health  surveillance  and  traceability  of  occupational  diseases,  worker  participation 
and access to training. 

  Conduct further research on the determinants of work–life balance in a wider societal context, 
including  societal  values  and  systems.  Investigate  how  new  working  patterns  and  different 
types of flexibility, as well as implementation of new technologies, affect work–life balance and, 
consequently,  health  and  well-being  at  work  and  organisational  performance.  This  should 
provide an evidence base for policy development and good practices at the company level. 

  Monitor and analyse the impact of the economic crisis on safety and health at work. 

  Violence and harassment at work 

  Clarify  the  terms,  definitions  and  classifications  used  in  relation  to  different  types  of  work-
related  violence  and  harassment.  Commonly  accepted  operational  definitions  of  what 
constitutes  workplace  violence  and  harassment  will  be  necessary  to  facilitate  uniform  data 
collection.  Standardised  data  collection  using  common  definitions  is  essential  to  draw 
conclusions on effective prevention. 

  Conduct  more  sector-orientated  research  to  clarify  the  influence  of  various  situational  and 
environmental  factors  of  third-party  violence  or  harassment  in  worker–client  interactions  in 
different workplace settings. 

  Conduct  high-quality  interventions  aimed  at  developing,  testing  and  evaluating  strategies  to 
prevent  harassment  and  violence  in  a  variety  of  workplace  settings  and  the  negative 
consequences of such behaviours. Evaluate the process, efficacy and cost-effectiveness of the 
interventions. 

  Psychosocial risk factors, work-related stress, and chronic diseases and health conditions 

 

Investigate the complex interactions between work-related psychosocial and organisational risk 
factors, work-related stress, physical inactivity at work, risk behaviours, and chronic diseases 
and  health  conditions  to  provide  an  evidence  base  for  policy  development  and  effective 
prevention  strategies.  Focus  on  groups  that  are  particularly  vulnerable  to  the  adverse  health 
effects of psychosocial risk factors at work. 

  Develop  interventions,  programmes  and  strategies  that  merge  traditional  workplace  health 
protection  with  workplace  health  promotion  and  address  both  work-related  risks  — 
organisational  and  psychosocial  —  and  behavioural  factors  simultaneously.  This  logically 
includes a focus on both the work environment and individual choices and behaviours. 

  Well-being at work — a positive approach 

  Reinforce  the  positive  approach  to  occupational  health  psychology  research,  focusing  on 
positive  job  characteristics  and  well-being,  including  work  engagement,  job  resources, 
psychological capital, job crafting and positive spill-over. 

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Priorities for occupational safety and health research in Europe for the years 2013–2020 

  Explore further the relationships between workplace innovation, safety and health at work and 
company performance, and the possibility of improving health and well-being at work through 
workplace innovation. 

  Occupational safety and health in small and micro-enterprises 

 

  Conduct  further  studies  on  specific  features  of  small  and  micro-enterprises,  the  success  and 
obstacle  factors  throughout  the  enterprise  life  cycle  in  different  economic  contexts  (growth, 
recession) and the key factors affecting OSH decision-making in these entities. 
Improve the quality of research on small and micro-enterprises with an emphasis on the use of 
existing  knowledge  in  new  research  and  the  exchange  of  experience  between  researchers. 
Higher  priority  should  be given  to  interdisciplinary  studies  and  the  evaluation of  the  effect of 
the various interventions. Intervention research should cover the whole intervention process, 
from intermediaries through dissemination methods to preventative activities, evaluation of the 
efficacy and cost-effectiveness of the intervention. 

  Develop,  implement  and  evaluate  innovative  support  schemes  adapted  to  the  realities  and 
needs  of  small  and  micro-enterprises,  including  the  self-employed,  taking  into  account  their 
unique  nature  and  combining  different  approaches  (information,  training,  development  of 
support networks or guidance from external OSH services and economic incentives). Develop 
cost-effective programmes that can be applied on a larger scale. 

  Conduct further nationally comparable research to identify the key conditions that contribute to 
a  ‘favourable’  environment,  by  which  levels  of  OSH  management  practice  among  smaller 
establishments (especially those with fewer than 100 employees) could be increased. 

