Climate Change & OSH: ENSHPO at the EU-OSHA Workshop in Bilbao
Last Thursday and Friday Francesco Santi, ENSHPO President, had the privilege of representing ENSHPO – European Network of Safety and Health Professional Organisations at the EU-OSHA workshop “OSH Implications of Future Climate Change-Related Developments and Crises, Phase 2“, hosted at the Agency’s headquarters in Bilbao.
A high-level gathering of experts from across Europe, coordinated by the EU-OSHA team — with a special thank you to Dietmar Elsler, Annick Starren, Olivier Salvi, Mario Battaglini, Fabio Boccuini, Stefano Indini, Andreina Capacchione, and all Agency colleagues for the flawless organisation and truly collaborative working atmosphere.
What was discussed?
The workshop launched a structured reflection — based on a pan-European survey gathering input from OSH experts and organisations across the continent, including ENSHPO — on future scenarios linked to climate change and its effects on workers’ safety and health through to 2050.
Key topics on the table:
Heatwaves — growing risks for exposed workers, with impacts on productivity, physical health and mental wellbeing
Extreme weather events — floods, intense meteorological phenomena and their consequences for working conditions and protection systems
Rising allergens and allergies — new occupational exposures requiring updated regulatory frameworks and adequate treatment tools
Changes in pest and parasite presence — pest control emerges as a strategically important sector for public health and worker protection, facing new challenges from the spread of invasive species and disease vectors
Inequalities and mental health — climate change amplifies social and occupational inequalities, with significant mental health impacts on workers, particularly among the most vulnerable groups
A monitoring framework for Europe
This work is part of EU-OSHA’s 4th foresight cycle and aims to build a sector-specific monitoring framework — covering construction, healthcare, and food manufacturing — capable of anticipating risks before they materialise, shifting the response from reactive to proactive.
An approach fully aligned with the Vision Zero philosophy and the values ENSHPO advocates every day across its member organisations in 17 European countries:
AIAS – Italy | www.aias-sicurezza.it 
AEPSAL – Spain | www.aepsal.com 
AM-PRO – Denmark | www.am-pro.dk 
PREBES – Belgium | www.prebes.be 
VDSI – Germany | www.vdsi.de 
IOSH – UK & Ireland | www.iosh.com NISO – Ireland | www.niso.ie 
SPOSHO – Portugal | www.sposho.pt 
OSPSBHP – Poland | www.ospsbhp.pl 
IMRSS – Romania | www.imrss.ro 
MMA/HOSHA – Hungary | www.hosha.eu 
DVJ Ljubljana – Slovenia | www.dvilj.si 
DPALV – Latvia | www.dpalv.lv 
CYSHA – Cyprus | www.cysha.org.cy 
MOSHPA – Malta 
ESOSH – Ukraine | www.esosh.net 
TTK – Finland | www.ttk.fi
What to expect next?
Work will continue over the coming months with a second workshop, culminating by the end of 2026 in an official EU-OSHA publication that will serve as a key reference for policy makers, HSE professionals and employers’ organisations across Europe.
Follow EU-OSHA and ENSHPO channels to stay updated.
ENSHPO is proud to contribute to these European institutional processes, bringing the voice of occupational safety and health professionals to where future policies are shaped.
#ENSHPO #AIAS #EUOSHA #ClimateChange #OSH #SafetyAndHealth #VisionZero #ORP #PestControl #Allergies #MentalHealth #WorkplaceSafety #Foresight #GreenTransition #Bilbao #ENSHPOInAction
