Interview on human-centric approaches in industry with Mr. William Cockburn, EU-OSHA Executive Director
- Could you briefly introduce EU-OSHA’s mission and explain how it relates to industrial development and technological change in Europe?
Our main role is to collect, analyse, and disseminate information on occupational safety and health (OSH) to improve working conditions across the EU.
EU-OSHA’s strategy 2025-2034 addresses evolving challenges in OSH and equips the agency to respond to important societal developments through three strategic lines of action: providing evidence and knowledge on current, new, and emerging risks to workplace safety and health to support policymaking and research; promoting and facilitating the development of tools and resources for risk prevention; and raising awareness and fostering networking through our extensive network of national Focal Points and social partners, to promote a positive safety and health culture at work.
As Europe undergoes rapid industrial transformation, our role becomes increasingly vital in promoting that technological progress supports sustainable and inclusive development - without compromising workers’ health, safety, or wellbeing.
- What are the main OSH challenges arising from industrial transformations such as digitalisation, automation, and the green transition?
All these transformations bring both opportunities and risks. Digitalisation and automation can improve efficiency but also introduce psychosocial risks, such as isolation, surveillance stress, and job insecurity. The green transition, while essential, may expose workers to new risks like those linked to renewable energy technologies or the circular economy. Our foresight projects have identified emerging risks in areas such as ICT, green jobs, nanomaterials, and climate change, helping stakeholders anticipate and manage these challenges.
- How does EU-OSHA’s work align with integrating Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) into European initiatives like Horizon Europe industry projects?
As stated in the first line of action of the agency’s 2025-2034 strategy, our goal is to support the research community with OSH facts and figures. Some of the data we make available to them comes from three ongoing research projects: the European Survey of Enterprises on New and Emerging Risks (ESENER), the Workers’ Exposure Survey on cancer risk factors in Europe (WES), and the Flash Eurobarometer – OSH Pulse survey. And interrelation between SSH and industrial developments are specifically covered in some of these surveys and other projects of EU-OSHA.
For example, EU-OSHA’s ongoing campaign, ‘Safe and healthy work in the digital age’ (2023–2025) places particular emphasis on the human-centric design of digital tools, the promotion of social dialogue and inclusion, the management of psychosocial risks and mental health, and the ethical deployment of artificial intelligence in worker supervision.
EU-OSHA also underscores the importance of involving workers in the design and implementation of digital systems. This participatory approach should allow technological innovation to serve the needs of workers. The campaign’s collaboration with campaign partners such as ENSHPO and EZA is an example of our aim to integrating societal and worker perspectives into the digital transformation of workplaces.
EU-OSHA is also contributing to the policy landscape through the publication of briefs on digitalisation and psychosocial risks. These documents draw extensively on SSH research to provide guidance for policymakers and employers on how to address the implications of digital change.
- What does a human-centred approach in industrial development mean for EU-OSHA, and why is it important for Europe’s industry?
A human-centred approach places workers’ health, safety, and dignity at the core of industrial progress. For EU-OSHA, this means designing work environments and processes that respect human capabilities and limitations. It’s about fostering a culture of prevention, participation, and continuous improvement. That approach is vital for building innovative, and inclusive industries that can thrive in a rapidly changing world. Practical examples include the application of ergonomics to reduce work-related musculoskeletal disorders or of human-centric principles when introducing AI at work to minimise psychosocial risks. MSDs, such as back-pain and mental health problems such as depression and anxiety account for the vast majority of work-related sickness absence.
- How does EU-OSHA address workforce health, mental wellbeing, and psychosocial risks in evolving industrial environments?
EU-OSHA plays a leading role in Europe in addressing psychosocial risks at work. We recognise them as one of the most pressing challenges in OSH today. Stress, harassment, or poor organisational culture can severely impact workers’ mental health, wellbeing, and productivity. Through our campaigns, research, and practical resources, we promote risk assessment and prevention strategies, encouraging employers to create supportive and inclusive work environments.
The agency also highlights the importance of leadership, worker participation, and clear policies in managing psychosocial risks effectively. By promoting awareness and providing tools, EU-OSHA helps ensure that workplaces across Europe are better equipped to protect mental health.