2.6  Occupational  safety  and  health  research 

for  safe  new 

technologies 

  Occupational hazards in green technologies 

  Conduct more ‘prevention through design’ research on the safe development of technologies, 
processes and substances during their conception and before their introduction into the market. 
Their entire life cycle should be taken into consideration in order to ‘design out’ any potential 
hazards. Outcomes of this research could be used to harmonise/standardise designs. 

  Evaluate  traditional  and  new  OSH  risks  found  in  different  situations  and  combinations  within 
green jobs. This would facilitate the transfer of existing OSH knowledge to green technologies, 
the  development  of  job-specific  risk  assessment  for  green  jobs  and  the  identification  of  OSH 
training needs. 

  Analyse,  in  depth,  the  methods  which  can  be  used  to  identify  current  and  future  OSH  skills 

needs at all levels within green jobs. 

  Develop  new  toxicity  research  methods  that  support  speed-to-market  practices,  and  make 

them available quickly to apply to green technologies as they develop. 

  More  toxicological  and  epidemiological  research  is  needed  to  assess  health  risks  from 
occupational exposures to multiple substances and to new materials (e.g. development of job-
exposure matrices). This needs to be considered for the life cycle of new green technologies 
(cradle-to-cradle). 

  Conduct research on occupational risks related to waste management in general, including the 
collection, transport, and disposal and processing of waste and, in particular, on the OSH risks 
of landfill mining, processing of bio-waste and waste-to-waste technologies. Investigate better 
exposure assessment (job hazard analysis) through improved research methodologies. 
Investigate the long-term health implications from exposure to biological agents in these new 
technologies (e.g. risks from green construction materials, bioenergy or waste management). 

 

EU-OSHA – European Agency for Safety and Health at Work - 

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Priorities for occupational safety and health research in Europe for the years 2013–2020 

  Information and communication technology: opportunities and risks in the working 

environment 

  Explore  the  possibility  of  using  AMI-based  solutions  for  creating  tailored  support  systems  to 
adjust  workplaces  (ambient-assisted  working  following  the  model  of  ambient-assisted  living). 
Identify  the  impact  that  usage  and  usability  could  have  on  older  workers  and  on  people  with 
varying skill levels, physiological states and cognitive abilities. 

  Owing to more intelligent and more complex human–machine interfaces being introduced into 
workplaces,  conduct  research  on  their  safe  and  effective  use.  This  would  include  studies  of 
cognitive ergonomics and neuroergonomics for user-centred designs of new ICT applications, 
with a particular focus on the needs of specific worker groups such as workers with disabilities, 
maintenance workers or migrant workers. 

  Conduct  further  research  on  OSH  relevant  to  (mobile)  IT-supported  work;  for  example,  on 
topics such as mental workload, decision-making, skilled performance, permanent accessibility, 
work–life balance and human–computer interactions. 

  Risks regarding exposure to electromagnetic fields 

  Systematically evaluate the number of workers in Europe exposed to EMFs and characterise 

the sources to which they are exposed. 

  Conduct research on the long-term health effects of occupational EMF exposures. 
 

Identify  better  exposure  assessments,  which  are  crucial  for  the  evaluation  of  exposure 
conditions of  workers. A better understanding of real exposure is needed for informing future 
experimental  settings  and  designing  more  conclusive  epidemiological  studies  and  adequate 
risk assessments, which are key requirements of scientific studies on the biological effects of 
EMFs. 

  Assess  EMF  exposure  of  workers  who  are  particularly  at  risk  (e.g.  persons  with  medical 

implants, pregnant workers). 

  Develop  accurate  and  reliable  dosimetry  and  exposure  assessments,  which  are  key 

 

 

requirements of scientific studies on biological effects of EMFs. 
Investigate the exposure to intermediate frequency (IF) fields, for example antitheft devices or 
welding, and their possible health effects, as there are only a limited number of investigations 
into IF field exposures. 
Investigate  the  exposure  to  extremely  low  frequency  (ELF)  fields  and  their  possible  health 
effects, since the biological cause–effect relationship between ELF magnetic fields and disease 
causation is not understood. 

  Conduct  more  research  on  the  health effects  of  static  fields,  including  possible  health  effects 

 

from chronic short-term exposure to several teslas. 
Investigate  non-specific  effects  (cognitive  and  sensory  functions,  sleep  disturbance,  etc.)  of 
radiofrequency fields in order to gain a better understanding of their mechanistic explanation. 

