Healthy workplaces good practice awards 2016-2017 : promoting a sustainable working life : healthy workplaces for all ages.
Date: 2017-08-23
Institutions: European Agency for Safety and Health at Work
Subjects: mental stress, occupational health, occupational psychology, occupational safety, public awareness campaign, working conditions, workplace

Contents

Introduction 

Awarded examples

Belgium | VitaS 
Participatory measures to minimise physical and psychosocial risks in the social care sector

Germany | Continental AG 
A company-wide ergonomics and demographics programme in a major car manufacturer

Germany | Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG 
Promoting health, know-how and flexibility through participatory action

Spain | PSA Group 
Tailoring jobs for employees in car manufacturing to increase the employability of all

Hungary | MAVIR ZRt 
Improving the work ability of older workers in the energy sector

Austria | Zumtobel Group AG 
Maintaining and improving work ability and retaining workers in manufacturing

Serbia | Rudnik 
Management and miners working together to reduce early retirement

Finland | Lujatalo Oy 
Helping to ensure that construction workers reach retirement in good health 

Official campaign partner | SAP SE  
Run Your Health — empowering employees of all ages to take action for their health

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EU-OSHA — European Agency for Safety and Health at Work | 3 

Healthy Workplaces Good Practice Awards 2016-2017Commended examples

Czech Republic | Service Facility for the Ministry of the Interior 
Optima project — training in health, fitness and mental resilience for public safety workers

Denmark | Region Midtjylland (Central Denmark Region) 
Encouraging the use of assistive devices in healthcare

Italy | Tarkett S.p.A. 
Reducing workplace risks to employees aged over 50

Cyprus | Vassiliko Cement Works PLC 
An integrated management system for an ageing workforce in heavy industry

Netherlands | Loders Croklaan 
Reducing the risks posed by shift work for more sustainable working lives 

Slovenia | Police Directorate Murska Sobota 
Workplace mental and physical health promotion in a police force

Slovakia | Duslo, a.s. 
Moving towards a better work–life balance in the chemical manufacturing sector

Finland | The Federation of Finnish Technology Industries 
Lengthening careers through well-being at work

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Official Campaign Partner | Toyota Material Handling
Physiotherapy programme to prevent strain injuries at work and to deliver measurable change across partner companies

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4 | EU-OSHA— European Agency for Safety and Health at Work 

Healthy Workplaces Good Practice Awards 2016-2017Introduction

The  Healthy  Workplaces  Good  Practice  Awards  are 
organised  by  the  European  Agency  for  Safety  and  Health 
at  Work  (EU-OSHA)  as  part  of  its  Europe-wide  Healthy 
Workplaces  Campaigns.  The  2016-17  campaign  topic  is 
Healthy  Workplaces  for  All  Ages.  The  campaign  promotes 
sustainable  work  and  healthy  ageing  right  from  the  start 
of  working  lives.  It  raises  awareness  of  good  occupational 
safety and health (OSH) management and the importance 
of  risk  prevention  throughout  the  working  life  and  of 
tailoring work to individual needs. 

The awards aim to recognise companies and organisations 
innovative 
that  have  demonstrated  outstanding  and 
methods to promote sustainable work in the context of an 
ageing workforce, a holistic approach to OSH management, 
and  a  life-course  perspective  to  risk  prevention  to  ensure 
healthy ageing at work. The award competition also offers 
an opportunity to share good practices. 

EU-OSHA  received  42  entries  from  23  countries.  Among 
these,  five  entries  were  received  from  official  campaign 
partners.  The  entries  were  submitted  by  a  wide  variety  of 
organisations,  of  different  sizes  and  from  many  sectors. 
The  awards  were  judged  by  a  European  jury,  including 
representatives  from  EU-OSHA,  the  Directorate  General 
for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, the European 
Trade Union Institute (ETUI), the Confederation of German 
Employers’  Associations,  and  the  Maltese  Occupational 
Health and Safety Authority. The jury was chaired by Prof. 
Stephen Bevan from the Institute for Employment Studies 
(IES). Of the national entries, eight were awarded and eight 
commended,  while  one  of  the  official  campaign  partner 
entries was awarded and one commended.

Why do we need to promote sustainable 
working lives?

problems also increase. With fewer young people entering 
the  workforce  and  a  greater  proportion  of  workers  aged 
50-64,  it  has  become  imperative  for  companies  to  attract 
younger  workers  and  at  the  same  time  to  retain  their 
older,  more  experienced  employees  by  increasing  their 
employability and maintaining their work ability. 

Health  problems  are  the  most  common  reason  for  early 
retirement,  and  musculoskeletal  disorders  (MSDs)  and 
mental  ill  health  are  the  main  causes  (2).  Long-term  sick 
leave  increases  the  chances  of  never  returning  to  work. 
However,  returning  to  work  can  help  people  to  recover 
from  a  long-term  illness,  if  it  is  properly  managed  and  if 
working conditions are adapted to the workers’ needs.

Work  can  have  a  positive  effect  on  physical  and  mental 
health and well-being for all workers if working conditions 
are  appropriate  (3).  However,  according  to  the  European 
Working  Conditions  Survey,  22  %  of  workers  aged  50  or 
over think that they would not be able to do their current 
job  at  60,  and  26  %  of  all  workers  believe  that  work  has  a 
negative effect on their health (4). 

Companies  can  meet  the  challenges  posed  by  an  ageing 
workforce  and  retain  their  employees  by  adopting 
practices  to  promote  sustainable  working  lives,  such  as 
taking  a  life-course  approach  to  the  management  of 
workplace  safety  and  health,  preventing  risks,  integrating 
OSH  and  workplace  health  promotion,  adapting  work  to 
the  individual,  introducing  return-to-work  measures,  and 
providing structures for lifelong learning. 

The  summaries  of  the  examples  presented  in  this  booklet 
demonstrate the results and benefits that can be achieved 
by  an  organisation  when  it  goes  beyond  the  basic  legal 
requirements for OSH and when it recognises the potential 
for  keeping  employees  healthy  throughout  their  working 
careers.

The  European  workforce  is  ageing.  It  is  predicted  that  by 
2030 workers aged 55-64 will make up 30 % or more of the 
workforce in many countries (1). As official retirement ages 
increase across Europe, working lives are becoming longer 
and workers are therefore exposed to hazards and risks for 
longer.

The  demographic  changes  present  both  challenges  and 
opportunities for organisations: as people age, experience, 
skills  and  knowledge  accumulate,  but  vulnerability  to 
some  work-related  hazards  and  the  prevalence  of  health 

Recognising good practice — what the jury was 
looking for

The  entries  had  to  demonstrate  good  practice  in  OSH 
management  in  the  context  of  an  ageing  workforce, 
consideration  for  age  diversity,  diversity-sensitive  risk 
assessment 
followed  by  workplace  adaptation,  and 
possibly  also  measures  for  return  to  work  and  specific 
measures targeting older workers. 

(1) 

Ilmarinen,  J.,  Promoting  active  ageing  in  the  workplace,  EU-OSHA  (https://osha.europa.eu/en/publications/articles/promoting-active-ageing-in-
theworkplace/view).

(2)  Sickness, disability and work: breaking the barriers — a synthesis of findings across OECD countries, OECD, Paris, 2010 (http://ec.europa.eu/health/mental_

health/eu_compass/reports_studies/disability_synthesis_2010_en.pdf). 

(3)  Healthy workplaces for all ages: promoting a sustainable working life — campaign guide (https://healthy-workplaces.eu/en/campaign-materials).
(4)  European Working Conditions Survey 2015, Eurofound, Dublin (https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/surveys/european-working-conditions-surveys/sixth-

european-working-conditions-survey-2015).

EU-OSHA — European Agency for Safety and Health at Work | 5 

Healthy Workplaces Good Practice Awards 2016-2017When  selecting  entries  for  awards  and  commendations, 
the jury used the following criteria:

More information

At  the  EU-OSHA  website,  you  will  find  a  wealth  of 
information  on  workplace  safety  and  health,  available  in 
over 20 European languages.

Details  of  the  Healthy  Workplaces  For  All  Ages  campaign 
—  as  well  as  resources  and  information  on  how  to  get 
involved — can be found at healthy-workplaces.eu.

EU-OSHA’s interactive data visualisation tool can be used 
to  explore  information  on  the  occupational  safety  and 
health challenges facing Europe as a result of demographic 
change — as well as on the policies and strategies that are 
already in place to tackle them.

Acknowledgements

EU-OSHA  wishes  to  thank  its  focal  points  (the  national 
authorities responsible for occupational safety and health, 
or  the  regulatory  bodies  nominated  by  them)  throughout 
Europe  for  their  invaluable  support  and  in  particular 
for  nominating  and  assessing  entries  for  the  Healthy 
Workplaces Good Practice Awards.

EU-OSHA  is  also  grateful  to  the  jury  members  for  their 
participation:  the  chair,  Stephen  Bevan  (IES),  and  the 
members  of  the  panel,  Eckhard  Metze  (Confederation 
of  Employers’  Associations,  Germany),  Viktor  Kempa 
(ETUI),  Melhino  Mercieca  (Occupational  Health  and  Safety 
Authority,  Malta),  Zinta  Podniece  (European  Commission 
Directorate  General  for  Employment,  Social  Affairs  and 
Inclusion) and Katalin Sas (project manager, EU-OSHA).

Finally,  we  would  like  to  thank  all  the  organisations  that 
entered  the  Healthy  Workplaces  Good  Practice  Awards 
2016-17,  and  particularly  those  that  feature  in  the  case 
studies that follow.

