EU-OSHA campaign on digitalization and healthy work launched:
Set priorities, seize opportunities, focus on people

Working healthily and safely in times of digitalization – how can it work in practice? Answers to this question can be found in the course of the new campaign by the European occupational safety and health organization EU-OSHA, which is supported by the Federal Working Group for Safety and Health at Work, Basi, as a media partner. The campaign will run until 2025, and one of the aims in Germany is to provide companies with design options that they can use in a variety of ways as part of a massive change process.

Digitalization – a complex topic that no one can avoid and where occupational health and safety must set priorities. This was emphasized by Susanne Baltes, Head of the “Fundamental Issues of Occupational Health and Safety” department at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS) at the national kick-off of the campaign of the European Occupational Safety and Health Agency EU-OSHA: “What data is being collected and what does this mean for employees? What does it mean for administration and jurisdiction?” These are some of the key questions according to the expert. Private lecturer Dr. Marc Wittlich from the Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (IFA) of the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV) explained that the focus must remain on people. No one should feel left behind in the course of the current rapid development. His plea: digital innovations should only be introduced once research has shown that they will not have a negative impact.

More orientation is needed

Stefan Pemp, Head of the “Occupational Safety and Technical Consumer Protection” department at the Lower Saxony Ministry for Social Affairs, Labour, Health and Equality, states the following with regard to the new challenges posed by digitization for supervision: “What is to be expected is basically regulated: Work must be safe and healthy. The only thing missing at times is guidance on what is reasonable. It’s all about proportionality.” Overall, the experts hope that a digital risk assessment will provide a lot of guidance in the future.

In his keynote speech, Lars Hoffmann, responsible for occupational health and safety at Siemens AG, presented practical examples of digital support in everyday working life. For example, tests are currently being carried out on how robots can use sensors to communicate the emotional state of their human counterparts during collaboration. The desired result: the robot works more slowly if the colleague is not quite fit. Also in the pipeline: Smart tools in buildings that increase the air exchange rate or adjust the temperature and humidity as soon as they detect a stressful atmosphere in the rooms. “Buildings can also use artificial intelligence to warn of tripping hazards if the floor is slippery,” explains Hoffmann, who also presented a digital home office planner: a chatbot explains what you need to pay attention to in order to maintain the optimum distance from the screen, for example. According to Hoffmann, it is also possible to check whether a measure is having the desired effect.

Digitization at work as a joint task

Overall, Siemens has recognized the challenge of keeping employees well informed and providing them with the necessary skills and competencies. Lars Hoffmann: “Many levers have been identified. For example, it’s about how we will work in the future and what we need for this. The question is also how job profiles will change, what managers need to know and what the legislator says.” At the end of the day, the implementation of digitalization at work is a joint task.

William Cockburn, designated Director of EU-OSHA, who joined the event live from Bilbao, also spoke about the importance of cooperation: The national networks have grown over the course of more than 20 years, making EU-OSHA’s campaigns bigger and more successful in his view. The topic of digitalization has been addressed and researched for a long time – now it is developing in a revolutionary way and gaining more and more influence on the workplace. Risks need to be identified and mitigated.

The focal points of the campaign

In this context, Cockburn presented the five focal points of the campaign

1. work on digital platforms
2.Automation of tasks
3.Mobile and hybrid working
4.HR management using artificial intelligence (AI)
5. Intelligent digital systems

The political speaker and alternating Basi Chairman Dr. Sebastian Schneider provided impetus from the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) by focusing on employees. It is important to “take them along” when it comes to digitalization. Regulation is a major challenge in digital times: “Where are the limits of digitalization?” asked Schneider. Professor Sascha Stowasser, Director of the Institute for Applied Ergonomics (ifaa), focused on the need for many employees to be trained and pointed out: “The education system cannot do this.” A digital and HR strategy needs to be developed. Stowasser: “Many companies are struggling with this, especially in the SME sector. But time is pressing.”

Some of the key topics of the European campaign were examined in short presentations. Dr. Ludger Michels, research associate at the office of the National OSH Conference, emphasized the need to become more effective and exchange information better through digitalization. In this sense, it makes sense to further develop the Joint German Occupational Health and Safety Strategy (GDA) into the Joint Digital Occupational Health and Safety Strategy. Its information portal could then provide information for advising and monitoring occupational health and safety.

Recommendations for action for different operating realities

As a result of a networking session on the implementation of the EU-OSHA campaign in Germany, the experts agreed that a distinction had to be made between large and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs): SMEs had not yet arrived so much in the digital world and there were different operating realities. Uniform, good processes are necessary in order to take advantage of the positive effects of digitalization. One conclusion of the event was that recommendations for action still need to be developed – but many good solutions to the complex challenges posed by digitalization have already been seen. As a media partner, Basi is supporting the campaign and helping to spread its goals through various channels.

More information on the EU-OSHA campaign can be found on the website of the national representation (focal point).

EU-OSHA has launched a competition for good practice solutions for healthy workplaces as part of its campaign on digitalization and healthy work, which focuses on the digital age of work. Entries can be submitted with immediate effect. The examples of good practice should actively prevent occupational health and safety risks associated with the introduction of digital technologies in the workplace. Following the competition in each participating country, a pan-European jury will select the final winners. Further information is available from the EU OSHA focal point.