OiRA and other online risk assessment tools in national OSH strategies and legislation

Introduction

Occupational safety and health within the EU is subject to a number of EU directives. Moreover, the European Commission has adopted various policy strategic documents to support the better protection of workers in the EU from work-related accidents and diseases such as the EU’s Strategic Framework on Health and Safety at Work 2021-2027 

A particular focus of the EU Strategic Framework^[1] is the support of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). One of the key strategic objectives at EU level under the previous strategic framework (2014-2020)^[2] includes the development of OiRA tools which are targeted at micro and small-sized enterprises (MSEs) to facilitate the compliance with OSH regulation, particularly for micro and small enterprises. These employ the majority of the workers in the EU and often face higher obstacles to ensure occupational health and safety. The OiRA tools are intended to guide employers through all steps of the risk-assessment process and towards a practical action plan to follow up on the identified risks.

Conducting comprehensive risk assessments on a regular basis is essential to ensure a safe and healthy workplace. However, compliance with OSH legislation is perceived as more challenging for smaller businesses, which are less likely to put in place measures to mitigate exposure to risks and hazards compared to larger businesses^[3]. This is mostly because of gaps in knowledge and resources with regard to OSH in MSEs^[52]  

User friendly online interactive risk assessment tools help overcome some of the obstacles faced by MSEs in carrying out risk assessments and following up with adequate risk management measures. 

The need for e-tools for risk assessment and the need for improved guidance for MSEs is mentioned in two key objectives of the current EU Strategy Framework. The Commission will develop the analytical basis, e-tools and guidance for risk assessments related to green and digital jobs and processes, including in particular psychosocial and ergonomic risks^[4]. The Commission further calls on the Member States to specifically develop guidance for the health care sector and pave the way for developing an OiRA tool on hazardous medicinal products. 

Incorporation of OiRA or other online interactive risk assessment tools in national legislation or strategy documents would be expected to have a positive impact on resources available for tool development and as such to help improve promotion and usage of online risk assessment tools. 

Overview of OiRA and other online risk assessment tools in national strategies and legislation

National OiRA partners are mainly national authorities (ministries and Labour Inspectorates) and national OSH institutes that have decided to join the OiRA community and to develop and promote OiRA tools for MSEs in their countries. The group of national OiRA partners is often referred to as “the OiRA community”. EU-OSHA supports the OiRA community with technical developments and training, EU model tools and networking activities. The aim is to facilitate the development of tools by stimulating the exchange of tools, knowledge and good practices, promoting collaborative work, reinforcing existing relationships within the community and creating new ones.

Out of 27 EU Member States, 16 are partners of OiRA plus Iceland (EFTA country) and Catalonia (a regional approach taken with approval from the Spanish National Institute for Safety and Health at Work, INSST)^[5],[6].

The number of tools developed so far by each OiRA partner varies from 1 to 49. The tools cover a broad range of sectors and areas or activities and partners constantly work on updating the tools and developing new ones. 

A review of the current state of play in OiRA partner countries identified ten out of the 17national OiRA partner countries plus Catalonia^[7] which explicitly reference OiRA in their national OSH strategy or relevant legislation (see table 2). Another four EU Member States explicitly mention the use of online risk assessment tools in general without naming OiRA. Three include no reference to online risk assessment tools in their national strategy or legislation.

The IRAT (Interactive risk assessment)^[8] network is made up of OSH institutions, ministries and Labour Inspectorates that have developed their own free national interactive risk assessment tool (IRAT). All these institutions face the same challenges, such as reaching out to MSEs and encouraging them to start the occupational safety and health risk assessment process and supporting them in all steps through the process of risk assessment and management 

Amongst the six IRAT partners four (Estonia, Ireland, The Netherlands and Spain) refer specifically to their own online risk assessment tool in their national strategic approaches (TEIS, BeSmart, RIE and Prevencion10). Denmark refers to its own risk assessment tool (APV) that will be set up as a digital solution. One IRAT partner (Norway) currently includes no reference to online risk assessment in its national strategy or legislation.

Six EU Member States  (Austria, Germany, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania and Sweden) are neither OiRA nor IRAT partner. 

Table 1 provides an overview of which EU Member States have included references to OiRA or other nationalonline interactive risk assessment tools in their national strategy or legislation.

