Occupational Health and Safety

The purpose of this chapter is to introduce the reader to the conceptual framework of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH). It examines the legal framework for safety and health, focusing on the key features and significant historical changes of both old and modern legislative OSH frameworks. The chapter presents a variety of legal instruments with different jurisdictions and legislative orders, and it concentrates on the offender of the omission who has created a risky condition that has made it easier for the consequence to arise by earlier action or inaction. In addition, the active subject of the offense is recognised as the individual who must adopt legal safety and health measures at work, as well as patrimonial culpability when the employer fails to comply with legal obligations to guarantee health and safety at work. After reading this chapter, the reader should be able to outline the legal framework for safety and health and to describe the influence of the European Union on OSH, identifying the key sources of health and safety information.

The present chapter explores the extensive realm of law pertaining to occupational safety and health (OSH), with a particular emphasis on its application within the member states of the European Union (EU). It provides a comprehensive analysis of the European Union's regulatory framework pertaining to occupational health and safety. It aims to underscore the crucial significance of this regulatory framework in safeguarding the well-being and rights of workers throughout EU member states.

The focus of this discussion shifts towards the future trajectory of the European Union's Occupational Safety and Health (EU OSH) framework, which is expected to have a significant role in shaping policies and practices from 2021 to 2027. Relevant factors encompass the significant influence of sustainability and digital transformation on the realm of occupational safety and health (OSH) practices. These factors highlight the direction that is influencing the future of workplace safety and well-being.

The Directive Spectrum: Among the several directives, the “Framework Directive” (89/391/EEC) assumes a prominent role. Every directive is rigorously detailed, providing minimum criteria for different aspects of workplace safety.

In conclusion, this chapter emphasizes the fundamental need for collaboration between corporate entities, employees, and governmental agencies. This collaboration is crucial for promoting workplace safety and fostering secure working conditions. This comprehension is accompanied by a heightened awareness of the significant influence exerted by such legislation on the collective journey toward the establishment of safer and healthier work environments in EU countries.

The chapter focuses on presenting national legislative aspects from Romania, Italy, and Spain. The principal aim is to present the occupational health and safety framework in order to identify the fundamental aspects of legislation in these 3 countries. The chapter is structured into three sections. In the introduction details of national and legislative aspects of occupational health and safety and are presented information regarding the legislative framework of the occupational health and safety legislation in Romania, Italy, and Spain. 

Occupational risk assessment and management has been an increasingly important concern in recent decades both at the scientific level and from the direct and motivated perspective of all economic organizations that aim to improve their efficiency and optimize their own results. From this perspective, the present chapter summarizes, first of all, the principle elements that characterize the strength of a systematic and structured managerial approach to the risk management process for safety and health at work. Starting from the explanation of the concepts of hazard and risk and their connection with uncertainty and acceptability, using Farmer's curve as a tool, the general model of occupational risk management is presented, the basis of which are the applicable standards of the International Organization for Standardization. A set of risk assessment/analysis tools among the most frequently used worldwide are inventoried and critically comparatively analyzed, highlighting the characteristics from a multi-criteria perspective. The intended purpose is to offer a micro-compendium that will facilitate the reader's evolution in the field of occupational safety and health, considering that risk assessment is the basis for adopting decisions regarding the allocation of resources to minimize risk, within the management process of professional risks.

Monitoring and measuring of the health and safety performance of each workplace of the organization is a requirement of both European and national legislation on occupational health and safety (OHS) as well as of ISO 45001:2018 standard. Considering an organization and its workplaces as dynamic systems, their state from the point of view of OHS should be determined in a systematic manner by monitoring and measuring, using appropriate methods, instruments, and equipment. The subjects of monitoring and measuring could be in compliance with standards or legal requirements, work accident recordings, or workers’ exposure to noxae. The obtained results are then compared with reference values provided by legislation, standards or imposed by the organisation itself. An overview of the organisation’s health and safety performance monitoring and measuring in relation to both OHS national legislation and ISO 45001:2018 requirements is presented in this chapter, with a focus on internal audits and evaluation of compliance with legal and other requirements. Practical aspects regarding audit and evaluation of compliance are highlighted, and a checklist-based method for evaluation of compliance with legal requirements is also presented.

The application of the method for assessing the risks of occupational injury and illness at work starts with the description of the company, which includes information about its name, location, object of activity, etc., the working system’s description (employees, work environment, tasks, means of production) as well as a brief explanation regarding the methodology of the assessment method. After this information, the method’s application is presented in a Microsoft Excel document. As the final step, a list of health and safety measures leading to the implementation of the prevention and protection plan is presented. This chapter aims to present the stages involved in creating the Microsoft Excel document. This Excel file comprises several sheets, which show various occupational injury and illness risks segregated into the working system’s components. Additionally, a case study about the application of the method in the automobile industry is presented.

The chapter focuses on presenting data regarding the influence of occupational health and safety interventions on organizational performance. The main objective is to present examples of monitoring data, investments, actions, and hazard prevention programs mentioned by companies in their sustainability reports. Ergonomics interventions can be an opportunity for prevention and reducing occupational risks, as the ISO 45001:2018 standard mentions. Occupational Health and Safety connects with Ergonomics and Human Factors through programs for “reducing the risk at source”, controlling occupational diseases, and creating healthy workplaces and working environments, in order to increase social and economic organizational performance. The chapter is structured in five sections. After the introduction, the main coordinates of health and safety monitoring data are presented. In the third section, there is an overview of hazard prevention programs. The fourth section presents ergonomics and human factor interventions mentioned by companies with a high Dow Jones ranking score in Occupational Health and Safety (S&P OHS score).The last part highlights the impact of occupational health and safety programs on social and economic performance.