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intervention  that 

a  recent 
is  directly  relevant  to 
reducing  risks  in  the  workplace  in  the  context  of  an 
ageing workforce;
a  holistic  approach  to  workplace  safety  and  health  in 
the  context  of  an  ageing  workforce,  combining  risk 
prevention and workplace health promotion
a life-course approach to risk prevention;
prioritising  collective  measures 
focusing on the individual 
a strong commitment from management;
evidence  of  consultation  between  management  and 
workers and their representatives;
effective  participation  of  workers 
representatives; 
successful 
practice;
sustainability of the intervention over time;
examples that demonstrated a real improvement;
transferability of the example to other workplaces.

implementation  of  the 

interventions 

intervention 

their 

and 

for 

in 

Awarded and commended entries

This booklet presents brief case studies of the interventions 
and  initiatives  that  were  awarded  or  commended.  Each 
case  study  outlines  the  issues  faced  by  the  organisation 
and  the  actions  taken  to  tackle  them  and  describes  the 
results that were achieved.

Occupational  safety  and  health  solutions  need  to  be 
carefully  designed  to  take 
into  account  the  specific 
problems  and  circumstances  of  each  workplace.  The 
examples  of  good  practice  presented  here  involve  ideas 
that  can  be  tailored  for  use  by  all  kinds  of  organisations, 
regardless of sector, size or Member State.

6 | EU-OSHA— European Agency for Safety and Health at Work 

Healthy Workplaces Good Practice Awards 2016-2017Participatory measures to minimise physical and 
psychosocial risks in the social care sector

VitaS
Belgium
www.vitas.be

The issue

An  examination  of  workforce  demographics  by  the 
elderly  care  company  VitaS  revealed  that,  in  three  out 
of  four  work  sites,  over  50  %  of  the  workforce  was  aged 
over 45, with this figure set to increase significantly in the 
next  5  years.  Given  the  nature  of  the  work  undertaken 
by  VitaS  employees  —  involving  shift  work,  changing 
requirements  and  issues  around  work–life  balance  —  an 
ageing  workforce  could  present  serious  challenges  for 
future  scheduling  and  workflow.  It  was  important  for  the 
company to take renewed action to look after the physical 
and mental health of its employees.

Action taken

Under the slogan ‘Young and old, together they are strong 
and gold’, three working groups were created, with specific 
focuses  on  raising  and  lifting,  risk  prevention,  and  health 
policy  as  a  whole;  the  aim  was  to  develop  a  sustainable 
health  policy,  focusing  on  physical  and  psychosocial  risks, 
that would be representative of the interests of all members 
of staff and supported throughout the organisation.

As  a  result,  a  company  raising  and  lifting  policy  was 
implemented.  Among  many  other 
developed  and 

measures,  a  survey  was  conducted  on  the  use  of  lifting 
aids  in  nursing  departments,  with  the  data  being  used, 
for  example,  to  assess  training  needs.  The  company  also 
employed  certified  instructors  to  train  lifting  coordinators 
and  coaches  to  provide  training  to  fellow  employees. 
Furthermore,  VitaS  employed  an  external  occupational 
safety  and  health  expert 
to  carry  out  ergonomic 
assessments  at  its  various  sites  to  identify  areas  where 
physical  burdens  could  be  reduced,  particularly  for  older 
staff.  To  ensure  that  the  resulting  improvements  were 
sustained,  the  company  committed  to  organising  annual 
visits by the external expert.

To  improve  work–life  balance,  an  online  self-scheduling 
scheme was introduced, allowing workers greater flexibility. 
Staff  can  also  request  time  credit  and  care  leave.  Those 
members  of  staff  who  have  worked  for  the  organisation 
for a long time have the potential to reduce their working 
hours. 

communication 

intergenerational 

Better 
and 
understanding  were  encouraged  through  a  number  of 
measures,  including  mentoring  and  coaching.  Mixed-age 
teams are promoted in the company, and pilot projects are 
tested  by  younger  and  older  employees,  e.g.  testing  of  a 
new care app on mobile devices. 

EU-OSHA — European Agency for Safety and Health at Work | 7 

AWARDEDHealthy Workplaces Good Practice Awards 2016-2017Meanwhile,  fitness  and  health  at  work  were  actively 
promoted  through  a  bi-monthly  newsletter  containing 
recipes, fitness tips and information on upcoming activities; 
initiatives  to  support  activity,  such  as  sports  afternoons; 
and a Health Week, during which an opinion poll is carried 
out  to  gain  an  understanding  of  people’s  health  policy 
concerns.  In  addition,  regular  training  programmes  cover 
mental  health,  and  the  organisation  takes  part  in  the 
StressBalancer study, through which employees gain access 
to targeted tips and advice on managing stress.

Results achieved

• 

VitaS took a comprehensive approach to dealing with 
the issue of its ageing workforce, ensuring that all staff 
were taken into consideration.

•  Workers have reported that they felt involved and that 

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they were listened to. 
Ergonomic  changes  to  equipment  and  training  have 
improved the physical health of employees.
Health  promotion  measures, 
including  the  health 
newsletter and stress-management training, were well 
received by staff.

VitaS took a comprehensive approach to 
dealing with the issue of its ageing workforce, 
ensuring that all staff were taken into 
consideration.

8 | EU-OSHA— European Agency for Safety and Health at Work 

Healthy Workplaces Good Practice Awards 2016-2017A company-wide ergonomics and demographics 
programme in a major car manufacturer

Continental AG
Germany
www.continental-corporation.com

The issue

Continental is a leading German automotive manufacturing 
company.  Because  of  the  nature  of  the  work,  employees 
experience  a  high  level  of  exposure  to  occupational  risks 
(physical  and  psychosocial),  which  the  company  aimed  to 
address.  The  workforce  at  Continental  is  ageing,  with  the 
proportion  of  workers  aged  over  50  projected  to  increase 
from 10 % in 2005 to 50 % in 2020; this demographic change 
will  create  a  shortage  of  skilled  workers.  Continental  is 
redesigning  its  high-risk  workplaces  in  order  to  improve 
working  conditions  for  all  and  to  maintain  the  health  of 
all employees, regardless of age or gender. It also provides 
training and awareness raising for its employees.

Action taken

Continental  established  dedicated  ergonomics  teams  at 
all  sites  to  identify  and  assess  physical  and  psychosocial 
occupational risks. The teams are responsible for assessing 
and  analysing  exposure  and  redesigning  workplaces 
to  decrease  physical  workload  and  exposure  through 
better  ergonomics.  This  ensures  that  they  are  appropriate 
for  male  and  female  workers  of  all  ages  wherever 

possible,  thus  improving  working  conditions  for  all.  The 
ergonomics  teams  focus  particularly  on  the  prevention 
of  musculoskeletal  disorders,  and  on  decreasing  overall 
exposure to physical risks and physical overload. The teams 
have  created  up-to-date  evaluations  of  current  exposure 
levels at each work site.

A  software  documentation  system  was  used  to  gather 
demographic data for all sites and to create company-wide 
exposure  databases  and  good  practices.  The  exposure 
database can be used, for example, for primary prevention 
by  establishing  risk  scores  for  various  roles.  The  data  can 
also  be  used  supportively  to  reallocate  people  to  more 
suitable  jobs  if  their  performance  is  limited  because  of 
a  health  condition.  This  can  be  particularly  useful  for 
employees that have undergone a period of rehabilitation 
and are returning to work.

Continental  integrates  ergonomics  into  business  planning 
at  every  stage  —  prospective  ergonomic  assessment  is 
now required during the design and purchasing processes 
for  all  new  workplaces.  This  is  a  more  efficient  and  cost-
effective  way  of  managing  risks  than  trying  to  implement 
changes when the workplace is operational.

EU-OSHA — European Agency for Safety and Health at Work | 9 

AWARDEDHealthy Workplaces Good Practice Awards 2016-2017Results achieved

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A  decrease  in  the  rate  of  reported  physical  overload 
from 46 % in 2010 to 25 % in 2016 was achieved.
Continental  reported  an  increase  in  the  age  stability 
rate from 25 % in 2010 to 44 % in 2016.
Ergonomic  assessment  has  now  been  integrated  into 
the procurement process for all Continental sites. 
Analyses  of  exposure  data  have  been  integrated  into 
human  resources  practice  for  reallocating  people 
based on altered ability.
The initiative has been well received by employees.

Continental integrates ergonomics into 
business planning at every stage.

10 | EU-OSHA— European Agency for Safety and Health at Work 

Healthy Workplaces Good Practice Awards 2016-2017Promoting health, know-how and flexibility 
through participatory action

Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
Germany
www.heidelberg.com

The issue

Heidelberger  Druckmaschinen  is  a  manufacturer  of  sheet-
fed  offset  printing  presses,  with  7,000  employees 
in 
Germany. More than half of the employees are aged over 50. 
The  company  projects  that,  even  if  it  hires  predominantly 
young workers for the next 15 years, this demographic will 
not change significantly.

Action taken

The  approach  taken  by  Heidelberger  Druckmaschinen 
to  address  demographic  issues  is  a  holistic  one,  aiming 
to  improve  safety  and  health  within  the  company,  but 
also  looking  at  the  individuals  and  taking  into  account 
personal and professional development. The interventions 
aim  to  raise  awareness  and  encourage  employees  to  take 
the  initiative  by  identifying  possible  adjustments  to  the 
workplace that have benefits for their physical and mental 
health.

