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European Week for Safety and Health at Work 2006
Safe Start: 23rd - 27th October 2006
July 2006
The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work 2006 campaign slogan
is 'Safe Start' and is dedicated to the occupational safety and health (OSH)
of young people to ensure a safe and healthy start to their working lives.
The Agency's web pages contain helpful information for young people,
employers, parents and supervisors of young people.
European Week 2006 will run from 23rd - 27th October.
The Safe Start campaign is backed by all Member States, candidate and
EFTA countries, the Austria and Finland European Union (EU) Presidencies,
the European Parliament and the European Commission, and by the European
Social Partners.
European Week campaigns focus on promoting improved prevention at the
workplace level by involving all the relevant stakeholders. In 2006, the
campaign will also promote activities in schools, colleges and the wider
education community, and promote the issue among the relevant policy
makers in the education field. The Agency has already carried out several
projects on the 'mainstreaming of OSH into education' and the campaign
will draw on these resources.
The Safe Start campaign has two distinct elements:
In the workplace:
- Young workers - promoting risk awareness, and raising awareness of
OSH risks and what to do when starting work
- Employers - providing safe and suitable work, training and
supervision, and being aware of what to do when a young person starts work
In the education community:
- Schools and colleges - promoting risk awareness and OSH as an
integral part of education - preparing young people for their first
day at work, and for their OSH responsibilities in their future careers
- Youth organisations - promoting risk awareness and risk prevention
as an integral part of their activities - preparing young people for
the wider world of work
- Vocational training centres - promoting risk awareness and OSH as an
integral part of training - preparing young people for the world of work
- Education authorities - promoting mainstreaming of OSH into
education and youth employment policies, agreements and actions
- Schools and colleges - promoting risk awareness and OSH as an
integral part of education - preparing young people for their first
day at work, and for their OSH responsibilities in their future careers
There is a need for "awareness raising" and education from an
early stage - risk education and the prevention culture are the key
factors for maintaining and improving the quality of work. This includes
mainstreaming OSH into activities on youth employment and workplace
training and development; and into education in schools, colleges and
vocational training. Pre-work health and safety education and training are
part of preparing young people for work, and part of the life-long
learning agenda.
For more information go to the European Agency for Safety and Health at
Work website where you can find out more about the week, European Good
Practice Awards 2006, ideas, slogans etc http://ew2006.osha.europa.eu/about
UK efforts
For this year's UK campaign the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is
working in partnership with the Institution of Occupational Safety &
Health (IOSH), Trades Union Congress (TUC), Learning and Skills Council (LSC),
and EEF, the Manufacturers' Organisation.
The purpose of this partnership is to raise awareness on occupational
safety and health of young people through the distribution of Action
Packs; providing links to key stakeholders' webpages (for example, IOSH's
Wiseup2work website www.wiseup2work.co.uk
is an interactive online resource for teachers, youth workers, supervisors
and employers to use to prepare young people for work. It is sponsored by
the Learning and Skills Council and supported by the British Chambers of
Commerce and the National Youth Agency. There are other good examples that
are specifically aimed at young people and the LSC's good practice
safelearner website); the joint production of guidance and the Basic
Hazard Awareness Course; and events and competitions.
For European Week itself, you may like to organise your own activities
and events to raise awareness of the issues. www.hse.gov.uk/campaigns/euroweek
Perhaps all countries around the world can use this topic for
publicity in their countries?
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