The European cleaning and facility services industry employs over 4 million people across 277,000 companies, many of them SMEs. The nature of cleaning work means that most – if not all – cleaners are in close contact with dangerous substances every...
The scope of risk to cleaners The risk of exposure to dangerous substances for cleaning sector workers comes from three main areas . 1. Chemical risk – which comes from cleaning agents with detergents, acids and bases, solvents and disinfectants used in everyday cleaning. Many cleaning agents include fragrances or perfumes, which can cause allergic reactions. 2. Substances being cleaned – especially dust, soot and dirt – can also be harmful to workers when breathed in. Dust in particular can...Skatīt vairāk
Small business owners often have the responsibility for every aspect of running a business; from operations to managing suppliers, tax rules, consumer rights, data protection, insurance and HR issues, to name a few. Ensuring that workers are...
Chemical use in small businesses Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of the European economy; 66% of all employees in Europe work in businesses with less than 250 staff members . Working in a small firm may involve exposure to dangerous substances – but this may not always be obvious. For example, businesses that have cleaning agents, dust, paints, glues, printing equipment or engine exhausts in their presence could be a threat to workers. Small businesses often work with...Skatīt vairāk
Raising awareness of the risks workers face and how to prevent them is central to EU-OSHA’s mission. Over the past 25 years, the Agency and its partners have reached out to target audiences through the Healthy Workplaces Campaigns , the European Week for Safety and Health at Work and many other awareness-raising activities. Engaging target audiences is key to the success of these awareness-raising efforts, and promoting safe and healthy practices in Europe’s workplaces. Napo — the fun-loving...Skatīt vairāk
The Dangerous Substances e-Tool is a valuable resource for all of us. Vulnerable groups will find it useful - PPE Media LTD has published an 18 year-old worker's review of the e-Tool.
"... young workers such as myself often feel insufficiently trained in the proper procedures concerning chemical and biological substances and lack the confidence to ask their employer for necessary information. In these cases, the e-Tool is invaluable..." Read the full review here: https://www.ppe.org/young-worker-reviews-eu-osha-dangerous-substances-etool/Skatīt vairāk
It is no joking with hazardous substances, but to inform about them may stimulate the risible muscle. The Sifa-Workshop 2019 organised by the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health at Dresden updated his participants concerning news on...
Mit Gefahrstoffen ist nicht zu spaßen, sich über sie zu informieren, kann jedoch die Lach-muskeln anregen. Der Sifa-Workshop 2019 der Bundesanstalt für Arbeitsschutz und Ar-beitsmedizin (BAuA) am Standort Dresden hat Teilnehmende auf den neuesten Stand zu Gefahrstoffrecht, Asbestdialog und Stäuben gebracht sowie ihnen humorvolle Tipps für die Unterweisung gegeben. Der gesetzlich vorgeschriebene Arbeitsplatzgrenzwert für A-Staub, also Staubpartikel, die so klein sind, dass sie beim Einatmen bis...Skatīt vairāk
Whether you are new to the Healthy Workplaces Manage Dangerous Substances campaign or have followed it since the beginning in April 2018, these key questions and answers provide a comprehensive overview of the campaign’s key findings and messages...
What are dangerous substances? A dangerous substance is any solid, liquid or gas with the potential to cause damage to the safety or health of workers. Exposure can occur through inhalation, skin penetration or ingestion. They are linked to acute or long-term health issues and their presence can put workers and the public at risk of fire, explosion, acute poisoning and suffocation. Whereas the dangers involved in using some substances, such as asbestos or arsenic, are clear, many substances –...Skatīt vairāk
Napo is the hero in a series of short animated films on important occupational safety and health (OSH) topics, produced by the Napo Consortium . The films are lighthearted but thought provoking and their messages are serious. Napo and his colleagues communicate in a wordless language. This means that the films can reach out to people of all ages and cultures across Europe and help spread OSH messages. As an OSH champion, Napo has been EU-OSHA’s ambassador for healthy workplaces for over 20...Skatīt vairāk
In this article the author, Dr. Scroubelos, analyses the percentage of employees that are affected by dangerous substances in different sectors, as well as which sectors are more exposed to dangerous substances.
The Campaign INFOGRAPHIC is presented in a more detailed way. In this article the author, Dr. Scroubelos, analyses the percentage of employees that are affected by dangerous substances in different sectors, as well as which sectors are more exposed to dangerous substances.Skatīt vairāk
The No Time to Lose campaign aims to get carcinogenic exposure issues more widely understood and help businesses take action. It suggests solutions that can be transposed internationally and offers free practical, original materials to businesses to...
Developed by official campaign partner the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) in the United Kingdom, the campaign focuses on one of the most serious occupational health issues facing industry today — managing carcinogenic exposures at work. This is also a key focus of the Healthy Workplaces Managing Dangerous Substances campaign, and IOSH links both campaigns in an effort to raise awareness of the risks related to dangerous substances. Across the EU, 1 in 5 workers faces an...Skatīt vairāk
Many workers in the EU are exposed to neurotoxic chemicals capable of affecting the central nervous system, peripheral nerves and sensory organs. Strict monitoring and control of exposure is essential, together with preventive measures, to keep...
Neurotoxic chemicals and the nervous system The nervous system is a complex network of nerves and cells that carry messages to and from the brain and spinal cord to various parts of the body. Neurotoxic chemicals can facilitate, block or inhibit neurotransmission leading to a change in the chemistry or structure of the nervous system. The nervous system is particularly vulnerable to nerve gases, which explains why the most effective chemical weapons are neurotoxins like Tabun, Sarin and VX gas...Skatīt vairāk
