"EU legislation on health and safety at work (OSH) is essential to protect the health and safety of the nearly 170 million workers in the EU. Protecting people from health and safety risks in the workplace is a key element in ensuring decent and lasting working conditions for all workers." Sergio Caci, Mayor of Montalto di Castro made these remarks at the adoption of his opinion regarding "EU strategic framework on health and safety at work 2021-2027" in the SEDEC Commission meeting today.
The European Commission's proposal for an EU strategic framework on health and safety at work 2021-2027 sets the target of zero work-related deaths by 2030. The opinion calls to continue strengthening efforts at all levels of government to prevent workplace accidents and illnesses, taking into account also psychosocial risks.
The opinion of the rapporteur is fundamental on this issue, considering that local administrators are in close contact with both the stakeholders and the workers themselves. It recalls that the EU strategic framework for health and safety at work 2021-2027 is a strategy that includes a sufficiently ambitious approach by the European Commission to reduce related deaths to work by 2030 (the so-called "Vision Zero" goal), while ensuring a safer work environment in line with the new needs that have emerged in particular following the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Although up to now there have been important improvements, together with the Vision Zero goal, we observe that we need a greater inclusion of all categories, which has not yet taken place. The world of work, due to the pandemic, has changed considerably and it is right that the Commission tries to anticipate every aspect concerning safety at work like occupational diseases, protection and updating EU standards" said Sergio Caci during his presentation.
He highlighted that "another aspect that should not be underestimated is the close connection between Safety at Work and the green and digital transition. Indeed, technological progress is constantly changing the landscape of a workplace. It is therefore good that the EU is expressing itself with proposals that are in step with technology in the workplace, as indicated in the Commission's first objective of the new EU strategic framework, such as the harmonization of rules on Artificial Intelligence."
Regional and Local Authorities must face the problems of safety in the workplace directly in the field, supervise and build a culture of prevention and protection of the worker. The collaboration between them, the EU and the national bodies in charge, such as the exchange of experiences and good practices, will foster progress in the field of OSH and will help build a solid culture of prevention. To this end, we ask the Commission to create a dedicated digital tool (for example a Portal) to which regions and cities can refer when they deem it appropriate or necessary to provide information to the European legislator on health and safety in the workplace.