EU tool free of charge will help HORECA companies test if they are compliant with European legislation on health and safety at work
Brussels, 29 November 2019: HOTREC, the European umbrella association of Hotels, Restaurants and Cafés, and its trade union counter-part EFFAT, the European Federation of Food, Agriculture and Tourism Trade Unions, launched today, under the umbrella of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (OSHA), a EU Online interactive Risk Assessment (OiRA) tool for the European hotel and restaurant sector free of charge.
“All Companies have to conduct a risk assessment to check if they are compliant with health and safety legislation (both at EU and national level). To facilitate this task, the social partners joined forces to create a EU level tool, that can be adapted at national level by all interested parties (e.g. governments, social partners, labour inspectorates, etc.) in conjunction with the support of national OiRA partners. The advantages of the tool are clear: safety and security at the workplace will be improved, while potential hazards and injuries will be reduced. On the other hand, it means less expenses for companies, as the tool will be used for free” informed Jean-Marc Banquet d’Orx, HOTREC’s Chair of the Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee.
“The OiRA tool helps SMEs to comply with occupational health and safety at the workplace obligations. This is an important step to make sure that small companies, which make up the biggest part of businesses in hospitality and employ most of the workers in the sector, have the necessary means to ensure that their employees can work in a safe and secure work environment. Any risk assessment should be undertaken – whenever possible – in cooperation with existing workers’ representation bodies.” stated Kristjan Bragason, EFFAT General Secretary.
For further information: www.hotrec.eu and www.effat.org
Press Contact: Alessia Angiulli, HOTREC, +32 (0)2 504 78 45, [email protected]
Maddalena Colombi, EFFAT, +32 (0)2 218 77 30, [email protected]
What is HOTREC?
HOTREC represents the hotel, restaurant and café industry at European level. The sector counts in total around 2 million businesses, being 99,5% small and medium sized enterprises (91% are micro enterprises, i.e. employing less than 10 people). These businesses make up some 60% of value added. The industry provides some 11,9 million jobs in the EU alone. Together with the other tourism industries, the sector is the 3rd largest industry in Europe. HOTREC brings together 44 national associations representing the interest of this industry in 32 different European countries.
What is EFFAT?
EFFAT is the European Federation of Food, Agriculture and Tourism Trade Unions, also representing domestic workers. As a European Trade Union Federation representing 120 national trade unions from 35 European countries, EFFAT defends the interests of more than 25 million workers towards the European Institutions, European employers’ associations and transnational companies. EFFAT is a member of the ETUC and the European regional organisation of the IUF.