The EU stands at a critical moment, pursuing a more competitive, innovative, and resilient future. Achieving this ambition, from reindustrializing strategic sectors to leading green and digital transitions, requires strategic investments and a long-term commitment to workforce health and safety. With over three million non-fatal workplace injuries recorded across the EU in 2022, prioritizing workplace safety is essential to safeguard European workers and ensure a healthy, productive future.
Workplace health and safety is not just a social obligation. It is a core principle of the European social model, deeply embedded in EU law and policy. It’s not just about preventing accidents, but also about ensuring healthy and safe working environments, considering that we spend approximately one-third of our lifetime at work. As industries evolve and new hazards emerge, whether from climate-related disruptions, pandemics, or technological shifts, workplace risk factors become more complex. The tools and policies to protect workers must evolve alongside the challenges they face.
At 3M, we are committed to helping advance worker safety and health, recognizing it as a cornerstone of sustainable economic growth and societal well-being. In 2024, we launched the “Journey to Zero,” our global program focused on achieving zero injuries, spills, and incidents, that also cover our 13,000 employees in Europe. Our safety culture is also reflected in our innovative products and solutions, positioning us as a leader in helping protect workers from evolving occupational hazards. We offer a comprehensive range of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and technologies designed to address the diverse challenges faced by today’s workforce. PPE acts as a crucial barrier between workers and occupational hazards when other control methods are not available or not feasible, helping to prevent injuries, diseases, and fatalities. PPE is also the backbone of preparedness and response actions to health threats, having a vital role in helping reduce exposure to airborne particles associated with infectious diseases.
In the past 30 years, the European Commission and the European Parliament have done an incredible job in building a solid EU legislative framework on occupational health and safety to safeguard workers and foster public trust. The framework is primarily based on the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Directive, which obliges employers to assess and mitigate risks. This legislation is complemented by specific EU Directives addressing particular risks, sectors, and groups of workers, promoting a comprehensive approach to workplace safety. Those specific Directives are essential to advance OSH policies forward, making the framework more robust and forward-thinking. Most recently, the Asbestos Directive and the revision of the Carcinogens and Mutagens Directive have set stringent standards to protect workers from hazardous exposures, lowering exposure limits, helping to prevent the development of potentially deadly occupational illnesses later in life.
As our workplaces evolve and new hazards emerge, OSH policies need to stay ahead of these changes. European workers would benefit from seeing EU measures on protective limit values expand, following the Asbestos Directive’s example. The EU should improve minimum protection from welding fumes and silica. EU legislators should also look into respiratory fit testing, which is already mandatory in Sweden, Italy, and the UK, to help ensure the effectiveness of respiratory protection. We wish to see the European Social Forum next year act as a platform where EU countries could bring their national best practices and call for a common EU policy to be implemented throughout the continent.
We are also awaiting action from the European Commission on two key proposals: the revision of the Workplace Directive, announced in the EU Strategic Framework on Health and Safety at Work 2021-2027 and due in 2023, and the Directive for Building Screening and Registration Requirements announced in 2022. It is crucial for the European Commission to provide updates on the progress of these proposals to deliver what was promised to European workers.
Moving on from legislation, workers’ health and safety also depends on effective investments and budgets dedicated to health and safety. The Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) is a crucial opportunity to translate commitment into targeted investment. As developers of the next generation of workplace safety solutions, we see how sustained investment drives innovation and translates policy goals into safer, more resilient workplaces across Europe. The MFF proposal published in July outlines the EU’s strategy for enhancing health preparedness as part of its long-term budget plan, proposing to increase funding by five times to EUR 10.7 billion. However, a stronger focus on occupational health and worker safety is needed, ensuring that these areas receive the attention and resources they require.
Finally, more information on national stockpiling spending for health preparedness and centralized communication for opportunities would be useful for ensuring proper supply by the European industry. It is essential to engage with industry to design and implement innovative PPE supply scalability solutions. Last but not least, prioritizing European manufacturing is essential to ensure Europe remains competitive and self-sufficient in producing critical safety equipment and technologies. We look forward to seeing how the European Parliament and EU member states will contribute to the proposal and boost the EU social dimension.
The EU occupational safety and health legislation, the latest EU strategies for stockpiling and preparedness, and medical countermeasures are key pillars to protect workers and citizens across Europe. The challenge now is to turn promising policies into effective EU actions backed by sustained investment. Protecting European workers from hazards and occupational diseases is a strategic priority: an investment in today’s productivity and tomorrow’s prosperity.
Laura Galli is the 3M Vice President EMEA.