Table 1: Overview of references to risk assessment in national strategies and legislation

Ten OiRA partner countries mention OiRA in their national OSH strategy or legislation and commit to the development and update of new tools within OiRA (figure 2). They all refer to OiRA tools as a resource which is available to help micro-enterprises and SMEs to comply with national OSH requirements. Four of these commit to the development of a specific tool: Belgium (domestic workers), Greece (telework) and Italy (office work), Slovenia (psychosocial risks). Two countries include training on the use of OiRA (Croatia, Slovenia). Eight commit to the promotion of existing OiRA tools. One country (Slovenia) points out to include specific risks faced by certain groups of workers (for example, pregnant workers, disabled workers, workers with reduced working capacity, older and younger workers, migrant workers, posted workers, women) and another country pays attention to sectors associated with higher levels of risk (Malta). One country refers to risks emerging from new technologies (Finland) (see table 1).

Figure 2: Online risk assessment tools – reference in national legislation or strategies

National strategies including a direct reference to OiRA 

Belgium

Workplace health and safety in Belgium is guided by the national action plan to improve the well-being of workers in the performance of their work for 2022-2027. The national action plan is divided into two chapters. The first chapter discusses the content topics that must be addressed to improve well-being at work for all workers. Chapter II covers policy supporting objectives.

The former Belgian National Strategy for Wellbeing at Work 2016-2020 promoted OiRA as a suitable tool to support micro and small enterprises, OiRA was also included in the formal Policy Agreement 2019-2021 between the Federal Public Service (FPS) for Employment, Labour, and Social Dialogue and the Federal Minister of Work. According to the Agreement, in particular SMEs should be supported to implement a prevention policy. The current strategy (2022-2027) includes the development of a specific OiRA tool for domestic workers in the action plan under section 1, chapter 6. It is mentioned as a suitable tool to support the protection of the well-being at work of domestic workers. OiRA is also mentioned in the first chapter of this strategy under section 3 “Well-being policy actors at enterprise levels”. 

OiRA and other concrete information and awareness-raising instruments or tools will be made available through study days and the FPS and the Beswic (Belgian knowledge centre on well-being at work) websites to support employers in implementing an appropriate well-being policy with special attention to SMEs.

The Royal Decree of 7 May 2023^[9] lays down specific measures concerning the welfare of the workers of service and domestic staff. The first specific provision in the Royal Decree is that the risk analysis to be performed by the employer can be carried out through the OiRA tool developed specifically for this Royal Decree^[10].

Croatia

OiRA is explicitly mentioned in the National Plan for Labour, Safety at Work and Employment for the period from 2021 to 2027^[11]. 

Chapter 4.2.2 No. 1 and 3 and chapter 4.3 priority 2 highlight the importance of supporting micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in occupational safety and health by developing and providing practical risk assessment tools, such as OiRA tools. Chapter 4.3 sets out the intention to develop, promote and translate OiRA tools as well as to train employers to carry out their own risk assessment. 

Currently there is no new action plan, but the action plan (2021-2024)^[12] described in detail the task to develop OiRA tools and the translation of existing online tools into Croatian in measure 2.1. 

Cyprus

The Cyprus Strategy for Safety and Health at Work 2021 – 2027^[13] specifically refers to the need for simple and efficient tools, electronic applications and guides, which are easy to use, flexible and free of charge (e.g. OiRA tools), to help micro and small enterprises to manage occupational safety and health. 

The Action Plan for the period 2021 to 2027^[14] includes the following aspects: Action 6.18 refers to the development of OiRA tools for various sectors as well as to promote the use of OiRA tools.

The Department of Labour Inspection of the Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance is mentioned as the entity in charge of OiRA tools and collaboration with EU-OSHA in this aspect. 

France

Workplace health and safety is currently guided by the fourth Occupational Health Plan (Le 4^e Plan santé au travail  2021 – 2025 PST 4)^[15]. PST 4 highlights in Action 1.1 that risk assessment is the cornerstone of any occupational risk prevention approach. In order to help companies to evaluate and prevent risks at the workplace risk assessment tools are included to “Strengthen procedures for evaluation and prevention of professional risks”.

OiRA is mentioned in connection with other risk assessment tools such as the MonDocUnique Prem's^[16] for the construction sector and Systera^[17] for the agricultural sector.

Greece

OiRA is mentioned in the Greek National Strategy on Health and Safety at Work 2022-2027^[18]. The development of new OiRA tools is highlighted as a key initiative to support small and micro-enterprises to properly implement health and safety. OiRA is part of the strategic objective 3 “Promotion of a culture of risk prevention at work involving all stakeholders in the workplace”.

