The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work seeks recently launched its 2008 campaign to encourage employers to carry out risk assessments in an attempt to reduce the number of accident and occupational disease related deaths throughout Europe each year.

Every occupational accident and disease is one too many. Even if they dont result in fatalities, the consequences are unacceptable, both for the people concerned and for the economy. Every year, millions of workers in the EU are involved in accidents which force them to stay at home for at least three working days at an enormous cost to the economy. Risk assessment is the key to reducing these figures.

The two-year campaign (2008-09) focuses especially on high risk sectors such as construction, healthcare and agriculture and on the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises. It promotes a five step approach to risk assessment:

1. Identify the hazards, such as chemicals, electricity, ladders etc, in the workplace and those at risk.

2. Evaluate the risks associated with those hazards.

3. Determine what measures should be taken to protect the safety and health of employees and others, having due regard to current legislation.

4. Put in place the preventative and protective measures.

5. Monitor and Review whether the measures in place are working or being implemented.

It also encompasses the idea that risk assessment is %u201Cinclusive%u201D in that it is a process in which both employers and employees can participate together.

Risk assessment along with delivery of the key preventative measures continue to be at the core of the message being pressed home to employers. The number of fatalities in the UK workplace has not reduced to any extent in recent years and
industrial accident claims are on the increase. The workplace remains an unsafe environment and more should be done by both employers and employees to reduce the risks involved.