The European Commission plans to present a ‘zero deaths’ approach to work in the European Union on Monday 28 June, according to a draft version of the 2021-2027 Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Framework seen by EUROPE on Wednesday 23 June. The project proposes a chapter dedicated to the management of future health crises.
According to an interim document dating from mid-June, the European Commission is expected to focus its action along three axes: - anticipate and manage work transformations, particularly in relation to the digital transition; - improve the prevention of workplace accidents and work-related diseases; - prepare for a possible health crisis.
To this end, the European Commission is planning several updates of guidelines and recommendations, as well as the revision of key pieces of legislation. It obviously wants to continue the fight against carcinogenic substances, but also to tackle reprotoxic and respiratory substances and hazardous medicinal products.
The EU institution wants to revise the framework for dealing with digitalisation issues by reopening Directive 89/654/EEC on the minimum safety and health requirements for the ‘workplace directive’ and for Directive 90/270/EEC on display screen equipment by 2023.
In addition, it intends to propose limit values for worker exposure to asbestos in 2022 under the specific Directive 2009/148/EC. This is an important text in view of the European strategy for the energy renovation wave for buildings launched in October 2020 (see EUROPE 12581/10).
In addition, the European Commission intends to launch a consultation of the social partners in 2023 to review the CMD directive to combat mutagens and carcinogens in the workplace, the 4th revision of which is currently under interinstitutional negotiation (see EUROPE 12697/23). Amongst other things, it is intended to set reduced limit values for welding fumes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, isoprene, and 1,4-dioxane.
Lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic
In addition, the draft Communication lists a ‘myriad’ of non-legislative initiatives. The institution will “immediately” launch an assessment of the impact of the pandemic on working conditions and the effectiveness of the OSH framework. Objective: to establish measures to deal more effectively with a future health crisis.
Here, the European Commission is considering launching a non-legislative initiative to address the challenges of mental health in the workplace. This initiative would be launched in 2022. In addition, it will ask a relevant expert group for an opinion on the mental health of health workers and other key workers by the end of the year.
Moreover, the European Commission commits to follow the European Parliament’s request to establish a right to disconnect at the European level (see EUROPE 12641/4).
It also hopes to develop guidelines for labour inspectorates to better enforce the provisions of the Biological Agents Directive, which has been the subject of social controversy during the pandemic (see EUROPE 12498/3).
Workplace harassment of women
The new OSH framework also addresses the treatment of women. The EU institution is considering a legislative initiative to prevent and combat gender-based violence and domestic violence. This proposal should be in place by the end of 2021.
The text was initially due to be presented on Wednesday 23 June. In the end, the Communication will be presented on Monday 28 June, after adoption by written procedure by the European College of Commissioners. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)