Safety and health at work is everyone’s concern. It’s good for you. It’s good for business. Added value of e-tools - OiRA case study Lorenzo Munar – EU-OSHA Occupational safety and health (OSH) – OSH policy in the future Zappeion Hall, Athens, June 2014

2 E-tools: the context  Online interactive tools (“e-tools”) are the result of the evolution of computer technology and Web use practices  The OSH sector is no stranger to this trend/evolution  Many OSH actors have already developed such tools  E-tools’ main target audience: micro and small companies to facilitate compliance with legislation to foster the development of a health and safety culture

3 E-tools = added value

4 E-tools: main features  Interactive  Easy to use  Easy to access  Free (at least the ones EU-OSHA would contribute to disseminating)

5 Diffusion/dissemination is facilitated through…  Internet They can be disseminated to a huge number of companies without having to manage: −the costs and the constraints related to printing, and −the dissemination of printed documents  Social Media “Cheap way” to reach (new - other) companies that could not be reached through more traditional ways/channels

6 They are (or are perceived as) innovative  E-tools are associated to computers, tablets, smartphones, …  There is a more and more common perception that such tools are the future (new generation of OSH tools)  Possibility for the developers of these tools to “engage” with their members/clients/end-users in a “different” way  They are presented/promoted as “tools for action”

7 The content is evolutionary  “Easy-immediate” update is possible if … There is a change in the legislation There are new good practice examples, new processes, … to adapt to technical progress.  The content can evolve along with the end-users The content of the tool can grow in exhaustivity over the years (by updating regularly the tool)

8 Helping identify the hazards but above all providing “solutions”  These tools must enable users to conceive and develop preventive/protective measures specific to their enterprises  Taylor made solutions within companies-sectors Measures deemed appropriate by occupational health and safety experts are proposed/promoted By suggesting measures which are recognised in the sector, the chances of some measures being implemented are significantly increased

9 They have a didactic/methodological dimension  Intuitive navigation, educational content, the ability to work at your own pace and interrupt your work thanks to backup systems, … are all options allowing users to be guided, step by step, in their work  OiRA stepwise approach: from hazard identification (step 1) to a documented RA (last step)  E-tools can also be used for: information purposes training purposes increasing knowledge  Encourage / empower micro and small companies to manage OSH in house or in a more autonomous way

10 A platform from which to have access to other sources of information / knowledge  They allow easy access to other sources of information/documentation through the links, videos, photos  Other sources of information: Legislation Guidance Good Practice cases / OSH catalogues Factsheets, reports, …

11 Offer the possibility of monitoring the use of such tools  Numbers of OiRA users accounts created: (02/06/2014)  Number of RA created: (02/06/2014)  Better assess the impact of promotional activities carried out Statistics OiRA tool road transport France - INRS

12 An important/interesting “resource”  Tools to be integrated in the framework of a global (sectoral) strategy to maximise their impact

13 OiRA: An EU community WORKING TOGETHER  A common platform/software available in 18 languages  33 OiRA tools in 12 countries (and 40 under development)  There will be OiRA tools in 15 EU countries by end 2014  Challenges for the EU - OiRA shared platform Developing more tools and try to “cover” all the sectors Reach and make act micro and small companies Facilitate the sharing of information/tools  An EU community sharing information, Good Practice, photos, … (WORKING TOGETHER)

14 Perceptions about e-tools There is a common/shared perception that:  public institutions; trade unions; employers´ organisations, … have to be involved in the process of: developing and disseminating tools of good quality and putting them at the disposal of end users for free;  there is a need / room for: building on the experience of others; adopting / adapting existing tools (instead of developing them from scratch) or at least build new e-tools based on the experience of others; developing the tools in synergy/cooperation.

15 Potential role to be played by EU-OSHA when it comes to the dissemination of these tools: “facilitator”  Increasing awareness about these tools and their added-value  Sharing knowledge about the development / dissemination of these tools  Contributing to the dissemination of the existing e- tools (through EU- OSHA´s website, networks, …)  Encouraging the development of new e-tools or the adoption/adaptation of the existing ones by other institutions/MS  Encouraging national institutions developing e- tools to consider: the multilingualism aspect the possibility to develop the tool in synergy – partnership with other MS the possibility of sharing the tools with other MS

16 Thank you