Our upcoming Healthy Workplaces Campaign (starting next October 2026) will focus on psychosocial risks and mental health, reflecting growing concerns across sectors. We also develop practical resources like OiRA (Online Interactive Risk Assessment) to help enterprises, especially SMEs, identify and manage psychosocial risks.
- Could you share examples of successful EU-OSHA initiatives that have had a significant impact in industrial contexts?
OiRA is an EU-OSHA success story, used widely to support risk assessment in Europe and even across the globe. OiRA tools are tailored to the specific needs of micro and small enterprises, offering sector, occupation or risk-specific risk assessment in multiple languages. They help businesses identify and manage physical, chemical, ergonomic, and psychosocial risks. The tools are developed in collaboration with national authorities and social partners and are freely available online, making them a practical solution for improving workplace safety across diverse industries.
The OiRA tools can empower even the smallest companies to adopt systematic prevention strategies and make them take ownership of OSH and adapt solutions to their specific contexts.
The Healthy Workplaces Campaigns are also among our flagship initiatives. Running in over 30 countries, they raise awareness on key OSH topics and mobilise stakeholders at all levels. For the current campaign “Safe and healthy work in the digital age” we count on over 90 organisations from various sectors across Europe joining as official campaign partners. These partners, including social partners’ organisations, companies, and associations from both the public and private sectors, have shown great enthusiasm and engagement. Some of the campaign activities implemented by them have already reached thousands of their network members or employees.
- How does EU-OSHA’s collaboration with EU-funded projects and NCP networks help embed SSH into industrial policies?
In 2024, EU-OSHA released a guide that provides essential information on how European funding works and presents programmes relevant for OSH initiatives to help identify appropriate funding opportunities for EU-OSHA’s stakeholders. It introduces projects directly managed by the European Commission as well as some examples of funds which are ‘share-managed’ by Member States. Programmes covered include the European Social Fund+, EU4Health, Social Prerogatives and Specific Competencies Lines, Erasmus+, HORIZON Europe and more.
- How does EU-OSHA’s foresight work contribute to anticipating future challenges and shaping proactive responses in industry?
EU-OSHA’s foresight work helps Europe prepare for tomorrow’s workplace risks by identifying how technological, environmental, and social change may affect OSH. Through expert consultation, scenario building, and evidence-based analysis, it highlights emerging risks long before they become mainstream. The aim is not only to alert policymakers, researchers, and industry leaders but also to shape strategies that prevent risks rather than react to them. Reports, policy briefs, and stakeholder workshops make the findings accessible and stimulate debate, ensuring that awareness translates into action. By linking research to policy and practice, EU-OSHA enables industry to move from short-term fixes toward long-term, proactive approaches, safeguarding workers in the face of rapid transformation.
The circular economy foresight project, for instance, developed macro- and micro-scenarios for how work may evolve by 2040, considering resource reuse, recycling, and product life-cycle redesign; then these scenarios were shared through stakeholder workshops to inform policies now.
Our climate change foresight study assesses OSH impacts of future climate developments, including heat-related risks, with results feeding into future research overviews from 2026 onward. The study aligns with the EU OSH Strategic Framework’s goal of increasing preparedness for health crises and environmental shifts.
What’s more, EU-OSHA is part of the European Climate and Health Observatory, a partnership between the European Commission, the European Environment Agency (EEA) and several other organisations to help Europe prepare for climate-related health challenges. It provides information, tools, and fosters collaboration among international, European, national, sub-national, and non-governmental actors.
- What are the most important opportunities and priorities for EU-OSHA in ensuring Europe’s industries remain safe, healthy, and socially responsible?
Our priority is to embed OSH into the DNA of industrial innovation. Successful European industries are essential if the EU is to maintain its competitiveness and its leading role in ensuring decent working conditions. Despite the very turbulent times we are in, it’s important not to lose site of the most important challenges affecting society and of course industry. The ageing of society demands that we minimise workdays lost to illness and injury. We need to be ready for the effects of climate change on occupational risks and ensure that industry working on climate mitigation has good working conditions. Digitalisation is transforming work, raising significant risks, but also offering great opportunities in terms of working conditions. For EU-OSHA, this means implementing our new strategy and strengthening our networks and deepening engagement with stakeholders. Across all areas of our work we aim to support micro and small enterprises, address the needs of vulnerable groups, and promote a culture of prevention. By doing so, we help Europe’s industries become not only competitive but also humane and future-ready.
