Companies are also reporting new risks associated with digitalisation

The 2024 European Survey of Enterprises on New and Emerging Risks (ESENER) provides fresh insights into workplace risks across Europe, with musculoskeletal disorders, psychosocial stress, and digitalisation emerging as key concerns.

The survey, conducted across all sectors, highlights persistent challenges, such as prolonged sitting and repetitive movements, while also revealing the increasing impact of modern work practices on occupational safety and health.

Musculoskeletal risks remain dominant, with 64% of workplaces citing prolonged sitting as the most common issue, followed closely by repetitive hand or arm movements, reported by 63%.

Additionally, 52% identified lifting or moving heavy loads as a significant risk. The growing prevalence of remote work—up from 13% in 2019 to 23% in 2024—has further contributed to concerns about ergonomic hazards and digital workplace risks.

Psychosocial risks have also become a major challenge, particularly in service industries. More than half of surveyed organisations (56%) identified dealing with difficult customers, patients, or pupils as a key issue.

However, 25% of organisations still fail to acknowledge psychosocial risks, a shortfall that underscores the need for targeted interventions.

Worrisome trends

Reflecting on the results, EU-OSHA executive director William Cockburn stated, “25% of organisations still fail to recognise the presence of psychosocial risks, highlighting a significant shortfall in addressing these important issues. This underlines the importance of our upcoming Healthy Workplaces Campaign, launching in 2026, which will focus on tackling the impact of psychosocial risks at work on workers’ mental health.” 

Among workplaces that recognise psychosocial risk factors, 21% find them harder to manage than other occupational safety and health (OSH) risks. Perceptions vary by country, with Sweden (38%) and Denmark (37%) reporting the greatest challenges.

Employee participation in designing measures to mitigate psychosocial risks has declined slightly, dropping from 61% in 2019 to 55% in 2024.

Digitalisation is increasingly influencing workplace safety, with 43% of organisations incorporating digital technologies into their risk assessments, a rise from previous years. Spain and Slovenia lead the way, with over 60% of workplaces considering digital risks in their assessments.

Training on digital technology usage has also expanded, reaching 42% of workplaces overall and 75% in Malta.

Companies are also reporting new risks associated with digitalisation, including increased work intensity (34%), information overload (32%), and blurred boundaries between work and personal life (27%).

Encouragingly, consultation with employees on the impact of digitalisation has improved, with 35% of workplaces engaging workers on these issues—up from 24% in 2019.

These preliminary findings mark the beginning of a deeper analysis of ESENER 2024 data.

Additional reports will be published through 2026, offering further insights into the evolving landscape of workplace risks in Europe.

The inaugural conference will deliver deep insights and analysis from Europe’s leading offshore industry experts covering diverse topics under the HSE umbrella. (Image Source: Offshore Network)

It is nearly time for the doors to open on Offshore Network’s inaugural North Sea Health, Safety and Environment conference (HSE North Sea) which will make its debut this summer in Scotland.

Building on the success from previous HSE forums produced by Offshore Network (HSE GOM, HSE MENA and HSE KSA), the inaugural conference will deliver deep insights and analyses from Europe’s leading offshore industry experts covering diverse topics under the HSE umbrella.

With a focus placed on urgent HSE challenges offshore, delegates will spend two days gaining insights into the latest pioneering technologies dutifully addressing these factors and have the opportunity to learn even more with 10 bespoke tech demos.

An array of sessions and panels will take place over the two-day affair, including an exclusive key note address by Dr. Fawaz Bitar, Senior VP HSE & Carbon at bp. Other representatives from Ambrey, bp, IOGP, Maritime and Coastguard Agency, Mental Health In Energy, Shell, and the UN Environment Programme will also be taking to the stage to deliver talks on safety culture, regulation navigation, emerging challenges, and mental resilience within the industry.

More than 150 delegates will descend into the Chester Hotel in Aberdeen on 11-12 June, 2025, to share knowledge and connect with operators, government representatives, experts and technology developers. With eight dedicated networking events and two exclusive breakout workshops, HSE North Sea provides unparalleled opportunities for collaboration and innovation in an ever-changing sector.  

For more information about speaking, sponsorship or delegate packages, please contact Gabrielle Foster at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. as space is extremely limited. 

The UK's Health and Safety Executive inspected 13 production operators across the North Sea as part of its Process Safety Leadership Principles (PLSP) programme; it has now published its findings and uncovered the risks that remain amongst offshore companies.