  Unknown risks of biotechnology 

 

In order to fill in the knowledge gaps, acquire  a better understanding of activities, associated 
hazards  (including  biological,  chemical  and  physical  hazards  and  production  scale-up)  and 
exposures; for example, OSH risks in production, processing and use of biofuels. 

  Carry out further toxicological and epidemiological research into topics such as occupational 

exposure to the biological agents being utilised in the biotechnological sector. 

  Develop  tools  for  risk  assessment  and  prevention  measures,  as  these  are  required  for  the 
increasing  use  of  biotechnologies  in  the  industrial  sector.  The  development  of  medical 
surveillance  programmes  is  also  needed  for  the  collection  and  use  of  medical  information, 

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Priorities for occupational safety and health research in Europe for the years 2013–2020 

biological monitoring, medical screening or other health data for developing strategies for the 
prevention of disease. 

2.7  New  or  increasing  occupational  exposure  to  chemical  and 

biological agents 

  Carcinogenic, mutagenic, reprotoxic and sensitising substances 

General 

  Develop alternative analytical methods for testing the toxicology of chemical agents (e.g. detect 

minimal amounts of CMR and sensitising substances). 

  Develop  reliable  tools  for  quantitative  risk  assessment  that  will  generate  better  quantitative 

data for the potency/potential of carcinogenic, mutagenic and sensitising substances. 

  Bio-metrology  for  occupational  exposure  –  development  of  appropriate  biomarkers.  This  will 
help  to  identify  the  nature  and amount  of  chemical exposures  in  occupational  situations and 
will  permit  the  prediction  of  the  risk  of  disease  in  individuals  and  groups  exposed  (including 
‘vulnerable’ groups). 

  Conduct gender-specific research; most carcinogenic exposure studies have been generated 
from studies of men, whereas reprotoxic studies focus on women. Few studies have estimated 
the variability in exposure measurements based on gender, race, ethnicity or related variables. 
Research methods are needed to evaluate, for example, occupational cancer among women 
and minorities that will allow determination of whether the same external exposure could result 
in different internal doses. 

  Further develop the methodology and use of job-exposure matrices to identify exposure risks 

in the working environment. 

Carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic substances 

  Develop  the  existing  knowledge  on  CMR  effects  by  conducting  research  on  health  problems 
and their link to work (e.g. collection of exposure data). This will improve understanding of the 
relationship  between  occupational  risk  factors  (including  ‘hidden’  CMR  risk  factors)  and  the 
incidence of occupational diseases. 

  Conduct  research  that  will  cover  more  occupational  groups  and  involve  long-term  population 
studies  (e.g.  research  should  include  service  industry,  vulnerable  workers  such  as  young 
migrant females in maintenance work, organisational factors or lifestyle factors often influenced 
by the way work is organised). 

  Validate and improve models for worker exposure assessment: measuring, modelling and risk 
assessment. These models can be used to identify exposure reduction needs and methods, to 
define  exposure–response  relationships  in  epidemiological  studies  and  to  demonstrate  the 
effectiveness  of  interventions  and  engineering  controls.  Moreover,  conduct  research  and 
develop instruments and tools for workplace management of CMR substances. 
Investigate  the  criteria  or  process  for  setting  occupational  exposure  limit  values  for  CMR 
substances.  Investigation  is  needed  to  develop  a  clear  overview  of  occupational  carcinogens 
and related work processes outside the scope of REACH. These substances/processes need 
to be addressed by research, monitoring and prevention so that the same level of protection is 
provided to workers. 

 

  Reprotoxic  studies  in  humans  have  mostly  looked  at  effects  closely  related  to  the  course  of 
pregnancy,  for  example  abortion,  gestation  length  and  birth  weight.  Thus,  conduct  additional 
research  on  functional  disorders  related  to,  for  example,  the  immune,  cardiovascular  and 
nervous systems. 

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Priorities for occupational safety and health research in Europe for the years 2013–2020 

  Conduct  additional  research  in  order  to  update  reproductive  and  developmental  toxicity 
databases  which  have  limited  information  for  many  chemical  exposures  in  the  occupational 
setting. 

Sensitisers 

  Establish  a  more  detailed  system  for  an  allergenic  potency  ranking,  resulting  in  different 

categories of sensitising substances. 
Identify factors leading to an increasing chemical sensitivity of the human subject. 

