Occupational safety and health in Europe - state and trends 2023 
European Agency for Safety and Health at Work – EU-OSHA 55 
Women 
· Most women in the EU bear the main responsibility of household work and childcare. The health 
risks from this non-paid work add up to the risks from their paid work; this double burden in general is 
not, however, considered when addressing occupational health problems faced by women.  
· In surveys, about 6% of women under 30 in the EU have reported sexual harassment at work 
(though this may be an under-estimate).  
· Overall, women report fewer work-related accidents than men, but higher levels of work-related 
health problems, including MSDs and stress (see also the overview in the EIGE ‘Gender statistics 
database’, section: Working conditions).99,100 
Migrants 
While a minority of migrant workers hold high-skilled jobs, many have jobs that are “dirty, dangerous 
and demanding” and consequently face high risks of work-related accidents and disease.  
· Language and cultural barriers also contribute to higher risks for migrant workers.  
· While EU-wide statistics are not available, country studies confirm that migrant workers suffer higher 
levels of work-related accidents and disease. Health and safety risks are believed to be higher for 
undocumented migrant workers although, because of their situation, there is a lack of data on their 
conditions. 
Low-qualified workers 
· Low-qualified workers are found mainly in traditional sectors, including manufacturing, agriculture, 
construction, wholesale and retail trades.  
· Very often these workers have high-risk or elementary occupations that expose them to a higher rate 
of injuries and health-related problems.  
· Low-qualified workers have less autonomy, less responsibility and overall experience less job 
satisfaction than workers with higher qualifications. Most low-qualified workers have low-paid jobs and 
many have temporary contracts.  
Ageing workers  
· Ageing workers are more at risk of occupational health problems than younger workers because they 
have been exposed longer to certain hazards. Older workers report more work-related health 
problems than younger workers, with backache and muscular pain for more than 70% of workers aged 
55 and more. 
· Older workers are at lesser risk of non-fatal accidents because they have greater experience; 
however fatal accidents are more frequent than for younger workers. 
· Recovery time and return to work after illness are key issues to address when aiming to increase the 
employment rate of ageing workers. 
Young workers101 
· Overall, young workers have a higher rate of non-fatal injuries than older workers.  
· Young workers are more likely to be employed under non-standard forms of contractual 
arrangements such as part-time or temporary contracts. 
· Younger workers have less training, experience and maturity in their job, which puts them at risk of 
overestimating their physical capacities or underestimating the safety and health risks associated with 
their tasks. 
· A further concern is that exposure to workplace risks when young can contribute to later disease – 
this factor is not, however, addressed by worker health and safety surveillance.