Improved health and safety at work by cooperation with (social) partners: A european and global perspective

Abstract

The present article aims at showcasing how cooperation with important stakeholders and building linkages with key policy actors can increasingly bring safety and health to the forefront of the OSH agenda. Despite of the disease burden, it is unfortunately not yet well known amongst policy-makers that occupational skin diseases (OSD) are the most frequently recognized occupational diseases in Europe with a share of 35% of all work-related illnesses. While recent studies have shown that preventive interdisciplinary intervention can significantly reduce the burden, there is still a lack of targeted preventive measures and coordinated efforts to improve options for risk assessment and specific dermatological interventions. Through awareness raising and building partnerships improvements can however be reached and lead to a win-win situation for all actors involved. © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016.