by Jbs071510 e3 — July 19, 2010—A wide range of pan-European and international companies and organizations from both the private and public sectors have joined forces with the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) for its new Healthy Workplaces Campaign 2010/2011 on safe maintenance in a bid to reduce work-related accidents.
The campaign, which builds on the achievements of the Healthy Workplaces Campaign 2008/09 on risk assessment, aims to raise awareness of proper workplace maintenance. Good practices in safe maintenance will be promoted through a variety of campaign activities including conferences, seminars and training sessions for workers, employees and other stakeholders involved in maintenance work.
“It is estimated that in Europe up to 20 percent of all workplace accidents are connected with maintenance and in a number of sectors over half of all accidents are maintenance-related. Ten to fifteen percent of fatal accidents at work can be attributed to maintenance operations. Therefore, it is vital that maintenance is carried out properly, taking into consideration workers’ safety and health,” said Dr Jukka Takala, Director of EU-OSHA.
The campaign partners will help put safe maintenance on the agenda at both the European and national levels through their own campaigning events and communication networks. Knowledge and experience-sharing will be at the heart of the campaign and ensure that organizations reap the operational and economic benefits of safer maintenance.
EU-OSHA will continue to sign up official campaign partners during the course of the Healthy Workplaces campaign. For more information about the campaign partners and the activities they will be hosting in a specifc region visit the Healthy Workplaces Campaign Web site.
