Safety, hygiene and health at work: Community programme 1996-2000. Reports included

The Committee adopted a report by Outi OJALA (EUL-NGL, Fin) dealing with three Commission documents: the 1996 activity reports of the Advisory Committee and the Safety and Health Commission, and the Commission's mid-term report on the Community Programme concerning Safety, Hygiene and Health at Work (1996-2000). Mrs. OJALA stresses that committees have an important role as expert bodies. Their expertise, however, could be used wider. The appointment procedure of the members should be changed so that both women and men are equally represented. At present, women make up only a small proportion of the committees' members. The report urges the Commission to monitor closely the implementation and the impact of legislation. The social partners should be involved in this work. The Commission should investigate the possibility of adopting the SAFE programme within the framework of Amsterdam Treaty. If it is not possible, it should propose an amendment to make adoption possible when the Treaty is next reviewed. The report calls for a ban on the marketing, production and use of asbestos in all its forms in 1999. It also urges the Commission to investigate the new problem areas not covered by current legislation, i.e. stress, burn out, violence by customers and harassment at the workplace.