National winners of the European Good Practice Awards
The Health and Safety Authority has announced Kildare County Council and Astellas Pharma as national winners of the European Good Practice Awards. Both entries will now go forward to compete with a range of national winners from across Europe.
The Good Practice Awards is a European-wide competition aimed at encouraging best practice in relation to workplace safety and health. The theme for this year’s awards was “Healthy Workplaces for All Ages” with the focus on proactively managing the safety and health of an aging workforce. The campaign is coordinated by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work in association with the member states.
Europe’s workforce is ageing: by 2030, workers aged 55–64 are expected to make up 30% or more of the total workforce in many countries. The “Healthy Workplaces for All Ages” campaign aims to help workers, managers and employers recognise and manage the challenges of an ageing workforce.
Entries to the competition were required to demonstrate that their workplace undertakes specific activities in relation to an aging workforce such as:
- how age diversity is considered in safety and health management
- age appropriate risk assessments
- the development and implementation of interventions and practical tools for managing an ageing workforce
- disability prevention and return to work policies, or
- specific measures targeting older workers and risks specific to older workers.
Martin O’Halloran, Chief Executive of the Health and Safety Authority said,
“I’m delighted to see these two very worthy initiatives going forward to the European leg of the competition. Both organisations have displayed a proactive and innovative approach to managing workplace safety and health, particularly in relation to older workers. I wish both Kildare County Council and Astellas Ireland the best of luck at the European stage of this prestigious competition.”
