THE EUROPEAN CAMPAIGN FOR SAFETY AND HEALTH AT WORK, FORMERLY KNOWN AS EUROWEEK,
WILL THIS TIME BE A TWO-YEAR CAMPAIGN FOCUSSING ON RISK ASSESSMENT.
The UK's campaign, aimed at employers, workers, safety representatives and other stakeholders,
will be officially launched in London on 24 June 2008. Full details of activities and downloadable tools
and materials will be available on that date.
The overall aim of the Healthy Workplaces
campaign is to promote an integrated management approach that takes into account the different steps of risk assessment.
The two-year risk assessment campaign seeks
to convey clearly that risk assessment is a systematic examination of all aspects of the work undertaken to consider what
can cause injury or harm, whether the hazards can be eliminated and, if not, what preventive or protective measures are, or
should be, in place to control the risks.
The campaign seeks to demystify the risk
assessment process; risk assessment is not necessarily complicated, bureaucratic or a task only for experts.
It also promotes the idea of a participatory
approach to risk assessment. It is essential for the workforce to be consulted and involved in the risk assessment to ensure
that hazards are identified not only from principles of knowledge but also by knowledge of working conditions and patterns
of adverse effects upon workers.
Risk assessment with its component of worker
involvement is one of the key elements in building a sustainable prevention culture.
By providing clear and simple guidance,
we seek to empower all employers to carry out an effective risk assessment, and to take appropriate action to eliminate or
control risks.
Objectives:
The main objectives of the European
campaign on risk assessment are to:
- Raise awareness of the legal responsibility and the practical need to assess risks in
the workplace
- Promote a simple stepwise approach to risk assessment
- Demystify risk assessment and the process of carrying out risk assessment
- Encourage enterprises (particularly micro-firms and SMEs) to carry out their own risk
assessment (in-house)
- Promote the idea that risk assessment is inclusive; it is the responsibility of everyone
in the workplace not solely the concern of employers (or experts), and benefits from a participatory approach to risk assessment
- Support employers, workers' safety representatives, workers, practitioners, preventive
services, policy makers and other stakeholders in improving risk assessment
- Communicate that risk assessment is the first step towards systematic OSH management
GMB Messages:
Risk assessment is not an objective in itself but a powerful tool for identifying
the need for preventive measures. It is not just a matter of checking off a list of recognised hazards; it has to take into
account the less visible ones, and the interactions between different factors.
Everybody has an interest in an evaluation
of the risks and corrective measures to be put in place, and everyone in the workplace has a valuable contribution to make;
assessing OSH risks is in the interest of both companies and their workers. It is a tripartite approach and should be carried
out with the active involvement of the employer, workforce and safety reps workers who have to be involved and consulted in
the risk assessment process.
The European prevention approach:
- Avoid risks
- Evaluate risks which can not be avoided
- Combat the risks at source
- Adapt the work to the individual
- Adapt to technical progress
- Replace the dangerous by the non-dangerous or less dangerous
- Develop a coherent overall prevention policy
- Give collective protective measures priority over individual protective measures
- Give appropriate instructions, information and training to workers
But more importantly
for the GMB, is that, employers consult with safety representatives at all stages of the process.
If your company
wants to get involved with Euroweek and want help and advice from the GMB, please contact Martin Bevan, GMB Health &
Safety Officer.
: martin.bevan@gmb.org.uk
' 0121 550
4888
