The OSHVET project: OSH in vocational education and training

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EU-OSHA’s OSHVET project aims to raise awareness of occupational safety and health (OSH) among teachers and students in vocational education and training (VET), and provide practical information and resources at regional and national levels across EU, EFTA and accession countries.

Getting the messages across: pan-European partners and national ambassadors

The project aims to build an extensive network, capitalising on the existing networks of EU-OSHA’s national focal points and European partner organisations — the European Association of Institutes for Vocational Training (EVBB) and the European forum of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (EfVET).

In each country, OSHVET ambassadors, nominated by EVBB and EfVET and with support from national focal points, are responsible for coordinating and promoting project activities among their networks and national vocational education centres. The OSHVET ambassadors also report on activity implementation to EU-OSHA.

The project was successfully piloted in six countries — Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and Spain — before being rolled out more widely.

National OSHVET initiatives

Support for OSHVET activities is available through EU-OSHA’s Focal Point Assistance Tool — FAST. The following examples illustrate the range of initiatives coordinated by OSHVET ambassadors and national focal points, and undertaken as part of the project:

  • In Portugal, an event and video competition promoted moving and stretching as a way of preventing MSDs.
  • In the Netherlands, “Safe Working with Common Sense” lectures are delivered by experts to vocational colleges across the country.
  • In Belgium, tools such as OiRA and Napo for Teachers are promoted through vocational networks, and plans are in place for a project to raise awareness of the Roadmap on Carcinogens.