European Agency for Safety and Health at Work
Current and emerging issues in the healthcare sector, including home and community care
European Risk Observatory Report
13 october 2014
Table of Contents
List of figures and tables
Executive summary
1 Introduction
1.1 Aim and scope of the report
1.2 Methodology
1.3 Desk-based research .
1.4 Questionnaire
2 Healthcare systems in Europe
2.1 Healthcare systems
2.2 Healthcare organisation
2.3 The healthcare workforce and labour market
2.4 Impact of healthcare systems and organisation on OSH
3 Home and community care across Europe
3.1 What is home and community care?
3.2 Approaches to organising and funding home care
3.3 Labour market
3.4 Legislation around home care workers
4 OSH risks in healthcare including community and home care
4.1 Prevalence of exposures and OSH outcomes in the healthcare sector
4.2 Biological risks
4.3 Chemical risks
4.4 Physical risks
4.5 Slips, trips and falls
4.6 Ergonomic risks
4.7 Psychosocial risks
4.8 Gender-specific risks
4.9 Hazards specific to home care workers
5 Emerging trends and OSH issues in the healthcare sector
5.1 Demographic changes
5.2 Changes in family patterns
5.3 Lifestyle factors
5.4 Migration and workforce mobility
5.5 New technologies and innovations
5.6 Globalisation and the economic crisis
5.7 Results of the questionnaire for OSH experts
6 Examples of good practices in the healthcare sector
6.1 Ergonomic/physical risks
6.2 Biological risks
6.3 Psychosocial risk factors
6.4 Language inequalities, migrants
7 Conclusion
7.1 Overview of current OSH risks
7.2 Overview of emerging and new OSH risks
7.3 Future research and practice
8 References
9 Annex 1: Questionnaire
List of figures and tables
Table 1: Questionnaire responses received from OSH experts
Table 2: Groups of countries having broadly similar institutions (OECD, 2010, p. 15, adapted)
Table 3: Estimated shortages in the healthcare sector by 2020
Table 4 : Country-specific organisation of home health and social care in selected EU countries (WHO, 2008, p. 14)
Table 5: Questionnaire responses on how OSH protection of home care workers is managed at national level
Table 6: Questionnaire responses to a request for examples of initiatives implemented for the protection of home care workers
Table 7: Current healthcare sector OSH risks identified in questionnaire responses
Table 8: Main chemical components of cleaning products (New Solutions, 2013, p. 38)
Table 9: Categories of carcinogens, mutagens and reprotoxins (ANSES, 2013)
Table 10: Dutch recommendations regarding classification of some inhalational anaesthetics with respect to effects on fertility, developmental toxicity and lactation
Table 11: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommendations for safe handling of antineoplastic and other hazardous drugs
Table 12: Main types of nanomaterials in healthcare applications (EU-OSHA, 2013e)
Table 13: Examples of nanomaterials used in the healthcare sector and their potential health hazards and OSH risks
Table 14 : Examples of how to tackle work-related stress (HSE, 2014, p. 57)
Table 15: Examples of preventative measures that reduce OSH risks for home care workers (EU-OSHA, 2008a)
Table 16: Emerging and new risks identified in questionnaire responses
Table 17: Overview of current risks and workers most at risk
Table 18: Overview of emerging trends, issues and impact by source
Figure 1: Influences on the supply of and demand for home care (WHO, 2008, p. 3)
Figure 2: Sickness absence monitoring by sector (EU-OSHA, 2010, p. 30)
Figure 3: Psychosocial risk factors (European Commission, 2010a, p. 173)
Figure 4: Accident risk as a function of the duration of working time
Figure 5: Concern regarding work-related stress, violence or threat of violence, bullying or harassement, by sector
Figure 6: Headcount of physicians by age group in 17 EU Member States (European Commission 2012a, p. 4; Eurostat, 2011)
Figure 7: Percentage change in employment in the healthcare sector between 2010 and 2008 by age group (European Commission 2012a)
© European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, 2014
Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.
Fonte: osha.europa.eu