The development of new OiRA tools is planned for specific sectors, for example, laboratories, hotels, supermarkets and petrol stations. The three later ones had already been developed and published at the time of drafting this article. 

The development and publication of a new thematic OiRA digital tool for "Telework” as well as the promotion of the OiRA tools via publications and workshops is laid down in action 3.1.3 in the National Programme of actions 2025 (Annex III of the National Strategy on Health and Safety at Work 2022-2027). OiRA is also integrated in programmes for the information and awareness-raising of teachers, students and young people in schools and vocational education and training (Action 3.1.5).

OiRA is further included in the Ministerial decision No. 39278/1823/25-7-2018 concerning the training of employers and workers on issues related to the performance of safety technician duties in B and C risk category enterprises. It´s included in both categories as an example of tools to be used for the training in risk assessments.^[53]

Hungary

OiRA is mentioned in the  National Occupational Safety and Health Policy 2024-2027 of Hungary^[19] in measure No 8. “Support the introduction of free online tools to support OSH tasks”. The aim of the action is “to promote the development of safe working conditions for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, to improve their competitiveness, to continuously develop and expand OiRA (Online Interactive Risk Assessment) tools”. 

Italy

Article 28 of the 2008 Consolidated Act on Safety at Work (legislative decree 81/2008) states that the National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (Istituto Nazionale Assicurazione contro gli Infortuni sul Lavoro, INAIL), in collaboration with regional health offices, may make available technical and sector-specific tools ‘to reduce risks’. Article 29 of the same legislation includes a provision which allows all businesses (with some limited exceptions) to conduct risk assessment using ‘IT-based tools based on the European OiRA prototype’.^[20]

OiRA was implemented in the article 29, paragraph 6-quater, of Legislative Decree no. 81 of 9 April 2008 by the Decree of the Ministero del lavoro e delle politiche sociali (MLPS) n. 61 of 23/05/2018 and can be used both in the public and private sectors. The decree of MLPS 61/2018 on OiRA on Offices and the Circolare Inail n. 8 - MLPS n. 2 del 23 marzo 2020) specifically mentions the updated office tool. Several Directory Decrees specify the update of the tool (Directory Decree No. 59 of 15 May 2023, Directory Decree No. 68 of 22 July 2024 and Directory Decree No. 69 of 22 July 2024)^[21].

Malta

Malta’s Strategic Plan for Occupational Health and Safety 2022-2027^[22] includes an explicit commitment by the Maltese Occupational Health and Safety Authority to promote the benefits of OiRA tools and to develop new tools in different sectors. The Strategic Plan for Occupational Health and Safety 2022-2027 mentions that the Maltese Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA) will use its corporate website and social media tools to publish guidance and information on a regular basis, including the benefits of using the free, anonymous, online interactive risk assessment (OiRA) tool and will continue to assist the EU European Agency in the development of more OiRA tools for different economic sectors or activities^[23].

It is also mentioned that OHSA will continue to prepare relevant and up-to-date guidance documents that address specific concerns or economic sectors associated with higher levels of risk. OHSA will also liaise with EU-OSHA to continue facilitating in the best manner possible the adaptation of existing OiRA tools to the Maltese scenario¹⁰. The adaption of existing OiRA tools is one of the main deliverables of the Strategic Plan.

Slovakia

The Strategy of safety and health at work of the Republic of Slovakia for the years 2021 to 2027 and the programme for its implementation for the years 2024 – 2027^[24] includes a direct reference to OiRA in Theme B, No 6: Participate in the preparation and support the use of online tools (e.g. the OiRA), publish promotional materials, organise regular seminars with the aim to familiarise and simplify solutions related to occupational health and safety for employers, including entrepreneurs^[25].

Slovenia

The Slovenian OSH strategy “The Resolution on the National Programme of Health and Safety at Work 2018-2027” was adopted by the Slovenian National Assembly on 27 March 2018^[26]. The Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs, and Equal Opportunities and the Labour Inspectorate are responsible in cooperation with social partners for developing OiRA tools in Slovenia. OiRA is mentioned as one of a number of measures for realising the strategic objectives aimed at ensuring safety at work. 

The Action Plan 2024-2027^[27] supporting the  Resolution on the National Programme of Health and Safety at Work 2018-2027 mentions OiRA in several areas: Action 1.1.8. determines the preparation and implementation of a programme to develop practical online risk assessment tools (OiRA), including a plan for updating the OiRA tools, promotion, OiRA training for employers and the operation of a helpdesk. In 1.1.8.1 it is laid down to promote the use of OiRA, including an update of already published OiRA tools.