Action  was  taken  in  three  phases:  the  first  involved 
working  closely  with  management  teams,  with  the  aim 
of  stimulating  discussion  about  of  the  issue  of  the  ageing 
workforce  and  analysing  its  impact  on  the  future  of  the 
company.  Ideas  collected  during  this  stage  were  followed 
up during the planning and implementation of solutions by 
the management teams. The commitment of management 
and  team  leaders  was  essential  for  starting  the  process  of 
change.

The  second  phase  of  the 
intervention  targeted  all 
employees. An interactive Demographic Change Arena was 
established, and supervisors completed a course with their 
teams, dealing with topics such as work design, leadership, 
health education and teamwork in the context of an ageing 
workforce.  Having  completed  the 
interactive  course, 
employees  were  encouraged  to  create  and  implement 
team measures to increase work ability, such as organising 
knowledge exchange projects or setting up running clubs. 
The  second  phase  also  involved  implementing  a  host  of 
organisational  measures  to  improve  occupational  safety 
and  health,  including  systematic  workplace  inspections, 
job rotation, ergonomic checks and managerial task forces 
for specific topics. 

EU-OSHA — European Agency for Safety and Health at Work | 11 

AWARDEDHealthy Workplaces Good Practice Awards 2016-2017Results achieved

• 

The interactive Demographic Change Arena gave all the 
company’s  employees  the  opportunity  to  participate 
in  the  design  and  implementation  of  changes  to  the 
company’s safety and health policies and practices. In 
total, 3,500 employees used the Demographic Change 
Arena.

• 

•  Of the employees who participated in the Arena, 80 % 
gave positive or very positive feedback and 70 % stated 
that they left the Arena with ideas and suggestions.
It  is  estimated  that  the  sickness  rate  decreased  by 
1  %  following  the  interventions.  That  translates  into 
savings of EUR 7 million a year.
A total of 250 representatives from external companies 
and  institutions  used  the  Arena,  which  resulted  in 
coverage  in  the  local  press  and  a  Human  Resources 
Excellence  Award  for  Demographic  Management, 
raising the company’s visibility.

• 

Finally, during the third phase, the changes that had been 
implemented  were  consolidated  and  evaluated  to  ensure 
that they delivered the maximum benefits for the company 
and  its  employees.  The  changes  included  reconfiguration 
of  many  workplaces,  design  changes  in  assembly  and 
maintenance  processes,  many  one-off  actions,  active 
lunch areas, health training, development programmes for 
supportive leadership, peer support for on-the-job training, 
poster campaigns and opening a health and fitness centre.

The interactive Demographic Change 
Arena gave all the company’s employees the 
opportunity to participate in the design and 
implementation of changes to the company’s 
safety and health policies and practices.

12 | EU-OSHA— European Agency for Safety and Health at Work 

Healthy Workplaces Good Practice Awards 2016-2017Tailoring jobs for employees in car manufacturing 
to increase the employability of all

PSA Group
Spain
www.groupe-psa.com

The issue

The PSA Group is a European car manufacturer. The ageing 
of  the  workforce  in  Europe  poses  a  number  of  challenges 
for the PSA Group: greater numbers of employees are likely 
to  experience  limitations  on  the  roles  they  can  undertake 
as  a  result  of  physical  or  psychosocial  conditions;  and 
longer  working  lives  potentially  mean  longer  exposure  to 
risks.  What  is  more,  the  average  age  of  workers  is  higher 
than  in  the  rest  of  the  company  for  workers  in  those  jobs 
in  the  production  line  where  the  physical  workload  is 
especially  high.  The  ageing  of  the  workforce  may  create 
organisational challenges, as jobs will need to be adapted 
to the workers according to individual needs.

Action taken

In  planning  to  address  this  issue,  the  PSA  Group  took  a 
collaborative approach, consulting design, medical services 
and human resources departments, ergonomics teams and 
production  managers.  The  company  decided  that  there 
was a need to tailor work to individuals and assess risks on 
a person-by-person basis, taking into account the physical 
abilities of each worker.

Age-sensitive  risk  assessment  —  which  considers  any 
physical  or  psychosocial  limitations  that  the  employee 
has,  as  well  as  their  age,  the  nature  of  the  position  and 
the  ergonomic  changes  that  can  be  made  to  improve 
the  working  environment  —  promotes  diversity  in  the 
company and makes a wider range of roles more accessible 
to all.

A  job  rotation  system  was  introduced,  with  the  aims  of 
minimising the stress, both physical and mental, associated 
with each job; improving the employability of people with 
physical  limitations;  and  maintaining  and  improving  the 
ability of workers to adapt to change — which is particularly 
relevant for many older workers.

The  company  worked  to  improve  and  expand  its  existing 
culture  of  risk  prevention  and  took  action  to  promote  the 
physical  and  mental  well-being  of  its  employees.  New 
preventive  measures  —  such  as  analysis  of  accidents 
to  determine  causes  that  could  be  mitigated,  health 
surveillance  services,  and  a  stress  assessment  and 
monitoring system — were introduced, with great success. 
Together,  these  measures  allow  the  identification  of  areas 
that require priority action.

The  basic  principle  of  the  changes  made  to  the  work 
structure was to ensure that each task could be completed 
by  as  many  workers  as  possible,  regardless  of  physical 
limitations. Work towards this goal will also help employees 
to become more versatile — vital to maintaining skills and 
increasing employability — as will the job rotation strategy 
that has been implemented.

EU-OSHA — European Agency for Safety and Health at Work | 13 

AWARDEDHealthy Workplaces Good Practice Awards 2016-2017This mapping allowed human resources to examine all 
jobs within the company to find suitable positions for 
workers  whose  work  ability  was  limited  by  a  physical 
or psychosocial factor.
Continual  improvements  to  ergonomic  design  and 
safety and health practices are being made.

• 

Age-sensitive risk assessment promotes 
diversity and makes a wider range of roles 
accessible.

Results achieved

• 

The PSA Group put respect for workers at the heart of 
its approach. 
•  Management  was 

fully  committed  and  workers’ 

• 

• 

representatives were involved from the start.
Individuals  with  restricted  abilities  were  offered 
personalised  solutions  that  took  into  account  their 
physical and psychosocial characteristics.
An  evaluation  of  workers’  abilities  and  the  physical 
requirements  of  particular  jobs  was  carried  out. 

14 | EU-OSHA— European Agency for Safety and Health at Work 

Healthy Workplaces Good Practice Awards 2016-2017Improving the work ability of older workers in the 
energy sector

MAVIR ZRt
Hungary
www.mavir.hu

The issue

MAVIR ZRt is Hungary’s publicly owned electricity supplier, 
responsible  for  the  secure  and  sustainable  supply  of 
electricity  across  the  country.  In  total,  60  %  of  MAVIR’s 
employees  working  in  substations  and  39  %  working  on 
transmission  lines  are  aged  over  50.  Due  to  the  nature 
of  the  work,  employees  regularly  experience  high-risk 
occupational exposures, including exposure to high-voltage 
equipment, heat, hot surfaces and noise. Workers are also 
exposed  to  mental  stress,  injuries  and  musculoskeletal 
disorders. Managing these risks in the context of an ageing 
workforce can be challenging.

Action taken

Rather  than  consider  the  older  generation  of  workers  a 
source  of  risk,  the  company  aims  to  acknowledge  their 
expertise  and  benefit  from  their  experience.  In  2006, 
MAVIR  introduced  company-wide  measures  to  improve 
the long-term health and well-being of all employees. The 
measures  are  intended  to  maintain  the  employability  of 
MAVIR’s  older  workers  while  protecting  the  health  of  its 
younger workers.

The  company  continuously  improves  working  conditions, 
including  investing  in  mobile  balloon  lamps  or  improving 
communication between employees by using microphones 
built  into  helmets,  with  ultrahigh  frequency  radios  placed 
in  the  armpit.  Automatic  defibrillators  have  also  been 
fitted  in  all  vehicles  used  in  transmission  line  servicing, 
with all staff fully trained in their use. GPS-based personal 
emergency  response  systems  have  also  been  rolled  out; 
these  devices  include  a  panic  button,  they  detect  falls 
through  an  acceleration  sensor,  and  they  will  detect  and 
alert  dispatchers  if  the  wearer  remains  motionless  for  a 
certain period of time.

The company has a contract with a medical centre allowing 
its  employees  free  access  to  a  wide  range  of  medical 
treatments  24  hours  a  day.  MAVIR  employees  are  given 
access  to  voluntary  tests,  and  they  must  also  undergo 
routine  medical  checks.  MAVIR  also  contributes  monthly 
subsidies to a voluntary pension scheme, a mutual savings 
bank  and  a  voluntary  health 
insurance  programme, 
which  all  directly  benefit  employees.  The  company  also 
provides the potential for redeployment to substations for 
employees with health problems.

Furthermore,  MAVIR  advocates  a  healthy  lifestyle  and 
promotes  employee  recreation.  Through  the  provision  of 
holiday  subsidies,  the  company  encourages  its  employees 
to  take  regular  holidays;  it  also  runs  a  Health  Day,  which 
promotes participation in sports, and medical screening.

MAVIR  has  also  established  the  Crisis  Academy,  a  training 
programme  for  management,  group  leaders,  shift  leaders 
and  operations  leaders.  The  topics  covered  include  stress 
management,  conflict  and  crises,  raising  awareness  of  the 
importance  of  occupational  safety  and  health,  and  both 
everyday and crisis communications.

These  measures  reflect  the  emphasis  placed  on  worker 
safety  by  the  company  and  are  intended  to  reduce  stress 
for its employees, who can be reassured that their safety is 
a top priority for the company.