 
  Establish  scientifically  sound  and  reliable  toxicological  thresholds  that  provide  information  on 

the ‘dose’ of a substance that must be reached to produce a sensitising effect. 

  Endocrine disruptors 

  Expand and strengthen knowledge of EDCs on occupational populations. Research is needed 
on  exposure  assessment  strategies  that  will  help  pinpoint  and  identify  unrecognised 
substances with EDC properties within workplaces. With current assessment methods, the full 
spectrum  of  chemicals  that  potentially  contribute  to  endocrine-related  diseases  is  far  from 
known. 

  Establish new approaches to examine the effects of mixtures of EDCs on disease susceptibility, 
as  examination  of  one  EDC  at  a  time  is  likely  to  underestimate  the  combined  risk  from 
simultaneous  occupational  exposure  to  multiple  EDCs.  Assessment  of  human  health  effects 
owing to EDCs needs to include the effects of occupational exposure to chemical mixtures on a 
single disease as well as the effects of exposure to a single chemical on multiple diseases. 
  Develop  more  specific  and  sensitive  biomarkers  for  detecting  endocrine-mediated  effects  in 

workers exposed to EDCs. 

  Focus work on the occupational populations/subgroups that are most likely to be susceptible to 

EDCs. 

  Nanomaterials in an innovation-driven society 

 

 

Increase  the  knowledge  on  nanomaterials  in  occupational  settings  including  new-generation 
nanomaterials. 
Increase the understanding of how chemical and physical modifications affect the properties of 
nanomaterials.  Develop 
to  determine  and  classify 
nanomaterials based on their physical or chemical properties. 

risk  characterisation 

information 

  Understand  generalisable  characteristics  of  nanomaterials  in  relation  to  toxicity  in  biological 

systems. 

  Develop new toxicity testing methods and risk prediction tools to allow for safety aspects to be 
considered  as  early  as  in  the  product  development  phase  (safety  by  design).  Research  will 
allow for ‘responsible’ nanotechnology which integrates safety and health considerations. 

  Develop standardised measuring methods for both qualitative and quantitative measurement of 
nanoparticles  to  obtain  reliable  exposure  data  as  a  basis  for  exposure  assessment  and  risk 
management. 

  Develop  exposure  assessment  and  risk  management  tools  for  the  field  that  will  help  in 
understanding and improving best workplace practices, processes and environmental exposure 
controls. 

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Priorities for occupational safety and health research in Europe for the years 2013–2020 

  Biological agents in a greener yet globalised economy 

  Develop  methods  to  investigate  the  relationship  between  occupational  microbiological 
exposure and observed health effects. The precise role of micro-organisms in the development 
and the aggravation of symptoms is poorly understood. 

  Develop the understanding of the dose–response relationship for most biological agents. 
  Conduct  research  into  metrology,  epidemiology,  appropriate  measurement  and  assessment 
methods, and prevention of risks, as the study of occupational biological risks is insufficiently 
developed. 

  Develop accurate sampling and analytical methods for micro-organisms, in order to identify the 
whole  spectrum,  for  example  airborne  micro-organisms,  allergens  in  bioaerosols,  microbial 
fragments, etc. 

  Develop  direct  measuring  techniques  for  microbiological  agents  as  a  prerequisite  for  quick 

decisions on suitable workplace protective measures. 

  Conduct  further  research  on  the  evaluation  of  bioaerosol  occurrence  and  their  variability  of 

exposure. 

  Work  on  determining  occupational  exposure  limit  values,  as  standardised  analytical  methods 

are still lacking. 

  Mixed exposures in complex workplace settings 

Chemical and biological mixtures 

 
 

Investigate the toxicology and mechanisms of the action of chemical or biological mixtures. 
Increase the knowledge of the rather limited number of chemicals for which there is high-quality 
information  on  their  mode  of  action.  Develop  more  and  improved  exposure  descriptions  for 
chemical or biological mixtures (i.e. where, how often and to what extent). 

  Develop robust and validated tools for the prediction of interactions. 
 
Increase the knowledge of how exposure and/or effects change over time. 
  Define criteria to predict the potentiation or synergy of chemical mixtures. 

Ototoxic substances 

 
 

Improve toxicity testing of new chemicals in order to properly evaluate their ototoxicity. 
Identify  the  levels  of  simultaneous  noise  and  specific  chemical  exposures  which  are 
considered safe to the human auditory system. 

