EU-OSHA and the Future of work: Championing safety and health in the digital era
Safe and Healthy Work in the Digital Age" is the title of the new edition of EU-OSHA's Healthy Workplaces Campaign, which commenced in October. The campaign's objectives are to increase awareness, encourage collaboration, and establish a future where occupational safety and health continue to be a top priority alongside technological advancement.
With 93% of workers in large companies and 85% in micro companies using digital devices, this campaign addresses the evolving dynamics of work, emphasising the imperative of ensuring safety and health in a human-centred digital transformation.
As Artificial Intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and collaborative robots become integral to work processes, the very nature of work is transforming. The campaign recognises the potential for improved occupational safety and health (OSH) while confronting emerging risks in this rapidly evolving environment, EU-OSHA says in a statement.
– The world of work has seen a huge transformation in recent years, with the rise of digital technologies, algorithmic management and remote working. It is essential to strike the right balance: as we reap the benefits of the digital age, we must also make sure we don’t compromise on the human-cantered approach, Nicolas Schmit, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, declared.
The campaign will explore five priority areas over the next two years: digital platform work, automation of tasks, remote and hybrid work, worker management through Artificial Intelligence and smart digital systems.
– This campaign will help drive a digital transformation of the world of work that is fair and leaves no one behind, spreading knowledge about digital solutions that represent opportunities for companies and workers, Joaquín Pérez Rey, interim secretary of State for Employment and Social Economy of Spain and representing the Spanish Presidency of the EU Council, added.
This edition seeks to enhance awareness of the impact of digital transformation on OSH and encourage a safe and productive use of digital technologies across diverse sectors and workplaces. It also aims to foster collaboration among stakeholders, providing resources and promoting proactive risk assessment for a secure and efficient digital transformation of work.
– As Europe’s digital transformation steams ahead, its impact on businesses and workers is far from being fully understood. There’s an urgent need to grasp the opportunities and identify the risks of digitalisation to maximise the benefits of these new technologies for safe, healthy and productive workplaces, William Cockburn Salazar, Executive Director of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA), said.
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