EU-OSHA — European Agency for Safety and Health at Work | 15 

AWARDEDHealthy Workplaces Good Practice Awards 2016-2017Results achieved 

The  results  below  are  approximations  extrapolated  from 
the submitted example.

• 

• 

• 

• 

Sick leave has been reduced from around 2,000 days in 
2006 to around 500 in 2015.
The number of days of sick leave caused by accidents 
was almost zero in 2015.
Employee  uptake  of  medical  screening  has  increased: 
on  the  company’s  Health  Day  in  2016,  around  225 
employees  used  the  free  medical  screening  provided 
by  the  company,  compared  with  only  around  100 
employees in 2010.
The  number  of  days  of  holiday  subsidy  used  by 
employees  has  almost  doubled  over  the  past  decade, 
from around 600 in 2006 to around 1,200 in 2016.

Rather than consider the older generation of 
workers a source of risk, the company aims to 
acknowledge their expertise and benefit from 
their experience.

16 | EU-OSHA— European Agency for Safety and Health at Work 

Healthy Workplaces Good Practice Awards 2016-2017Maintaining and improving work ability and 
retaining workers in manufacturing

Zumtobel Group AG
Austria
www.zumtobelgroup.com

The issue

The  Zumtobel  Group  is  a  manufacturer  of  lighting  and 
lighting  management  systems.  Like  many  companies, 
Zumtobel  recognises  that  it  needs  to  consider  the  issues 
arising  from  the  ageing  of  its  workforce.  Following  an 
analysis  of  the  age  structure  of  its  workforce,  the  ‘Health 
and  Age  Department’  developed  a  comprehensive 
concept for health management targeting work ability and 
retention of younger and older age groups.

Action taken

Zumtobel  established  a  new  Health  and  Age  Department 
specifically to investigate and manage challenges associated 
with  the  ageing  of  its  workforce  through  comprehensive 
analyses  and  solutions  to  improve  company  policies  and 
practice.

The  new  department  sought  solutions  for  the  following 
issues:

• 

• 
• 

How  can  the  work  ability  of  the  largest  group  of 
employees (40-49 years) be maintained and improved?
How can the company keep young workers?
How  can  the  company  retain  older  employees  (50-
59 years) for longer?

To  address  these  issues,  the  department  planned  and 
implemented  changes  to  its  policies  and  practices  aimed 
at  ensuring  that  employees  were  both  physically  able  to 
continue  working  and  willing  to  remain  in  the  workforce 
for longer. It required management commitment, with the 
main goal being maintaining work ability, improving well-
being for everyone through work organisation that enables 
healthy  and  active  ageing,  including  skills  management, 
training  and  coaching.  The  six  areas  requiring  action 
identified by the department included:

An  initial  evaluation  found  that  the  largest  group  of 
employees  in  the  company  was  in  the  40-49  age  range. 
The work ability assessment found that the work ability of 
25  %  of  employees  was  either  critical  or  only  modest.  In 
addition, Zumtobel had very few employees aged over 62.

• 

• 

statutory  workplace  safety  —  ergonomic  changes 
were made to workstations to ensure that workspaces 
were age appropriate;
presence  management  —  preventive  and  corrective 
support was introduced;

• 

•  workplace  health  promotion  —  employees  were 
encouraged  to  exercise  and  this  was  supported  by 
investing  in  electric  bicycles  to  lease  to  employees, 
providing yoga classes and running a series of talks on 
fitness for work;
leadership  style  and  behaviour  —  training  was 
introduced for team leaders that emphasised employee 
well-being, appreciation and recognition;
occupational 
a 
procedure  for  the  return  to  work  of  staff  after  long 
periods  of  absence  was  established,  supporting  staff 
through the transition back to work; and
generation  management  —  measures  were  taken  to 
remove  any  stigma  from  the  term  ‘ageing’  within  the 
company,  and  the  benefits  of  cooperation  between 
young and old were emphasised. 

reintegration  management  — 

• 

• 

EU-OSHA — European Agency for Safety and Health at Work | 17 

AWARDEDHealthy Workplaces Good Practice Awards 2016-2017Results achieved

• 

• 

• 

• 

All  changes  made  to  company  practice  were  based 
on  a  comprehensive  analysis  by  the  Health  and  Age 
Department,  ensuring  that  they  were  efficient  and 
based on the company’s real needs.
Eight  employees  have  been  successfully  reintegrated 
to the company since 2015 following extended periods 
of  absence,  in  most  cases  following  treatment  for 
mental illness or cancer.
introduced  after 
Return-to-work  meetings  were 
periods  of  sickness  to  identify  measures  that  the 
company could take to prevent further absences.
Goals 
for  optimum  company-wide  demographic 
development  were  defined  for  the  business  year 
2016/17 and are currently being implemented.

The measures aimed to ensure that 
employees were both physically able to 
continue working and willing to remain in the 
workforce for longer.

18 | EU-OSHA— European Agency for Safety and Health at Work 

Healthy Workplaces Good Practice Awards 2016-2017Management and miners working together to 
reduce early retirement

Rudnik
Serbia
www.contangorudnik.co.rs

The issue

Rudnik 
is  a  privately  owned  mining  company  that 
specialises  in  the  production  and  processing  of  lead,  zinc 
and copper ores. Upon privatisation in 2004, the company 
recognised that its safety and health management systems 
were  inadequate,  there  was  a  lack  of  procedures  for 
occupational safety and health, a lack of safety and health 
management,  equipment  was  outdated  and  staff  were 
insufficiently  trained  and  lacked  motivation,  resulting  in 
sickness, injuries and early retirement. The early retirement 
of  highly  skilled  workers  aged  45-50  was  resulting  in  a 
further decrease in the level of skills and experience of the 
workforce. There were also concerns about the work ability 
of  some  older  staff  in  their  current  roles.  The  company 
recognised the need to retain workers.

Action taken

Rudnik completely overhauled safety and health practices 
in the mine. To tackle the loss of skills resulting from early 
retirement,  Rudnik  employed  30  experienced  professional 
miners from a neighbouring mine to train new employees 
and  pass  on  their  knowledge  and  experience  of  good 
safety and health practice in a mining setting. In addition, 
the  company  established  an  informal  knowledge-sharing 
agreement  with  another  mine  operating  in  the  region, 
widening the breadth of experience their employees could 
benefit from.

A  modern  occupational  safety  and  health  system  that 
complied  with  national  guidelines  was  introduced,  along 
with  the  provision  of  appropriate  personal  protective 
equipment.  Occupational  safety  and  health  measures 
were  introduced  for  all,  with  procedures  and  permanent 
improvements,  including  continuous  training  and  regular 
risk  assessment.  A  strong  link  between  the  company  and 
the  competent  state  authorities  was  established,  ensuring 

that  Rudnik  receives  ongoing  suggestions  for  improving 
its  safety  and  health  practices.  A  trade  union  and  an 
occupational  safety  and  health  committee  were  also 
established  to  ensure  that  employees’  opinions  on  safety 
and health matters would be heard.

In addition to bringing conditions in the mine into line with 
best  practice  guidelines,  Rudnik  also  wanted  to  invest  in 
its employees to ensure their continued safety and health 
and,  where  possible,  to  reduce  early  retirement.  Rudnik 
has  implemented  a  voluntary  insurance  policy  to  cover 
occupational  injuries  and  illnesses.  The  company  created 
a  health-monitoring  programme  and  performs  regular 
medical  screening  for  all  workers.  In  addition,  Rudnik 
has  an  agreement  with  a  designated  medical  provider  to 
manage occupational injuries and illnesses.

Finally, Rudnik also marks Serbian Miners’ Day and, with the 
participation  of  the  local  authorities  and  the  media,  uses 
it  to  raise  awareness  of  the  importance  of  occupational 
safety and health in the mining sector.

EU-OSHA — European Agency for Safety and Health at Work | 19 

AWARDEDHealthy Workplaces Good Practice Awards 2016-2017Results achieved

• 
•  Occupational 

A training system for miners was developed.

injuries  have  decreased  significantly 
and  no  instances  of  occupational  illness  have  been 
reported since privatisation.
Since  implementation  of  the  interventions,  age  at 
retirement has increased.
Implementation  of  safety  and  health  practices  has 
increased  the  attractiveness  of  the  company  as  a 
workplace,  with  the  rate  of  staff  turnover  decreasing 
as a result.

• 

• 

A strong link between the company and the 
competent state authorities was established, 
ensuring that Rudnik receives ongoing 
suggestions for improving its safety and health 
practice.

20 | EU-OSHA— European Agency for Safety and Health at Work 

Healthy Workplaces Good Practice Awards 2016-2017Helping to ensure that construction workers reach 
retirement in good health 

Lujatalo Oy
Finland
www.lujatalo.fi

The issue

is  a 

family-owned  construction  company, 
Lujatalo 
specialising 
in  renovation  work  and  energy-efficient 
construction.  About  half  of  Lujatalo’s  workers  are  aged 
over  45.  Because  of  the  physically  demanding  nature  of 
construction  work,  continuing  careers  until  the  official 
retirement  age  is  often  challenging.  Construction  workers 
typically  suffer 
from  musculoskeletal  problems,  but 
supervisory  work  is  also  associated  with  an  increased 
mental workload and higher stress levels. 

Action taken

The  company  decided  that  measures  to  improve  the 
sustainability of working life for all workers were needed. An 
early-intervention  model  with  follow-up  actions  for  those 
with  reduced  work  ability  was  adopted.  The  interventions 
are carried out in cooperation with foremen, occupational 
health services and insurance companies, under the lead of 
the company’s head of health and well-being.

