The policy program improving occupational safety in The Netherlands: An innovative view on occupational safety

Every day in The Netherlands, over 400 people are injured at work. On average, two people die every week as a result of occupational accidents. In addition to personal suffering, these also result in social costs. There is therefore, a current and ongoing need to improve occupational safety and working conditions. This is the aim of the Improving Occupational Safety programme. The aim with this program is to increase the business community’s knowledge and awareness of risky situations at work in order to help reduce the occupational risks that lead to sickness absenteeism and occupational disability. Employers and employees are encouraged to work on improving health and safety within their own companies. This article will describe the content of the program. Employers and employees are enthusiastic about this approach and are actively taking responsibility. The initial results show that the objectives that were set will be achieved. In 2004 and 2005, the first steps were taken to improve the business community’s knowledge and awareness of safety and hazardous substances. In 2006, the emphasis lies on disseminating the results to employers and employees so that companies and sectors that are not yet participating in the program can also make use of the results. Eventually, we expect to see structural improvements in day-to-day practice that will increase the level of safety, protect health and reduce sickness absenteeism.