The PSLP were developed after the Executive flagged concerns about stagnating safety standards to the offshore industry in 2018. They cover management and regulatory skills to improve and ensure safety on sites.

Inspections took place between January 2022 and May 2024; industry leaders were also engaged with to determine exactly how the safety leadership principles were being embedded throughout project lifecycle stages. The final report, reflecting the outcome of the inspections, quality assessments and actionable next steps, has now been published.

Samantha Peace, director of the HSE's Energy Division, reported that "offshore companies are now engaging with one another on an unprecedented level... firms were looking at themselves, identifying areas of improvement, engaging with other companies and above all, finding solutions."

While these successes are, of course, critical to ensuring that safety regulation is not snubbed moving forward, the report found "several consistent themes" where safety was dismissed or lacking, and that the themes "were not unique to individual organisations."

One such shortcoming was the dwindling workforce, which has in turn sparked a decrease in knowledge and competency within operator workforces.

Despite the final inspection taking place in May of 2024, Samantha affirmed that the HSE "will continue to question companies on how they are implementing PSLP and whether they are still collaborating with other firms on the same level we witnessed during the programme."

The report itself promises "anonymous feedback... on any common trends or themes," identified by the Executive moving forward.

his achievement marks SPIE as the first company in Europe to attain this award. (Image source: SPIE)

SPIE, Europe’s leading independent provider of multi-technical services in energy and communications, has earned the Step 4 Safety Culture Ladder (SCL) certification for its Substations business unit within the High Voltage operational division in Germany.

This achievement marks SPIE as the first company in Europe to attain the second-highest certification level in the field of switchgear engineering, recognising its exceptional workplace safety culture.

The certification remains valid for three years, with performance monitored through regular audits. Notably, the Transmission Lines business unit within the same division was awarded the Step 4 SCL certificate in 2023.

Encouraging mindful safety behaviour 

“The certification independently confirms SPIE’s commitment to fostering a proactive safety culture. Ensuring all our employees return home safe and sound each day is part of our shared responsibility,” said Hannes Simon, head of substations in the high voltage operational division of SPIE Germany Switzerland Austria. “Being the first company to reach Step 4 on the Safety Culture Ladder in switchgear engineering is a source of great pride for us, not to mention clear proof that we are on the right track.”

“That both the Transmission Lines and now the Substations business units have achieved the second-highest SCL certification step is a testament to the importance of workplace safety in our operational division. We will continue to pursue this path with determination,” said Burkhard Sager, head of the high voltage operational division at SPIE Germany Switzerland Austria.

“The progress made by the High Voltage operational division sets an example for others. It demonstrates that workplace health and safety efforts succeed when employees at all levels actively contribute to establishing a sustainable safety culture in their daily work through mindful and safety-conscious behaviour,” said Markus Holzke, managing director of SPIE Germany Switzerland Austria.

SPIE places workplace safety at the core of its operations, conducting regular safety briefings, training sessions, and workshops while adhering to globally recognised occupational safety standards. The company strives to foster a strong safety culture, ensuring that employees remain vigilant while continuously minimising risks and potential hazards in daily operations.

The Safety Culture Ladder (SCL) is an internationally recognised framework that promotes workplace safety through a behaviour-based approach. Consisting of five levels, it assesses safety awareness across all organisational tiers through audits based on employee interviews and on-site observations. The evaluation also includes collaboration with partner companies, ensuring a comprehensive assessment of safety culture beyond SPIE’s immediate workforce.

SPIE is a leading independent European provider of multi-technical services in energy and communications, with a workforce of 50,000 employees across six major European countries. Driven by a commitment to sustainability, SPIE’s mission is to combat climate change by advancing energy transition and enabling a digital transformation that fosters long-term progress for communities and citizens alike.

Great Britain's health and safety regulator is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2025.

The Health and Safety Executive was the result of the 1974 Health and Safety at Work etc Act., which came into effect in the UK from January 1^st, 1975.

1974, before the HSE was established, 651 Brits were killed in workplace incidents. Figures from 2023/24 show that the figure has fallen to 138.

The Health and Safety Executive's chief executive, Sarah Albon, said the executive "has led the way in establishing Great Britain as a safe place to work," noting that "there is still much for HSE to take on... as we look ahead to the next 50 years."

Sir Stephen Timms, the Minister for Social Security and Disability, added, "Over the last half-century this organisation has been at the heart of efforts to protect people and places across Britain: I would like to thank them for this vital work.

"As we support more people to get into work through our Get Britain Working White paper, and as we move to strengthen protection for workers, their mission will be as important as ever – now and long into the future."