Vocational rehabilitation is provided by Lujatalo, including 
work  trials  and  retraining,  e.g.  retraining  carpenters  with 
long  experience  to  become  foremen.  Changing  tasks  or 
work  content  enables  workers  to  continue  their  careers 
until  they  receive  their  old-age  pension.  Of  those  workers 
facing early retirement from a physically demanding role, it 
is estimated that up to two thirds could be retained in the 
workplace through vocational rehabilitation.

Ideas  for  easing  the  burden  of  construction  work  and 
improving safety are gathered in the Lujavire databank. This 
electronic ergonomics databank will be made accessible to 
all employees via a smartphone app. 

Safety  observations  are  collected  with  the  Safety-App, 
which  enables  photos  to  be  taken  of  observations  to 
illustrate  any  shortcomings  and  is  also  particularly  useful 
for foreign workers who may not speak Finnish. In addition, 
reporting  has  been  incentivised  by  the  company,  with 
monthly rewards for reporters in the form of cinema tickets.

Lujatalo  also  promotes  safety  during  the  commute  to 
work  by  subsidising  the  cost  of  studded  bicycle  tyres 
for  employees  who  cycle  to  work,  an 
initiative  that 
simultaneously encourages physical activity.

Workers  whose  jobs  put  them  under  mental  strain  are 
supported  and  monitored,  e.g.  with  Firstbeat  Lifestyle 
Assessment  measurements,  which  help  employees  to 
improvement 
recognise  stress  and 
(physical activity, nutrition, sleep). 

identify  areas  for 

EU-OSHA — European Agency for Safety and Health at Work | 21 

AWARDEDHealthy Workplaces Good Practice Awards 2016-2017Results achieved

• 

• 

• 

Lost-time  injuries  fell  from  116  to  13.9  (per  million 
working hours) between 2005 and 2015.
The  number  of  serious  accidents  that  result  in  more 
than 30 days’ absence has dropped to one or two per 
year,  with  the  company  aiming  to  reduce  this  to  zero 
by 2020.
Vocational  rehabilitation,  typically  through  retraining, 
has  greatly  reduced  the  costs  associated  with  early 
retirement.

• 

A  culture  of  prevention  has  developed,  one  sign  of 
which is that the number of safety observations grew 
from  18  in  2010  to  1,425  in  2015,  partly  thanks  to  the 
development of the Safety-App.

Vocational rehabilitation can help employees 
in demanding jobs to avoid early retirement.

22 | EU-OSHA— European Agency for Safety and Health at Work 

Healthy Workplaces Good Practice Awards 2016-2017Run Your Health — empowering employees of all 
ages to take action for their health

SAP SE 
(Local example SAP Netherlands) 
www.sap.com

The issue

is  a 

leading  global 

in  the  software  sector 

independent  software 
SAP  SE 
manufacturer.  As 
in  general, 
SAP  employees  face  a  number  of  risks  to  a  sustainable 
working life, such as stress, due to the fast-paced changes 
in  the  technology  industry,  and  physical  health  issues 
arising  from  sedentary  desk-based  work.  These  can  result 
in  musculoskeletal  disorders  (MSDs)  and  other  health 
problems, in addition to reduced job satisfaction and poor 
work–life balance. 

Action taken

SAP  takes  a  holistic  and  proactive  approach  in  addressing 
these issues. A good example comes from SAP Netherlands: 
a  year-long  programme  called  Run  Your  Health  was 
introduced  to  raise  awareness  of  the  risks  of  occupational 
inactivity,  encourage  behavioural  changes  to  improve 
long-term  health  and  foster  a  healthy  workplace  culture 
through strong leadership.

At  the  launch  of  the  programme,  tools  and  equipment 
were  introduced  into  offices  to  encourage  employees 
to  move  more  frequently  throughout  the  day,  and  bio-
feedback  trackers  were  provided  to  participants. 
In 
addition,  with  the  aim  of  reducing  the  risks  of  MSDs, 
ergonomic  improvements  were  made  to  workspaces,  e.g. 
height-adjustable  desks,  tall  desks  for  ‘standing  meetings’ 
and other exercise equipment.

Poster campaigns were used to remind employees to move 
regularly  and  exercise  throughout  the  working  day  to 
combat inactivity and promote simple behavioural changes, 
such  as  taking  the  stairs  instead  of  the  lift.  Workshops  on 
a  variety  of  topics  —  including  nutrition,  stress  and  sleep 
—  were  provided  to  explain  the  impact  of  overall  health. 
Fun  health  challenges,  with  small  incentives,  took  place 
throughout  the  year  to  keep  employees  engaged  in  the 
campaign.

location-wide  Run  Your  Health 
To  complement  the 
programme, SAP also took an individual approach, offering 
employees personal health counselling services to support 
them  in  making  changes  for  a  healthier  lifestyle.  The 
company  also  improved  its  return-to-work  programme  so 
that  it  specifically  addresses  the  risks  of  sedentary  work 
habits on long-term health.

EU-OSHA — European Agency for Safety and Health at Work | 23 

AWARDEDHealthy Workplaces Good Practice Awards 2016-2017Results achieved

• 

• 

•  Over  250  employees  voluntarily  participated  in  the 
programme, representing 50 % of the workforce.
All participants reported a positive change in behaviour 
and mind-set.
All  participants  reported  improved  understanding  of 
the long-term health risks associated with a sedentary 
lifestyle. 
All  participants  reported  improved  understanding  of 
the connection between good health and a sustainable 
working life.

• 

• 

• 

Participants reported:
 –
 –

a 100 % increase in regular exercise
a  30  %  increase  in  the  number  of  steps  recorded 
per month 
a 56 % reduction in sedentary time.

 –
A  follow-on  programme  for  2017,  Run  Your  Balance, 
is  planned,  which  will  focus  on  work–life  balance  and 
happiness.

Tools and equipment such as bio-feedback 
trackers were introduced into offices to 
encourage workers to become less sedentary.

24 | EU-OSHA— European Agency for Safety and Health at Work 

Healthy Workplaces Good Practice Awards 2016-2017Optima project — training in health, fitness and 
mental resilience for public safety workers

Service Facility for the Ministry of the Interior
Czech Republic
www.zsmv.cz/optima

The issue

Action taken

The work of police officers, fire fighters and other members 
of  public  safety  organisations  is  physically  and  mentally 
demanding.  The  Optima  project,  implemented  by  the 
service facility for the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech 
Republic,  raises  awareness  of  the  importance  of  caring 
for  one’s  health.  It  offers  training  on  stress  management 
techniques  and  other  means  of  increasing  physical  and 
mental resilience. The project targets the 70,000 members 
and employees, of all ages, of the Czech Republic’s public 
safety organisations. 

The  Optima  project  began  to  operate  roughly  3  years 
ago.  Its  methodical  implementation  is  ongoing,  in  the 
form  of  practical  training  programmes,  2-week  residential 
rehabilitation courses and support for lifelong education.

In  addition  to  increasing  members’  interest  in  improving 
their  health,  fitness  and  mental  stability,  the  educational 
activities  focus  on  effective  training  procedures  in  the 
areas of:

• 

• 
• 
• 
• 

• 

• 

• 
• 
• 
• 

correct  movement  habits  to  reduce  the  risk  of  injury 
and stress and increase performance; 
relaxation;
comprehensive fitness training;
stress management;
physical exercise to prevent back, shoulder, neck, knee 
and hip pain;
prevention  of  injuries  and  support  for  the  immune 
system;
functional  performance  and  resilience  in  real-world 
situations;
better quality sleep;
improved ability to concentrate;
nutrition; and
stress management in extreme situations.

In  cooperation  with  the  health  insurance  company  of  the 
Ministry of the Interior and the Faculty of Physical Education 
and  Sport  of  Charles  University,  an  educational  DVD  was 
produced, entitled Recovery and Compensatory Exercises for 
Members  of  Public  Safety  Organisations.  At  present,  other 
videos and methodological materials are being prepared. 

A  key  tool  is  the  Optima  test,  which  assesses  physical 
condition,  stress  levels  and  motor  skills  by  measuring 
heart rate variability and the electrical activity of the brain 
using the latest technology. This adds value to the training 
process using bio-feedback.

The success of the project has led to the decision to include 
the methodology in the basic training of all security forces 
of the Ministry of the Interior. 

EU-OSHA — European Agency for Safety and Health at Work | 25 

COMMENDEDHealthy Workplaces Good Practice Awards 2016-2017Results achieved

• 

• 

• 

A change in strategy with regard to the issue of health, 
fitness  and  mental  resilience  in  a  department  of  the 
Ministry of the Interior.
than  100  educational 
Implementation  of  more 
programmes with more than 1,500 trained participants; 
excellent feedback has been received from members.
A  demonstrable  increase  in  members’  interest  in  the 
issue of caring for their own health, fitness and mental 
resilience.

• 

• 

The  pilot  Optima  test  has  shown  very  positive 
preliminary results. 
An 
entitled  Recovery  and 
Compensatory  Exercises  for  Members  of  Public  Safety 
Organisations, has been distributed. 

instructional  DVD, 

The project treats the individual holistically, 
emphasising the connection between body 
and mind.

