Healthy Workplaces Campaign: Good Practice Exchange Event
A Europe-Wide Effort for Safer Workplaces in the Digital Era
The world of work is undergoing rapid and profound transformation, driven by digitalisation, automation, and evolving workforce dynamics. Recognising the critical need to address the health and safety implications of this transition, the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) launched its flagship campaign: “Safe and Healthy Work in the Digital Age.”
This campaign is part of the EU-OSHA’s long-standing Healthy Workplaces Campaign series, renowned for promoting sustainable, safe, and healthy workplaces across Europe. The current campaign (2023–2025) focuses on the digital transformation of work and aims to ensure that innovation in the workplace is accompanied by robust safeguards for workers’ health and safety.
A Wide Network of Partners
The campaign has mobilised an impressive network of more than 100 official partners from across diverse sectors, including industry, research, social partners, public authorities, and non-governmental organisations. IMA-Europe is proud to be one of these partners, committed to contributing to the exchange of good practices, raising awareness, and supporting concrete actions to improve occupational safety and health (OSH) in an increasingly digital world.
Together, these partners collaborate through:
- Policy dialogue with EU institutions and national stakeholders
- Development of tools and guidance for safer digitalisation
- Awareness-raising campaigns and knowledge sharing
- Events and workshops showcasing real-world good practices
From ergonomics and telework to AI-driven systems and data protection, the campaign tackles the multifaceted impacts of digital technologies on OSH, striving for inclusive, fair, and healthy transitions across all workplaces in Europe.
EU OSH Good Practice Exchange 2025: Two Days of Insight and Engagement
As part of the campaign, EU-OSHA hosted a Good Practice Exchange event on 20–21 May 2025 in Brussels, bringing together official campaign partners, EU policymakers, researchers, and industry leaders to reflect on progress, share solutions, and highlight success stories.
IMA-Europe participated actively in this two-day event, which proved to be a vibrant platform for dialogue, knowledge-sharing, and collaboration.
Day 1: High-Level Reflections and Real-World Practices
The event opened with introductory remarks by Vibe Westh (EU-OSHA) and a welcome address from William Cockburn Salazar, Executive Director of EU-OSHA. Their messages set the tone for the discussions, emphasising the need to align technological innovation with worker protection.
This was followed by keynote speeches from:
- Li Andersson, Chair of the Committee on Employment & Social Affairs at the European Parliament, who spoke of the urgent need to reduce workplace accidents and deaths across the EU through stronger protections.
- Mario Nava, Director General for Employment, Social Affairs & Inclusion at the European Commission, who emphasised upcoming EU directives designed to improve working conditions and digital safety.
- Natalie Lotzmann, Global Head of Health, Safety & Well-being at SAP, who offered a corporate lens on embedding health and dignity in digital workplaces.
The morning continued with two parallel workshops showcasing real-life initiatives and strategies from leading organisations. Contributors included:
Workshop 1: Practical Examples of AI Applications in OSH – real-world tech driving proactive safety:
- Andresa Hernandes (Siemens)
- Regine Maegerlein (ZF Lifetec)
- Daniel Kopchev (Ideal Standard and Villeroy & Boch)
- Tara Kaur (SAP)
Workshop 2: AI in the Workplace: Legal Foundations & Ethical Considerations – ensuring fairness, transparency, and rights in an AI-driven future: - Jeremias Adams-Prassl (Magdalen College, Oxford)
- Roberto Sammarchi (AIAS)
- Ulrike Bollmann (ENETOSH)
- Nadja Salson (ETUI)
The sessions were skilfully coordinated by Natalie Lotzmann, Aude Cefaliello, and Dietmar Elsler of EU-OSHA, offering diverse perspectives from academia, industry, and civil society.
Celebrating Partnership and Shared Commitment
In the afternoon, a ceremony reception honoured the campaign’s official partners. Hosted by EU-OSHA, the event featured an address from Katrin Langensiepen, Vice-Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Employment and Social Affairs. She praised the campaign’s importance in securing fair digitalisation, a just green transition, and the continued relevance of safe and healthy jobs for European citizens.
All partners received certificates of recognition for their engagement and contributions to the campaign’s objectives.
Day 2: Diving Deeper into Skills and Risks
The second day opened with two parallel thematic workshops:
1. Skills of OSH Professionals in the Digital Era
This session focused on the evolving competencies needed for OSH professionals to manage digital tools, data, and emerging technologies. Speakers included:
- Evangelos Makris (Post Europe)
- Sarah Loriato (AGE Platform Europe)
- Jan Teun Koningen (EFNMS)
- Victor Santos (Stellantis)
- Francesco Santi (ENSHPO)
Moderation was led by Gyula Szabo (FEES), who helped synthesize the challenges and opportunities linked to digital skill development.
2. Emerging Risks and Opportunities in a Digital Age
This workshop addressed how digital tools such as AI, sensors, and data platforms are reshaping workplace risks and OSH strategies. The session featured presentations by:
- Johannes Buchmann (Siemens)
- Kerstin Metzler (Boehringer Ingelheim)
- Carina Strömberg (Toyota Material Handling Europe)
- Alex Lethen (Samsara)
- Graham Hall (Air Products)
It was facilitated by Christina Wolverson and Annick Starren from EU-OSHA.
The two sessions were later summarised in a thoughtful wrap-up presentation by Vibe Westh, highlighting key takeaways and actionable insights.
Closing Remarks and Looking Ahead
The event concluded with a closing statement from Rory Harrington (EU-OSHA), underlining the vital role of continued collaboration between policy, science, and practice to ensure that Europe’s digital transformation is both productive and protective.
At IMA-Europe, we are proud to contribute to this shared vision. Through our partnership with EU-OSHA and engagement in this campaign, we remain committed to supporting a safe, healthy, and inclusive digital future for all.
Find out more about the campaign here.
