European Agency for Safety and Health at Work
Nicola Haysey, Mario Battaglini, Maciej Zagdan
Table of contents
List of acronyms
Executive summary
Key findings
1 Introduction
1.1 Supporting compliance
1.2 Purpose
1.3 Scope
1.4 Methodology
1.4.1 Research dimensions
1.4.2 Workshop: how to advance compliance with OSH regulations
1.4.3 Desk search
2 Labour inspectorates and prevention services
2.1 Labour inspectorates
2.2 Prevention services
3 Drivers of change
3.1 Service economy
3.2 Technological change
3.3 Globalisation
4 Challenges
4.1 Resource constraints
4.2 Changing risk landscapes
4.3 Regulatory complexity
4.3.1 Deterrence versus sanctions
5 Overview of the five case study countries
5.1 Labour inspectorates
5.2 Prevention services
6 Realities of challenges in the five case study countries
6.1 Resource constraints
6.1.1 Labour inspectorate capacity
6.1.2 Prevention services capacity
6.1.3 Structural decline and resource constraints
6.2 Changing risk landscape
6.2.1 Labour inspector training and expertise
6.2.2 Complex or long-term hazards
6.2.3 Reaching MSEs
6.2.4 Technical infrastructure advancements
6.2.5 Enforcement–advisory balance and accessibility issues
6.2.6 Service orientation
6.3 Regulatory complexity
6.3.1 Variations in enforcement landscapes
6.3.2 Administrative burden imposing sanctions
6.3.3 Coordination challenges
6.3.4 Price competition and service quality
6.3.5 Regulatory voids
6.3.6 Effectiveness of financial penalties
7 Innovative OSH approaches
7.1 Risk-based approaches
7.1.1 Strengths
7.1.2 Weaknesses
7.1.3 Opportunities
7.1.4 Threats and mitigations
7.1.5 Effectiveness
7.1.6 Transferability
7.1.7 Conclusions
7.2 Calibrating interventions through responsive enforcement
7.2.1 Strengths
7.2.2 Weaknesses
7.2.3 Opportunities
7.2.4 Threats and mitigation
7.2.5 Effectiveness
7.2.6 Transferability
7.2.7 Conclusion
7.3 Co-enforcement and broader collaborative approaches
7.3.1 Strengths
7.3.2 Weaknesses
7.3.3 Opportunities
7.3.4 Threats and mitigation
7.3.5 Effectiveness
7.3.6 Transferability
7.3.7 Conclusion
7.4 Digital approaches
7.4.1 Strengths
7.4.2 Weaknesses
7.4.3 Opportunities
7.4.4 Threats and mitigations
7.4.5 Effectiveness
7.4.6 Transferability
7.4.7 Conclusion
7.5 Capacity-building approaches
7.5.1 Capacity building for labour inspectorates
7.5.2 Communities of practice
7.5.3 Internal OSH capacity
7.5.4 Capacity building for vulnerable workers
8 Conclusion
8.1 Key findings
8.2 Considerations for policymakers and practitioners
8.3 Future direction: transferability and adaptation
9 Annex 1: Bibliography
9.1 EU-OSHA documents
9.2 Country reports
9.3 Country case studies
9.4 Wider literature
10 Annex 2: Case studies
10.1 Risk-based approaches
fonte: osha.europa.eu
© European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, 2026
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