26 | EU-OSHA— European Agency for Safety and Health at Work 

Healthy Workplaces Good Practice Awards 2016-2017Encouraging the use of assistive devices in 
healthcare

Region Midtjylland (Central Denmark Region)
Denmark
www.rm.dk/om-os/english/ 

The issue

The  Central  Denmark  Region  is  an  administrative  unit  in 
Denmark with responsibility in the first place for healthcare, 
including  responsibility  for  hospital  services.  Transfer  and 
care  tasks  performed  by  nurses  and  care  assistants  are 
a  source  of  injury  risk  and  can  often  result  in  early  exit 
from  the  labour  market.  The  use  of  assistive  devices  can 
reduce the risk of injury by up to 40 %; however, a survey 
by  the  Danish  National  Research  Centre  for  the  Working 
Environment found that only 30 % of care givers surveyed 
used  transfer  aids.  These  figures  made  clear  the  need  to 
encourage  the  use  of  transfer  aids  to  protect  workers’ 
safety and health.

Action taken 

As  part  of  the  initiative  in  the  area  of  patient  transfer, 
the  Central  Denmark  Region  developed  a  website  called 
Transfer Portal, which is updated continuously. The website 
contains  more  than  30  educational  videos  on  the  most 
common types of patient transfer for patients with varying 
degrees  of  self-reliance.  The  videos  focus  on  the  transfer 
aids  identified  by  workers  as  most  useful.  An  e-learning 
course  was  also  created  and  tested  by  employees.  It  has 
been  important  to  adapt  the  course  to  the  specific  needs 
of each department and individual. This has been achieved 
through  focusing  on  the  types  of  transfers  most  often 
performed by the employee. 

The region recognised that the ready availability of transfer 
aids  would  be  critical  to  their  successful  use  in  everyday 
practice. The regional budget for assistive devices has been 
increased accordingly and assistive device technology has 
been  reorganised  to  optimise  procurement,  logistics  and 
operations.  Regional  projects  have  addressed  the  specific 
transfer  needs  of  a  variety  of  hospitals,  involving  patient 
transfer  supervisors  and  employees  in  the  development 
and implementation of department-specific action plans. In 
addition, design guides are now published regularly in the 
region,  specifying  building  requirements  for  construction 
and  conversion  projects,  such  as  for  bathrooms,  scanner 
rooms,  bedrooms  and  operating  rooms,  so  that  there  is 
room  for  storing  assistive  devices  and  space  to  perform 
patient transfers. 

A  holistic  approach  was  taken:  efforts  were  coordinated 
across  the  region  and  a  regional  knowledge  transfer 
network  was  established  between  hospitals.  Cooperation 
between regional managers and regular network meetings 
allows 
the  development  of  strategic  and  practical 
interventions and ensures continuous improvement.

EU-OSHA — European Agency for Safety and Health at Work | 27 

COMMENDEDHealthy Workplaces Good Practice Awards 2016-2017Results achieved 

• 

• 

• 

• 

The number of accidents decreased by 31 % between 
2011 and 2015.
The  cost  associated  with  transfer-related  accidents 
from  DKK  4.8  million  to 
decreased  by  52  %, 
DKK 2.3 million during the same period.
Sickness  absence  as  a  result  of  transfer-related 
accidents decreased by 56 % between 2013 and 2015.
Absence  due  to  transfer-related  accidents  as  a 
proportion of overall sickness absence decreased from 
20 % to 10 % during the same period.

Photographer: Helle Brandstrup Larsen

The Central Denmark Region has 
implemented targeted efforts to promote the 
use of assistive devices for patient transfer.

28 | EU-OSHA— European Agency for Safety and Health at Work 

Healthy Workplaces Good Practice Awards 2016-2017Reducing workplace risks to employees aged 
over 50

Tarkett S.p.A.
Italy
www.tarkett.com

The issue

Tarkett  is  an  Italian  producer  of  natural  linoleum  flooring. 
Tarkett  reports  that  34  %  of  the  company’s  employees 
working  in  machine  operation  roles  and  offices  are  aged 
over  50.  The  majority  of  illnesses  are  suffered  by  this  age 
group.  The  company  has  concerns  about  cardiovascular 
health problems in employees due to overexertion, surges 
in temperature, musculoskeletal disorders, loss of strength, 
reduced eyesight and sharpness of vision and falls. 

Action taken

The  actions  taken  by  Tarkett  were  comprehensive  and 
inclusive  and  started  with  risk  assessment  with  the  aim 
of  reducing  workplace  risks.  The  management  team,  the 
company  doctor  and  staff  safety  representatives  were  all 
included in the planning and implementation of new safety 
measures.  When  undertaking  general  risk  assessment, 
Tarkett  noted  that  additional  preventive  measures  were 
required for staff aged over 50.

Information  sessions  on  specific  risk  factors,  organised  by 
the Prevention and Protection Department, are held every 
4  years  for  all  employees.  It  was  decided  to  increase  the 
frequency of these sessions to every 2 years for employees 
aged over 50.

instituted  by  Tarkett.  The  company 

Furthermore,  more  robust  operational  safety  checks 
were 
increased 
the  frequency  of  on-site  checks  to  weekly  for  older 
employees’  workstations  and  fortnightly  for  those  of 
younger  employees.  Changes  made  as  a  result  of  these 
checks  include  reducing  physical  workload  by  purchasing 
a  portable  electric  hoist,  and  the  purchase  of  more 
ergonomic equipment, e.g. standard toolboxes have been 
replaced by tool trolleys and a hydraulic platform for lifting 
material  has  been  installed,  thus  reducing  strain  on  all 
employees.

Other steps to reduce strain and improve comfort include 
the  upgrading  of  items  of  personal  protective  equipment 
(PPE),  as  more  comfortable  PPE  can  make  work  less 
strenuous. The PPE was upgraded and the old equipment 
replaced  with  items  that  provide  the  same  or  greater 
protection  but  are  considered  more  comfortable  by 
employees.

As  for  the  health  protocol,  standard  health  checks  are 
carried  out  regularly  for  all  employees  by  the  company 
doctor.  To  take  into  account  the  specific  needs  of  older 
employees,  the  company  doctor,  working  with  the 
Prevention and Protection Department, added extra items 
to the health checks for workers aged over 50. These extra 
checks include an annual assessment of motor skills, muscle 
elasticity and prostate-specific antigen — a biomarker that 
is often elevated in prostate cancer — in addition to routine 
blood  tests.  Cardiological  assessments,  eye  examinations 
and psychometric tests are carried out biannually.

EU-OSHA — European Agency for Safety and Health at Work | 29 

COMMENDEDHealthy Workplaces Good Practice Awards 2016-2017Older  employees’  potential  need  for  more  rest  than 
younger employees has been recognised by the company; 
employees  aged  over  50  years  are  allowed  to  take  longer 
and more frequent rest breaks when necessary. Employees 
can also request a change of workstation, temporarily or on 
an open-ended basis, to allow physical or mental recovery.

The management team, the company doctor 
and staff safety representatives were all 
included in the planning and implementation 
of new safety measures.

Results achieved

• 

• 

• 

• 

There  has  been  an  80  %  reduction  in  the  risk  index 
relating to tasks carried out by workers aged over 50.
There  has  not  been  a  single  accident  involving  an 
employee aged over 50 since 2010.
In  2016,  80  measures  for  improving  the  workplace 
were identified.
All  employees  aged  over  50  received  the  new,  more 
extensive, medical examination in 2016.

30 | EU-OSHA— European Agency for Safety and Health at Work 

Healthy Workplaces Good Practice Awards 2016-2017An integrated management system for an ageing 
workforce in heavy industry

Vassiliko Cement Works PLC
Cyprus
vassiliko.com

The issue

Vassiliko  Cement  Works  produces  clinker  and  cement 
and  operates  several  quarries.  As  is  common  in  physically 
demanding  industries,  the  ageing  of  the  workforce  at 
Vassiliko  presents  a  significant  challenge  to  the  company. 
Employees  aged  50-64  constitute  34  %  of  Vassiliko’s 
workforce.  Older  workers  in  heavy  industry  are  at  risk  of 
early  retirement  and  disability  if  the  work  environment 
and  work  demands  are  not  adapted  to  their  changing 
capacities. 

Action taken

The  company  carried  out  a  risk  assessment  process 
specifically considering the risks faced by older employees. 
Vassiliko  recognised  that  older  workers  are  particularly 
vulnerable  to  the  risks  posed  by  shift  work  and  heavy 
workloads. To reduce the risks, the company increased the 
number  of  shifts  from  four  to  five  by  employing  15  new 
workers, allowing employees longer rest periods between 
shifts. Ergonomic improvements to the work environment 
were  made,  including  the  installation  of  two  new  lifts  to 
reduce  physical  strain  and  the  risks  of  musculoskeletal 
disorders.  The  company  also  carried  out  a  full  renovation 
of its offices, applying ergonomic principles to improve the 
work environment.

Vassiliko  provides  medical  examinations  for  its  personnel. 
In  cooperation  with  occupational  healthcare,  electronic 
medical  records  were  created  for  all  personnel.  This 
allowed certificates of work sustainability to be created for 
each  employee,  enabling  the  organisation  to  determine 
the  tasks  a  worker  is  able  to  perform  and  the  measures 
that  would  further  improve  working  conditions.  In  cases 
in  which  a  worker  is  not  able  to  carry  out  the  same  job 
because  of  health  problems,  the  company  supports 

redeployment. The decision to move a worker to a different 
job is agreed between the worker, the occupational doctor 
and  the  management.  The  company  also  installed  an  on-
site first aid facility and employed a nurse to staff it during 
core working hours. Two defibrillators were purchased and 
42 employees were trained to use them and to administer 
cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Furthermore,  Vassiliko  ran  a  culture  change  programme, 
creating teams made up of employees of varying ages and 
backgrounds  and  at  different  levels  in  the  company;  the 
aim  was  to  promote  team  spirit  and  integration,  as  well 
as  cooperation  between  older  and  younger  employees. 
The  company  also  started  training  programmes  aimed 
at  older  employees,  covering  accident  prevention  and 
stress management, as well as new technology. To protect 
employees’  mental  health,  sessions  with  a  psychiatrist  on 
the topic of stress and how to deal with it were held. 

