Project progress

NEW OSH ERA Mid-term Conference

The aim of the NEW OSH ERA Mid-term Conference was to present the first results of the project, to discuss further ideas with a broader audience including representatives of social partners, policy makers of national and EU level, OSH experts, and potential future Members of NEW OSH ERA Consortium, and to endorse the Memorandum of Common Understanding, defining future directions for NEW OSH ERA project. The conference was organised by CIOP-PIB, the Polish Member of the NEW OSH ERA consortium, and was held in the  in Krakow, Poland on 29-30 May 2008.

NEW OSH ERA Memorandum of Common Understanding

The main objective of the strategic activities of the second phase of NEW OSH ERA was to agree on the priorities for future joint activities and to develop a joint strategy. This was achieved by conducting a consultation involving the NEW OSH ERA partners, national networks, the Commission, the social partners and potential future NEW OSH ERA partners. The outcome of the consultation process is the Memorandum of Common Understanding, including the NEW OSH ERA Strategy for the years 2008-2012 and the thematic priorities for joint activities.

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Foresight study on future challenges of OSH research

The aim of the foresight study was to examine the change factors in the society that have impact on the world of work, to reflect on the consequences of the changes for the workplaces and identify future challenges for OSH research. Non-OSH experts, who are innovative and creative in their way of thinking were interviewed using scenario-technique and the results were analysed using qualitative content analysis (Mayring).

Download the Foresight study on future challenges of OSH research

NEW OSH ERA Strategic workshop, 22 January 2008, Brussels

The NEW OSH ERA project has moved into the second phase of the four-step process of the ERA-NET scheme, which is the identification and analysis of common strategic issues. Having reviewed the results of the first phase of the project, a consultation process has been initiated among the NEW OSH ERA partners, aiming to define the general direction for NEW OSH ERA, to agree on the priorities for future joint activities and to develop a joint strategy.
The Strategic workshop, organised on 22 January 2008 in Brussels, was part of the NEW OSH ERA strategic consultation process. With the Strategic workshop the consortium wanted to broaden the process to involve national networks, the Commission, the social partners and potential future NEW OSH ERA partners. The purpose of the workshop was to discuss the preliminary results of the consultation process and the future of NEW OSH ERA. Another important objective of the workshop was to involve OSH stakeholders at the policy level so that they can influence the future development of NEW OSH ERA and support the consortium to achieve its objectives.

Download the Workshop proceedings

Report on Complementarities, gaps and new opportunities in research on OSH-related new and emerging risks

The report Complementarities, gaps and new opportunities in research on OSH-related new and emerging risks opens the second phase of the project which  is the identification and analysis of common strategic issues.  The report deals with complementarities, gaps and new challenges in OSH research carried out in nine European countries participating in the NEW OSH project, i.e. in Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland and Sweden. The report draws on the same two data sources as the report Overview of research funding programmes on OSH- related new and emerging risks, namely: answers to the Questionnaire for collecting information about OSH-related research funding programmes focused on new and emerging risks developed by CIOP-PIB, and the National Reports prepared by the partners presenting an overview of the current state of art in the field of OSH in their respective countries. The identified complementarities, gaps, and new opportunities will be taken into account in the subsequent activities of the NEW OSH ERA project.

Overview of national research management good practice in OSH related research programmes

Information is being also gathered to identify good practice in OSH related research programme management. A questionnaire to collect information on national programme management approaches was prepared by PT-DLR. The German Partners of NEW OSH ERA organised a benchmarking workshop facilitating the exchange of information on management practices. The workshop took place in Dortmund on 26-27 April 2007. The report on Management approaches in NEW OSH ERA is based on the analysis of the questionnaires, the national reports and the discussions in workshop on management approaches in NEW OSH ERA.

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Overview of national OSH research activities concerning new and emerging risks

The work started with collecting information on national occupational safety and health (OSH)-related research activities focusing on new and emerging risks in the workplace in NEW OSH ERA partner countries. A questionnaire was prepared by CIOP-PIB, to collect national data. The results of the questionnaire provided a starting point for mapping OSH research landscape in the participating Member States, analysing which risk factors were identified as emerging in each country and cataloguing what research programmes are underway to tackle those risks. A Workshop on New and emerging risks in OSH - Overview of European OSH research programmes was organised by CIOP-PIB on 14-15 June 2007 in Warsaw, to verify and evaluate the results and to explore potential areas and priorities for future collaboration.

Download report Overview of research funding programmes on OSH- related new and emerging risks

Constituting Conference

The Constituting Conference of NEW OSH ERA was held on 11-12 May, in Rome, jointly with the first meeting of the Steering Committee of the NEW OSH ERA Consortium. At the meeting a consensus was reached about the initial steps of collaboration and the work plan for the first 18 months was accepted.