Action 2.3.1.1 defines the development of a practical e-tool (OiRA) for assessing psychosocial risks to occupational safety and health.  And action 3.3.2 points out to include the specific risks faced by certain groups of workers (for example, pregnant workers, disabled workers, workers with reduced working capacity, older and younger workers, migrant workers, posted workers, women) in the development of practical OiRA risk assessment tools.

OiRA partners who have a general reference to online risk assessment tools but not to OiRA specifically

Bulgaria

The strategic approach to OSH in Bulgaria is supported by the National Programme for Occupational Safety and Health 2022-2024 (NOSH 2022.2024)^[28]. This programme is outdated and a new programme had not been published yet when this article was drafted. OiRA tools are not mentioned specifically in the outdated NOSH, but there are general references to online risk assessment tools. 

The NOSH (2022-2024) pointed out the need to disseminate OSH information materials and guides to good practice. Risk assessment tools are mentioned for the education sector in the Operational Objective 1.3. “Providing information on OSH policy”.

Finland

The Finish policy for the work environment and wellbeing at work until 2030^[29] mentions the “risk assessment tool of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work” and highlights the importance of risk assessment linked to detect and reduce the risks and exposure introduced by new technology and working approaches. 

The Framework plan for Occupational Safety and Health Divisions 2024–2027^[30] underlines that it is necessary to make sure workplaces have sufficient tools for managing risks and fulfilling statutory obligations to achieve permanent improvements at the workplace. It further states that various tools and methods for risk assessment are available. The use of e-tools is mentioned in the Implementation Plan 2024–2027^[31].

Latvia

The Social Protection and Labour Market Policy Guidelines 2021-2027^[32] lay down in task 3.2.4 the provision to support enterprises, in particular MSEs, in creating a safe and healthy working environment.  The Guidelines for 2021-2027 describe the situation and set general objectives for the respective period. To provide more detailed activity plans there are supportive documents (Labour Protection Development Plans) that have been adopted by the Cabinet of Ministers. The Labour Protection Development Plan for 2024-2027 which has been developed in order to determine specific measures for further development of occupational safety and health at work does not include a special task related to OiRA. 

Measures to provide support for businesses, especially MSEs, in the creation of a safe and healthy working environment include among others digital platforms and online information.

Portugal

A new OSH strategy was still under development during the drafting of this article. The former National Strategy for Health and Safety at Work 2015-2020^[33] did not include a specific reference to OiRA tools but set a target of providing at least five online self-assessment tools in the 2015-2020 period under Objective 4, to promote information, training, participation and cooperation in the workplace. 

OiRA partners who have no reference to OiRA and no general reference to  online risk assessment tools 

Czech Republic

In the Czech Republic, the development and updating of tools OiRA has been done by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and the (former) Research Institute for Labour and Social Affairs (Occupational Safety Research Institute) (Výzkumný ústav bezpečnosti práce – VÚBP)^[34], [35]. The development of the tools was the result of the VÚBP and the VŠB’s (Technical University of Ostrava, Faculty of Safety Engineering (Fakulta bezpečnostního inženýrství VŠB – Technické univerzity Ostrava) project “. 

Currently, there is no new National OSH Action Programme and the National OSH Action Programme for the period 2019 - 2020^[36] included no reference to OiRA. 

Lithuania

The current National Action Plan on Health and Safety at Work (HSW) 2022-2027^[37] outlines three primary goals and includes eight targeted tasks. Two of these tasks (and actions included in those tasks) specifically address risk assessment. However, OiRA is not explicitly mentioned in the current Action Plan, which was included in the National Action Plan on Health and Safety at Work (HSW) 2017-2021^[38].

IRAT Partner

Denmark

The national strategy (2020) in Denmark mentioned “More help for small businesses” in initiative 6^[39]. In more detail it stated that the Danish Working Environment Authority will guide the individual companies to meet the requirements of the Working Environment Act, which include for example the workplace assessment (APV) and an annual discussion on the working environment (Chapter 3).  Therefore, it must be clear to workplaces where they can seek external advice so that small workplaces in particular are motivated to seek out the necessary knowledge. Similarly, the statutory risk assessment (APV) was to be set up as a digital solution that workplaces can use.^[40]

Denmark does not have a new general Danish OSH-strategy. A broad majority in the Danish Parliament has agreed to strengthen the working environment efforts which are laid down in the new Political Agreement from March 2023^[41]. The new Political Agreement does not mention the workplace assessment tool APV or any other risk assessment tool.