EU-OSHA — European Agency for Safety and Health at Work | 31 

COMMENDEDHealthy Workplaces Good Practice Awards 2016-2017Results achieved

•  Work performance increased across all age groups.
•  Measures to improve the work environment resulted in 

• 

better job satisfaction for employees.
A better work–life balance was achieved by creating a 
fifth shift.

•  Over 90 employees took part in the sessions with the 
psychiatrist, receiving advice on managing stress.

Vassiliko carried out a risk assessment 
process specifically considering the risks faced 
by older employees.

32 | EU-OSHA— European Agency for Safety and Health at Work 

Healthy Workplaces Good Practice Awards 2016-2017Reducing the risks posed by shift work for more 
sustainable working lives 

Internal  traineeship  was  introduced,  and  a  series  of  short 
films  was  made  about  each  department  to  demonstrate 
the  types  of  tasks  performed  there.  Employees  can  apply 
for  internal  traineeships  to  acquire  knowledge  in  other 
areas and to gain the necessary skills to change jobs within 
the company. 

To encourage employees to make positive changes to their 
lifestyles,  a  calendar  of  events  was  developed,  featuring 
activities  related  to  nutrition,  relaxation  and  exercise. 
The  company  now  provides  access  to  a  diverse  range 
of  activities,  including  cycling  tours,  running  training, 
swimming and t’ai chi. A workshop on nutrition was held, 
free  fruit  was  provided  and  information  leaflets  were 
distributed  to  raise  awareness  of  the  importance  of  a 
healthy diet.

Loders Croklaan
Netherlands
ioiloders.com

The issue

Loders  Croklaan,  a  supplier  of  edible  oils,  with  450 
employees,  is  a  company  with  an  ageing  workforce.  The 
nature of the work is physically demanding. The company 
operates  24  hours  a  day,  and  so  shift  work  is  required. 
These factors, together with an ageing workforce, present 
challenges for the company in terms of ensuring sustainable 
working lives.

Action taken

Loders  Croklaan  felt  that  the  most  important  change 
that  needed  to  be  made  was  to  increase  employees’ 
engagement  in  managing  safety  and  health.  A  bottom-
up  approach  was  taken:  a  steering  group  was  set  up 
comprising employees from all sections of the organisation, 
management  representatives,  human  resources  and  the 
works  council  and  labour  union  representatives  in  order 
to  compile  a  project  plan  that  would  be  supported,  and 
engaged with, by everyone in the organisation.

Workshops  held  and  questionnaire  completed  by 
employees  showed  that  the  three  main  areas  in  need 
of  improvement  were  shift  work,  healthy  lifestyle  and 
sustainable  employability.  Three  teams  were  created  to 
each work on one topic.

As  a  result  of  the  recommendations  made  by  the 
improvement  team  on  shift  work,  part-time  work  was 
identified  as  a  need  and  job  sharing  was  introduced.  This 
allows  employees  to  work  part-time,  giving  them  longer 
recovery periods between shifts. Awareness was raised and 
information  provided  to  employees  on  the  opportunities 
for part-time retirement. 

EU-OSHA — European Agency for Safety and Health at Work | 33 

COMMENDEDHealthy Workplaces Good Practice Awards 2016-2017communication 

channels  were  used: 

Various 
workshops, meetings, leaflets.
Sustainable  employment  has  become  integrated  into 
everyday  practice  at  Loders  Croklaan  and  features  on 
the agenda of management meetings.

Employee engagement: employees are the 
source of inspiration for the approach and the 
company gives them the opportunity to put 
their ideas about sustainable employability 
into practice.

Results achieved

• 

• 

• 

• 

The improvement teams established at the beginning 
of  the  project  continued  their  work  independently 
after the end of the trial period.
The 
job-sharing  system  to 
mitigate the risks involved in shift work was positively 
received by employees.

implementation  of  a 

•  Opportunities  were  provided  for  internal  training  to 
gain knowledge of other areas of work and for moving 
to other departments.
There was a high level of employee involvement in and 
awareness  of  the  process,  and  employees  have  taken 
ownership,  while  the  company  has  an  encouraging/
facilitating role.

• 

34 | EU-OSHA— European Agency for Safety and Health at Work 

Healthy Workplaces Good Practice Awards 2016-2017Workplace mental and physical health promotion 
in a police force

Police Directorate Murska Sobota
Slovenia
www.policija.si

The issue

The  Police  Directorate  Murska  Sobota  is  one  of  eight 
autonomous  regional  police  directorates 
in  Slovenia. 
The  nature  of  the  work  undertaken  by  police  officers  is 
physically  and  emotionally  demanding;  therefore,  it  is 
important  to  ensure  that  the  physical  and  mental  well-
being  of  employees  is  maintained,  thus  making  officers’ 
working lives more sustainable. The age structure analysis 
of the Police Directorate revealed that 60 % of employees 
were aged over 40, with the average age in 2015 being 44.

Action taken

The  directorate  established  a  working  group  made 
up  of  representatives  in  various  positions  within  the 
organisation focusing on the development of measures for 
the  promotion  and  improvement  of  mental  and  physical 
health in the workplace. The working group also included 
a member of the National Institute of Public Health and the 
workers’ representative for occupational safety and health, 
and  it  also  kept  the  two  major  police  trade  unions  up  to 
date on the progress of the project.

The  project  aimed  to  make  changes  at  the  organisation’s 
policy  level  and  also  at  the  workplace  level  to  create 
a  supportive  environment  and  ensure  proper  working 
conditions,  and  it  introduced  a  number  of  workplace 
health  promotion  measures.  The  project  encouraged  the 
participation  of  employees  of  all  ages  in  the  initiatives. 
The working group focused on risk assessment, identifying 
hazards  and  establishing  measures  that  could  be  taken 
to  reduce  the  risks.  Preventive  medical  screening,  health 
assessment  and  a  stress  questionnaire  were  used 
in 
this  analysis.  The  working  group  aimed  to  ensure  that 
appropriate jobs were available for employees with specific 
needs,  e.g.  pregnant  women,  older  officers,  workers  with 
chronic illnesses and employees with disabilities. 

As part of the projects, workshops were held on a number 
of  subjects,  including  promoting  healthy  lifestyle  choices, 
stress  management,  strengthening  relationships  in  the 
workplace, 
levels,  raising 
awareness  of  alcohol  and  tobacco  misuse,  recognition 
of  workplace  bullying,  and  occupational  exposure  to 
infectious diseases. 

increasing  physical  activity 

EU-OSHA — European Agency for Safety and Health at Work | 35 

COMMENDEDHealthy Workplaces Good Practice Awards 2016-2017Results achieved

• 

• 
• 

• 
• 

The  active  and  holistic  approach  taken  by  the 
directorate has created employee satisfaction.
Sickness absence decreased following the intervention.
Information points raising awareness of healthy eating 
and  exercise  were  established 
in  the  workplace, 
and  material  on  lifestyle  choices  was  added  to  the 
organisation’s intranet page.
The workshops were well received by employees.
The interventions to promote physical fitness, including 
strength  training,  recreational  hiking,  a  celebration 
of  World  Health  Day  and  cooking  competitions,  have 
proved successful.

The project aimed to make changes at policy 
level and encourage the participation of 
employees of all ages.

36 | EU-OSHA— European Agency for Safety and Health at Work 

Healthy Workplaces Good Practice Awards 2016-2017Moving towards a better work–life balance in the 
chemical manufacturing sector

Duslo, a.s.
Slovakia
www.duslo.sk

The issue

Duslo is a chemical company that manufactures organic and 
inorganic chemical compounds. In a working environment 
where  hazardous  chemicals  and  high  temperatures  are 
common, human error can have serious consequences, so 
safety  and  health  in  the  workplace  are  a  primary  concern 
for the company. The average Duslo employee is aged over 
45 years. The company recognises the wealth of experience 
these older employees possess, but also acknowledges the 
increased risks associated with older workers, including the 
higher occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and 
greater predisposition to occupational injury.

Action taken

Duslo  undertook  extensive  research  to 
identify  the 
areas  that  employees  were  concerned  about  and  used 
the  information  gathered  to  develop  an  employee  care 
programme  and 
implement  appropriate  measures  to 
reduce occupational risks and improve work performance. 

Awareness  of  the  programme  was  raised  using  meetings, 
the  company  intranet,  notice  boards  and  the  company 
magazine.

To  prevent  MSDs,  annual  ergonomic  evaluations  are 
carried  out,  and  ergonomic  equipment  is  provided  to  the 
employees.  ‘Spine  seminars’  were  organised,  focusing  on 
correct  sitting  posture,  and  individual  and  group  exercise 
led  by  a  therapist  was  offered  to  the  staff,  including 
rehabilitation  sessions  in  the  swimming  pool,  sauna  and 
whirlpool. 

