The European Society for Occupational Medicine notes that numerous differences exist between EU members regarding their policies associated with occupational health and safety; one of the reasons for this is the historical variety of approaches. If we wish to unify our occupational health and safety systems, we thus need a common, unified policy and a common European training programme.
The key challenges that European occupational medicine will be
facing in the future are as follows: globalization, presentism, aging of
the workforce, inter-generational cooperation, stress and workplace-
related burnout (mental disorders), musculoskeletal diseases
(especially various types of dorsalgia), occupational injuries, work
following a prolonged absence from the workplace, occupational
disability, occupational rehabilitation, the impact of work on the
private life and vice-versa, outsourcing, self-employment, precarious
employment, prolongation of working life, encouragement of healthy
living after retirement, etc. The European Society for Occupational
Medicine thus proposes that the new common strategy include a list of
priorities and objectives with timelines and that it anticipate
collaboration between all stakeholders (workers, employers, experts
and the government), while occupational medicine practitioners must become the workers’ (impartial) advisers regarding workplace risks (total professional impartiality).
Key words:
occupational medicine, development, outlook, key challenges
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