OSH policies The Netherlands

Jan Michiel Meeuwsen

Key figures The Netherlands

7.3 million employees

2.9 million at large companies (> 250 employees)

4.4 million at small- and medium companies (< 250)

• 1.5 million self-employed professionals

• 600.000 companies

• 4% absenteeism

• 20,000 employees with a work-related disease each year

Jan Michiel Meeuwsen

OSH policies The Netherlands

Dutch Occupational Health and Safety Service System (Arbodienst)

Dutch: Arbodienst

A service provider offering professional support in the area of working

conditions

These services are private enterprises, but must comply with

certain legal requirements

Most of them are external services

Some larger companies have internal services (KLM, SHELL)

Jan Michiel Meeuwsen

OSH policies The Netherlands

Dutch Occupational Health and Safety Service System

Expertise in four disciplines

• Industrial medicine (Occupational Health Physician)

• Industrial safety (Safety expert)

• Industrial hygiene (Occupational hygienist)

• Organisation science (Occupational- and organizational expert)

Jan Michiel Meeuwsen

OSH policies The Netherlands

Registration of Work-related Diseases

The Netherlands Centre for Occupational Diseases (NCvB) registers

and reports occupational diseases via the national notification and

registration System and a number of specific surveillance projects.

• 20.000 work-related diseases are reported and registered

Jan Michiel Meeuwsen

OSH policies The Netherlands

Top 3 Work-related Diseases

1. Back and neck pain

2. Hearing loss/damage

3. Psychosocial stress

About 90% of all work related

diseases.

However, occupational deaths:

• 3000/year are related to

exposure to dangerous

substances

• 75% after they stopped working

Jan Michiel Meeuwsen

OSH policies The Netherlands

Risque professionelle versus Risque social

Risque professionelle

• Social benefit depends on the cause of the disease (distinction

between occupational or non-occupational disease)

Risque social (The Netherlands)

• Social benefit does not depend on the cause of the disease (No

distinction between occupational or non-occupational diseases)

Both systems have advantages and disadvantages

NL: Occupational risks should be considered as a risk of society

at large that should be covered by employers and/or social

security schemes

• No debate about the definition of an occupational disease

Jan Michiel Meeuwsen

OSH policies The Netherlands

Work-related diseases versus Occupational diseases (WHO definitions)

• “Occupational disease” is any disease contracted primarily as a

result of an exposure to risk factors arising from work activity.

• “Work-related diseases” have multiple causes, where factors in the

work environment may play a role, together with other risk factors, in

the development of such diseases.

Netherlands: because of risque social system only work-related

diseases are relevant

Jan Michiel Meeuwsen

OSH policies The Netherlands

Work incapacity in the Netherlands

First two years

• Employer is responsible for costs (70% of the wage, possibly

insured by private insurance companies)

• Why? Incentive for employers and insurance companies for an

active policy to prevent absenteeism

After two years

• Labour Capacity Act (WIA) benefit (through statutory premium

collectively paid by employers and employees depending on sector)

• Why? Incentive for employers and sectors to keep an interest in

preventing employees from becoming entitled to such an income

compensation for another three years

Jan Michiel Meeuwsen

OSH policies The Netherlands

Work-related healthcare: Policy in Progress

Challenges:

• Not enough new occupational physicians in training

• Lack of cooperation between occupational physician and public

healthcare

• Work-related diseases are often not recognized and reported

• Limited focus on prevention at the workplace

Jan Michiel Meeuwsen

OSH policies The Netherlands

Compensation Occupational Diseases Policy in Progress

Challenges

• Going to court as an employee with an occupational disease is

expensive and lengthy

• Judges have no medical knowledge to determine causality between

occupation and disease

• Possible solution: an independent institution with expertise in

causality between occupations and diseases

Jan Michiel Meeuwsen

OSH policies The Netherlands

Jan Michiel Meeuwsen

OSH policies The Netherlands

OSH infrastructure

compilation of players/stakeholders

in a country plus their network

relations contributing to and

influencing the state of occupational

safety and health at shop floors in

the organisations where people work

Jan Michiel Meeuwsen

OSH policies The Netherlands

Players in OSH infrastructures

• the national government;

respective ministries

• The inspections authorities

(either safety or health

• Social partners

• Occupational safety and health

services

• Research institutes

• Associations of OSH

professionals

• Insurance companies

legislation

enforcement

OSH services Employers’ organisations

Trade Unions Publishers

Research

institutes

Government

Inspection authority

Organisations; their managers and workers

influencing,

advice

collective bargaining

regulation,

certification

advice

promotion,

public information

issuing,

disseminating

assignments,

research programming

disseminating results

Jan Michiel Meeuwsen

OSH policies The Netherlands