NP: In what state did you find EU-OSHA when arriving?
Christa Sedlatchek: I found that now EU-OSHA is much more efficient than it was when I worked there for the first time, some years ago, therefore contributing more and more to making Europe a safer, healthier and more productive place to work.

NP: What about the impact on medium and small companies?
CS: Of course, we know that this is where we need to put a special effort now, and this is why EU-OSHA is going to launch its 2012-2013 campaign “Working together for risk prevention”, focusing on the twin concepts of leadership and worker involvement. This new campaign will be strongly targeted on medium and small companies. Moreover, EU-OSHA will work closely with the authorities and social partners at EU and national level to put the OiRA tool generator at their disposal. Experience shows that proper risk assessment is the key to healthy workplaces. This is why EU-OSHA is developing an easy-to-use and cost-free web application (the “OiRA” - Online interactive Risk Assessment) that can help micro and small organisations to put in place a step-by-step risk assessment process – starting with the identification and evaluation of workplace risks, through decision making on preventive actions and the taking of action, to monitoring and reporting.

NP: Do you think the crisis has an impact on health at work in Europe?
CS: The crisis should not prevent health at work improvement, on the contrary, this policy is needed more and more. We know that well managed enterprises have healthier and more motivated workers as good working conditions and healthy workers lead to economic success. Unfortunately, workplace health and safety does not always get the necessary attention. Companies are under immense pressure and fight for their existence on the market. But in the long term only enterprises with healthy staff are successful. That’s why we need to appeal to them not to think at short notice and to invest in occupational safety and health even in times of crisis. Healthy workers are import for European social and economic stability.

NP: Do you have other projects for EU-OSHA?
CS: In the coming years, EU-OSHA will have to deal with the effects of demographic change with a view to improving the work ability of employees. We also need to look at the use of new technologies and working materials and associated risks and at a holistic prevention approach at enterprise level. The development and dissemination of practical tools for micro and small enterprises will be at the focus of our activities to help them improve working conditions. We will also put efforts into mainstreaming occupational safety and health into other policy areas such as education, public health, and research. Finally, the Agency has started a project to estimate the economic costs arising from accidents and ill-health at national and international level and to review the different methodologies used to arrive at those estimates – this is essential to understand their comparability and accuracy. The aim is to discuss ways in which the information may be better presented and used for making decisions with regard to prevention.