3  Main  findings  of  the  seminar  ‘Moving  towards  2020: 
Priorities  for  occupational  safety  and  health  (OSH) 
research in Europe for the years 2013–2020’ 
  The  general  feedback  on  the  report  was  positive;  it  was  pointed  out  that  it  is  an  important 
document  and  that  the  priorities  for  OSH  research  listed  in  the  report  reflect  the  challenges 
identified in the Europe 2020 strategy. 

  EU-OSHA’s  central  role  in  identifying  priorities  for  OSH  research  and  promoting  research 

 

coordination in Europe, as well as in communication, was recognised. 
It was suggested that, by establishing a shorter list of priorities and focusing on fewer issues, 
the impact of the EU-OSHA report could be greater. 

  Swift translation of research results into action is crucial, but transfer of research results into 

practice and concrete policy action remains a challenge. 

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Priorities for occupational safety and health research in Europe for the years 2013–2020 








The importance of intervention research was acknowledged.
It is important to strengthen research on the economic dimension of OSH to support evidence-
based policies and decision-making at society and enterprise levels.
The  importance  attached  in  the  report  to  sustainability  and  to  the  social  dimension  is
appreciated, as is the important role of OSH in this respect; this is something that should be
emphasised.
The  role  of  working  conditions  as  an  important  social  determinant  of  health  should  be
recognised,  as  well  as  the  role  of  the  workplace  in  reducing  socioeconomic  and  gender-
specific health inequalities.



 As  regards  OSH  research  related  to  demographic  change,  the  need  for  a  multidisciplinary
approach considering the whole life course was stressed. Research should address issues of
adapting working conditions to age/ageing and of preventative work design. New employment
and work patterns should also be taken into account in the context of demographic change.
In the context of globalisation and the changing world of work, the measurement of exposome
– the measure of lifetime environmental exposure on health — is a challenge (many relevant
exposures,  interaction  between  exposures,  etc.)  and  requires  an  interdisciplinary  approach.
Exposome  measurement  would  provide  better  insights  into  disease  risk  factors  and
mechanisms, which could enhance disease prevention.
In  the  context  of  globalisation  and  the  economic  crisis,  providing  support  to  SMEs  was
highlighted as crucial.
There  is  a  need  for  the  development  of  integrated  OSH  intervention  policies,  at  individual,
organisational and societal levels, supported by new design and technology.





 With  regard  to  new  or  increasing  occupational  exposures  to  chemical  and  biological  agents,
the complexity, ambiguity and uncertainty of risks was highlighted. Research on new methods
for risk assessment is needed, taking into account these aspects.



 Challenges  related  to  the  risk  management  of  chemical  and  biological  agents,  such  as  the
lack  of  exposure  data,  were  highlighted.  Research  needs,  in  this  context,  to  include,  among
other things, the development of a European job-exposure matrix and the support of SMEs in
the management of chemical and biological risks.
It  was  pointed  out  that  a  high  level  of  political  commitment  is  needed  to  improve  safety  and
health at work in Europe and that, at the moment; this commitment is missing at the European
level. It was generally acknowledged that there is a need for an EU OSH strategy, especially
in  the  current  climate  of  the  economic  crisis,  as  there  are  already  signs  of  deteriorating
working conditions owing to the crisis. It was argued that issues related to safety and health at
work need to be put high on the political agenda.

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Priorities for occupational safety and health research in Europe for the years 2013–2020 

The  European  Agency  for  Safety  and 

Health  at  Work  (EU-OSHA)  contributes  to 

making  Europe  a  safer,  healthier  and  more 

productive  place 

to  work.  The  Agency 

researches, 

develops, 

and 

distributes 

reliable,  balanced,  and  impartial  safety  and 

health 

information  and  organises  pan-

European awareness raising campaigns. Set 

up  by  the  European  Union  in  1996  and 

based  in  Bilbao,  Spain,  the  Agency  brings 

together  representatives  from  the  European 

Commission,  Member  State  governments, 

employers’  and  workers’  organisations,  as 

well as leading experts in each of the EU-27 

Member States and beyond.

European  Agency  for  Safety  and  Health  at 

Work  

Santiago de Compostela, 12 (Edificio Miribilla) 

E-48003 - Bilbao 

E-mail: information@osha.europa.eu 

http://osha.europa.eu 

EU-OSHA – European Agency for Safety and Health at Work - 

23