Analysis and research

EU-OSHA is responsible for contributing to the evidence base through commissioning, collecting and publishing studies on OSH as well as monitoring, collecting and analysing statistical information on workplace risks across the EU.

EU-OSHA’s website contains a OSH-themed section^[8], including topics like ageing, COVID-19, dangerous substances, digitalisation, disability, health and social care, mental health, work-related diseases and more.

The online encyclopaedia (OSHwiki^[9]) provides up-to-date information on various OSH topics with a European perspective. The website features technical articles by EU-OSHA and independent authors.

One of EU-OSHA’s key objectives is to provide data on new and emerging OSH risks to aid policy-makers and researchers in taking effective action. To achieve this, the Agency runs foresight projects that anticipate future safety and health concerns. These projects explore potential scenarios arising from technological and societal changes, highlight implications for occupational safety and health, and suggest ways to avoid future risks.

Facts & figures

EU-OSHA carries out a series of EU-wide surveys to get an insight into occupational safety and health issues across European companies, their management at the workplace, as well as the identification of emerging risks and OSH trends in order to help policy-makers and researchers.

The European Survey of Enterprises on New and Emerging Risks (ESENER)^[10] looks at how European workplaces manage OSH risks in practice. With the involvement of thousands of businesses and organisations across Europe, this survey focuses on psychosocial risks, drivers and barriers to OSH management and worker participation.

The Workers’ Exposure Survey on cancer risk factors in Europe (WES) aims to better identify the cancer risk factors responsible for most of the exposures, providing an accurate and comprehensive overview, and contributing to preventive measures, awareness-raising and policy-making, as well as helping in the fight against occupational cancer.

The OSH Pulse survey offers valuable insights into the impact of COVID-19, digitalisation and climate change on workers’ health and wellbeing and related workplace measures.

Prevention

EU-OSHA aims to create a culture of risk prevention and is involved with designing practical instruments that can be used by companies of micro, small and medium sizes that will help them to assess workplace risks and implement a preventive action plan. As part of this aim EU-OSHA has created the OiRA (Online interactive Risk Assessment)^[11] web platform that enables the creation of sectoral risk assessment tools in a number of languages in an easy and standardised way.

EU-OSHA also shares knowledge and good practice on safety and health through its Good Practice Awards scheme and its publications, ranging from in-depth research reports to topical info sheets, designed for use in the workplace.

Campaigning and awareness-raising

EU-OSHA raises awareness about occupational safety and health through its Healthy Workplaces Campaigns, run with partners in over 30 European countries since 2000. Each 25-month campaign focuses on a specific theme, such as digitalisation (2023-25) or psychosocial risks and mental health at work (2026-28). As part of these campaigns, EU-OSHA produces freely available information, practical guides, tools, and communication materials, translated into over 20 European languages. These campaigns are conducted in partnership with more than 100 campaign and media partners, as well as through the agency's network of national focal points and the Enterprise Europe Network.

Linked to and acting as an annual focus for campaigns, EU-OSHA is coordinating the European Week for Safety and Health at Work, held each year in October, when events such as training sessions, conferences and workshops are held. Such events are organised across Europe by the focal points in Member States.

EU-OSHA, together with national safety and health organisations, has produced animated films highlighting workplace health and safety. The main character, Napo, represents a typical employee who encounters various hazards but also suggests improvements. In his first film, "Napo in... The Best Signs Story", he intentionally doesn't follow the signs to learn a lesson.