Estonia

Since 1999, the Estonian Occupational Health and Safety Act requires every employer to conduct a risk assessment of the working environment, to identify the risk factors in the work environment and assess the impact on employees' health. On March 2021, the obligation to submit electronically a risk assessment to the Labour Inspectorate working environment database (TEIS) was added to the Occupational Health and Safety Act (in § 13⁴ (7))^[42]. The tool (TEIS), developed by the Health and Welfare Information Systems Center, supports employers in the conduction of the risk assessment. It is available in the self-service environment of the Labour Inspectorate (currently under development). By signing in into the Work Inspectorate's self-service (user.ti.ee), employers can do their risk assessment using the tool.  

The “Estonia 2035”^[43] development strategy sets out strategic goals for the state and people of Estonia for the next fifteen years and determines the changes necessary for achieving them. The Welfare Development Plan 2023–2030^[44] helps to implement the goals and objectives set in the long-term development strategy "Estonia 2035".

Ireland

The OSH strategy in Ireland is laid out in a three-year strategy statement, accompanied by an annual programme of work. The current strategy is the Health and Safety Authority (2024), Statement of Strategy 2025- 2027^[45]. Ireland has its own BeSMART.ie^[46] online risk assessment tool dating back to 2010. 

There is a specific reference to the  BeSmart.ie in the strategic programme.  It states that “We continued to develop our BeSMART.ie online risk assessment and safety management tool, enabling enterprises in managing and complying with their responsibilities in health and safety. This involved incorporating a new business category for remote working hubs, as well as developing and promoting an Indoor Air Quality risk assessment.” 

The Netherlands

OiRA was originally created on the source code of the  Dutch risk assessment instrument RI&E. 

The RI&E tools are mentioned in action line 1, objective 1 of the national OSH strategy (Arbovisie 2040: De trend gekeerd “Samenwerken aan een gezond en veilig werkend Nederland”)^[47] “Support for drawing up/updating a high-quality RI&E with prevention as a starting point, especially for SMEs .” The objective also directly refers to the online steunpunt RI&E^[48]  that supports companies in selecting the right online risk assessment tool. SMEs may use the tool  “Algemene MKB RI&E (General SME RI&E)”. Companies with less than 25 workers may use the tool “Route naar RI&E (route to RI&E)”

Spain

It is a priority of the Spanish Strategy on Safety and Health at Work 2023-2027^[49] to help SMEs to improve health and safety conditions at work. Objective 3 includes a reference to the development and dissemination of tools to facilitate preventive management and the integration of prevention into business processes for SMEs and micro-enterprises. Within the framework of this objective, among others, it is established that these tools and the support for training and capacity building of employers and workers to effectively manage health and safety in their organisations will be improved. In this context the online platform prevencion10.es is mentioned in the strategy. 

Action line 3 includes the task to evaluate Prevencion10.es and, if necessary, to adapt the tool to enable companies to develop preventive measures, taking into account their needs. 

Action line 4.1 of the Strategy refers to practical guidelines and electronic tools in order to help SMEs to manage ergonomic and psychosocial risks derived from digitalisation and new forms of work.

Prevention10.es was developed by the Ministry of Labour, Migration and Social Security through the INSST, in collaboration with the Communities and is owned by the State Secretariat for Social Security. The Prevencion10.es portal is made up of a set of tools^[50] and a training platform whose correct use allows companies with up to 25 employees to easily comply with the obligations established by preventive regulations in Spain. 

Conclusions

This review of national OSH strategies and legislation shows strong support at national level for the promotion of the online risk assessment tool OiRA and other online interactive risk assessment tools (IRAT) in general. The majority of OiRA partners have included OiRA or the mention of online interactive risk assessment tools in their national strategy on OSH. The inclusion of OiRA (either explicitly named or referred to as online interactive risk assessment tools in general) as such can be seen an indicator of success for the OiRA approach. Partners also confirm that the inclusion of OiRA in the national strategic approach is often going ahead with respective resources and with concrete steps included in the national action plans supporting the strategic approach, as can be seen as well in this overview.

Qualitative research based on interviews with OiRA users and national stakeholders further confirms how positively OiRA is received at national level and specifically by the target group (MSEs).^[51] The research also confirms that official backing and promotion of OiRA by public authorities enhanced its credibility and trustworthiness, making some companies more inclined to use OiRA.