News

The 2023-25 Healthy Workplaces Campaign seeks to ensure that workplace digitalisation keeps worker wellbeing and occupational safety and health at its centre. EU-OSHA presents a range of freely accessible innovative resources for staying informed and expanding knowledge. Curious to learn more? 

Starting from the basics
The ‘news’ section of the Healthy Workplaces Campaign website offers information to stay updated on the latest developments in digitalisation at work, from recently adopted legislation to activities carried out by the campaign partners and exclusive interviews with EU-OSHA´s experts. Following EU-OSHA on Facebook, X and LinkedIn, along with the #EUhealthyworkplaces hashtag, keeps you informed about emerging trends and allows you to become a part of the conversation, made easier thanks to our ready-to-use social media kit. The ‘tools and publications’ section gathers campaign materials, reports, case studies, infographics and much more. 

Algorithms, Datasets characterised by volume (large size), velocity (constantly growing), and variety (structured and unstructured form such as texts), which are often used by artificial intelligence machines. , cobots, (AI) AI refers to systems that display intelligent behaviour by analysing their environment and taking actions – with some degree of autonomy – to achieve specific goals. AI-based systems can be purely software-based, acting in the virtual world (e.g. voice assistants, image analysis software, search engines, speech and face recognition systems) or AI can be embedded in hardware devices (e.g. advanced robots, autonomous cars, drones or Internet of things applications). ... EU-OSHA’s digitalisation glossary is essential to fully understanding these concepts, which are increasingly present at work but also in everyday life. Here, simple yet comprehensive definitions are available in 25 different languages. Additionally, numerous OSHwiki articles analysing the intersection of digitalisation with other pressing topics (like psychosocial issues, remote work and potential of e-tools) drafted by experts and regularly updated, are available.

Understanding the current situation 
For an overview of the state of play of digitalisation in European workplaces, EU-OSHA's European Survey of Enterprises on New and Emerging Risks (ESENER) is a valuable resource. It addresses critical issues, including the potential impact of digital technologies on employees’ OSH. In addition, EU-OSHA’s OSH Pulse survey gives a glimpse of the increasing use of digital technologies and how they affect workers.

Assessing and mitigating the risks
Detecting and tackling emerging risks linked to digitalisation is essential to ensure every worker’s safety and health at work. EU-OSHA’s Online interactive Risk Assessment (OiRA) tools have great potential to do so in different areas, like telework across countries and sectors. 

An alternative approach to learning and raising awareness about risks at work for all audiences, including students, is Napo. Our animated hero stars in a series of films and lessons on robotics and telework, among others. 

Mutual learning
Another method of gaining and sharing awareness is through best practices. The Good Practice Awards honour any organisation (individual, companies, education providers, social partners, official campaign partners and NGOs) that have implemented innovative approaches to occupational safety and health, and the call for entries is currently open. The official “Safe and healthy work in the digital age” campaign partners also participate in a Good Practice Exchange initiative, sharing ideas that can be replicated to ensure workers’ wellbeing in digitalised workplaces.

Alternative ways of exploring workplace digitalisation
An entertaining way of getting acquainted with workplace digitalisation is though movies, and the winners and nominated films at the Healthy Workplaces Film Awards are the best examples. For instance, the special mention by the jury in the latest edition, Human, Not Human, explored the growing robotisation of the world and humanity’s place in it. The 2020 co-winner Automotive analysed the use of algorithms at work, and the co-winner in 2017 Before the Bridge was a short documentary about the post-apocalyptic effects of Use of systems or technical procedures to allow a device or system to execute (partially or fully) a function that was previously, or conceivably could be, carried out (partially or fully) by a human. on the working world.

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