Effective prevention is not possible without knowledge of hazards and how they can be addressed. This principle applies to all stakeholders in occupational safety and health: employers and managers; specialists such as safety engineers, safety representatives, occupational physicians and skilled workers such as blasting engineers; as well as the personnel of social security institutions.
The institution communicates the results of research and development to the general public and to the operational level of member enterprises to facilitate up-to-date prevention activities.
The institution cooperates with national and international institutes to share research and development work and establish global research and development networks.
The institution supports research in occupational safety and health, and research related to innovation and improvements in products, production processes and other relevant matters.
The institution maintains a “risk observatory” in order to identify new and emerging occupational risks and enable it to demand political, administrative and technical support that ensures high levels of safety and health at work.
Innovation at the workplace, changing work processes or the use of new products and materials at work can lead to exposure to new risks. Research in prevention plays a crucial role in identifying and addressing these risks. Research and development, including evaluation research, ensures constant improvement in the quality of provision of occupational safety and health services.
The institution provides measuring services to monitor and document the impact on the workplace of chemical or biological factors, exposure to hazardous substances and elements such as noise or vibration.
The results of valid measurement provide a solid basis for monitoring preventive action and the need for improvements, for research projects on the impact of workplace exposures and for the setting of threshold limits. The results of measurements also provide a basis for fair compensation in the event of an insurance claim.
The institution bases its prevention services on a systemic approach to risk assessment and promotes it as a general requirement for any insured activity by its members. It supports all members to carry out efficient risk assessment and provides them with an incentive to integrate it into daily operations.
The institution systematically and thoroughly assesses occupational accidents and occupational diseases as soon as possible after the event, and documents the results.
The purpose of this assessment is to help enterprises identify problematic conditions, behaviour or practice in the workplace and learn from and avoid similar occupational accidents or diseases at other workplaces. Assessment results are documented to provide statistical data and, where applicable, to form the basis for fair compensation.
The institution conducts on-site visits among its member enterprises, with clearly defined objectives and including consulting services focused on specific sectors of economic activity.