Professional  lectures  have  been  organised  on  healthy 
eating,  and  free  dietary  supplements  have  been  provided 
to  employees.  Intergenerational  contact  was  promoted 
through  knowledge-sharing  initiatives.  Older  employees 
shared  their  experiences  of  production  technology  and 
specific  problems  and  solutions  with  younger  employees; 
younger employees then shared their expertise with newer 
technology  such  as  IT  programs  with  older  employees, 
making these meetings mutually beneficial exchanges.

EU-OSHA — European Agency for Safety and Health at Work | 37 

COMMENDEDHealthy Workplaces Good Practice Awards 2016-2017To encourage mixing among employees of all ages and to 
promote physical and mental health, Duslo also encouraged 
employees  to  participate  in  sporting  activities.  Several 
activities were organised, including a football tournament, 
a  bowling  league  and  a  running  club.  In  addition,  an 
employee day and a sports day were established as annual 
events  for  workers  and  their  families,  to  create  a  better 
atmosphere  by  enabling  employees  to  build  relationships 
with  colleagues  throughout  the  company  and  to  improve 
work–life balance.

Several  measures  to  reduce  psychosocial  risks  were  also 
introduced. Seminars on stress and how to deal with it were 
held,  and  free,  discreet  consultations  with  a  psychologist 
were  offered  to  all  employees.  A  particularly  innovative 
action  on  Duslo’s  part  was  the  establishment  of  a  care 
centre for workers’ elderly relatives. Employees with caring 
responsibilities  could  bring  relatives  to  the  centre  while 
they were at work, safe in the knowledge that their relatives 
were receiving professional care with medical supervision.

Results achieved

• 

• 

• 

• 

A reduction in sick leave as a result of stress, depression 
and other mental health issues has been reported.
Since beginning the project, productivity and customer 
satisfaction levels have both increased.
Activities  to  build  interpersonal  relationships  in  the 
workplace  have  improved  the  working  environment 
and increased the frequency of social events.
Since  the  beginning  of  the  project,  employees  have 
shown greater interest in physical activity and healthier 
lifestyle choices.

A particularly innovative action on Duslo’s 
part was the establishment of a care centre for 
workers’ elderly relatives.

38 | EU-OSHA— European Agency for Safety and Health at Work 

Healthy Workplaces Good Practice Awards 2016-2017Lengthening careers through well-being at work
The Federation of Finnish Technology Industries
Finland
teknologiateollisuus.fi

The issue

Action taken

The Federation of Finnish Technology Industries is an expert 
organisation  of  100  people,  representing  the  interests  of 
Finnish  technology  companies.  The  organisation  is  facing 
the  challenge  of  an  ageing  workforce,  with  the  average 
employee aged 49. There is a need to maintain the current 
workforce,  minimising  early  retirement  where  possible, 
and  to  promote  knowledge  transfer  between  older  and 
younger employees. The organisation’s occupational safety 
and health plan identified a number of factors contributing 
to  mental  strain,  such  as  demanding  tasks,  high  workload 
and lack of a work–life balance. 

A  well-being  at  work  group  was  established  to  tackle 
the  issues  identified  as  leading  to  mental  or  physical 
stress.  The  group,  which  comprises  members  of  different 
personnel  groups  and  the  management  team,  leads  the 
organisational  development  process.  The  work  well-being 
index  (scaled  from  0  to  10)  measured  by  personal  radar 
survey is used to identify areas that require improvement. 
The  dimensions  of  the  survey  are:  health  and  functional 
capacity, competence, motivation, working conditions and 
management, work–life balance, and work ability. 

All  the  survey  results  are  shared  within  the  organisation, 
and  the  process  of  brainstorming  to  improve  the  working 
environment  includes  all  personnel.  Key  measures  to 
improve  well-being  are  recorded  in  an  action  plan,  the 
progress of which is monitored by the management group, 
which reports on it monthly to the board of directors.

An area that was identified by the survey as requiring action 
was  the  working  time  arrangements  of  employees  aged 
35-44.  Based  on  the  results  of  the  survey,  for  this  group, 
working time arrangements were a key factor affecting work 
ability.  In  response  to  this,  the  organisation  implemented 
a  flexible  working  system  that  allows  employees  to  work 
from home in certain situations. Overall, employees’ work–
life  balance  and  well-being  at  work  scores  increased  after 
the flexible working arrangements were introduced.

Inconsistent leadership was identified as an issue that could 
negatively impact on well-being at work, and consequently 
a  programme  for  the  systematic  development  of  leaders 
was  introduced.  A  supervisor  forum,  which  meets  six 
times  a  year  to  engage  in  development  activities,  was 
established. The process is based on the development cycle 
of leadership: definition of good leadership, feedback, and 
development  follow-up.  360-degree  feedback,  which  is 
repeated  twice  a  year,  is  used  to  identify  strengths  and 
areas for development.

EU-OSHA — European Agency for Safety and Health at Work | 39 

COMMENDEDHealthy Workplaces Good Practice Awards 2016-2017Results achieved

• 

• 

• 

All aspects of the organisation have been changed to 
improve employee well-being, including alterations to 
occupational  safety  and  health  policies  and  activities, 
personnel  development  processes  and  organisational 
leadership.
The work well-being index score increased from 7.74 in 
2013 to 8.51 in 2016.
Survey  scores  on  employees’  ability  to  continue 
working until retirement have also increased, from 8.01 
in 2013 to 9.04 in 2016.

• 

Employees  aged  35-44  scored  their  satisfaction  with 
their  ability  to  balance  their  work  and  home  lives  at 
5.83  in  2013;  this  increased  substantially,  to  8.35,  in 
2016,  following  the  introduction  and  expansion  of 
flexible  working  arrangements  that  allow  employees 
to work from home.

•  Overall  satisfaction  with  management  increased  from 

7.81 in 2015 to 8.25 only 6 months later in 2016.

Employees have reported that they have a 
better work–life balance since the introduction 
of flexible working arrangements.

40 | EU-OSHA— European Agency for Safety and Health at Work 

Healthy Workplaces Good Practice Awards 2016-2017Physiotherapy programme to prevent strain 
injuries at work and to deliver measurable change 
across partner companies

Toyota Material Handling
Belgium
www.toyota-forklifts.eu

The issue

Action taken

Across  Europe,  Toyota  Material  Handling  employs  over 
4,500  mobile  technicians  —  approximately  50%  of  the 
workforce  –  to  service  its  customers’  material  handling 
equipment.  Engaging  with  the  Healthy  Workplaces  for  All 
Ages Campaign, and consulting stakeholders, the company 
identified an ageing workforce as a material issue on which 
stakeholders expect transparency. 

Following  a  recent  survey,  Toyota  Material  Handling 
recognised  that  15  %  of  its  workforce  in  Europe  is  over 
50  years  old.  In  the  company’  factories,  automation  has 
eliminated  heavy  lifting.  However,  for  mobile  technicians 
working  on  trucks  at  customers’  sites,  it  is  not  possible  to 
automate manual handling operations to the same extent. 
Toyota Material Handling recognised that overstrain is the 
main cause of injuries among service technicians.

With increasing retirement ages, the company understood 
that  it  needs  to  reinforce  measures  to  help  all  employees 
adopt  healthy  working  practices  in  order  to  retain  its 
highly  skilled  and  experienced  workforce.  Toyota  Material 
Handling  took  action  to  prevent  strain  injuries  at  work: 
following  an  in-depth  analysis  of  accident  data,  as  well 
as  consultations  with  service  technicians,  poor  manual 
handling practices were identified as the primary cause of 
injuries; therefore, the company developed a physiotherapy 
programme.

The  first  stage  focused  only  on  service  technicians  who 
had  suffered  an  injury  through  overstrain.  The  external 
physiotherapist  delivered  an  introductory  training  session 
combining  theory  and  practical  exercises.  This  was 
recorded and shared on the internal e-learning tool, where 

EU-OSHA — European Agency for Safety and Health at Work | 41 

COMMENDEDHealthy Workplaces Good Practice Awards 2016-2017Results achieved

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

In  the  last  2  years,  accidents  through  overstrain  have 
more than halved.
The  proportion  of  employees  who  took  leave  of 
absence as a result of an accident decreased from 20 % 
in 2006 to 5 % in 2014.
Since  undergoing  treatment  with  the  physiotherapist, 
none  of  the  employees  who  experienced  overstrain 
injuries has experienced a similar injury.
The absenteeism costs avoided are equal to four times 
the investment cost of 337 physiotherapy sessions. This 
has also led to a reduction in the company’s insurance 
premiums.
Savings  are  reinvested  in  health  and  safety  measures 
for  employees  in  Spain.  Being  struck  by  an  object 
was  identified  as  the  second  most  significant  cause 
of  accidents;  the  company  is  now  analysing  and 
improving  the  tools  and  equipment  handled  by  its 
mobile service technicians.

Conversations with service technicians helped 
to identify poor manual handling practices as 
the primary cause of injuries.

it  was  accessible  to  everyone  in  the  company.  Following 
its  success  with  workers  who  had  been  injured,  the 
programme  was  then  rolled  out  to  all  employees,  with  a 
refresher  course  delivered  to  recipients  3  years  after  their 
initial training.

With the support of this business case, other Toyota entities, 
in the Czech Republic, France, Italy and Sweden, have since 
renewed  or  initiated  similar  physiotherapy  programmes. 
This  business  case  was  also  shared  externally  through 
EU-OSHA’s  good  practice  exchange  events,  organised  by 
Toyota  Material  Handling  and  fellow  official  campaign 
partners Seat, Siemens and Lego across the EU.

42 | EU-OSHA— European Agency for Safety and Health at Work 

Healthy Workplaces Good Practice Awards 2016-2017