Seminar reports

The preliminary findings of a project commissioned by EU-OSHA in 2015-2017 were presented and discussed at a workshop on 10 October 2017 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The project aimed to address the lack of knowledge and awareness of exposures to biological agents and the related health problems and the lack of a systematic approach to workplace prevention regarding these risk factors at work. The aim was to raise awareness of exposed professions, especially those with unintentional use of biological agents, increase information on related health problems including infectious diseases, acute toxic effects, and allergies, and support efforts to prioritise and structure prevention. A presentation of the preliminary findings was accompanied by three presentations on a national monitoring system, a national policy approach, and a sectoral initiative in a particularly hard-to-reach sector, agriculture. The participants were invited to discuss and comment on the preliminary findings and report on their national experiences.