To accompany the European Week campaign, the European Agency invites nominations for this year’s European Good Practice Awards. The awards aim to demonstrate, by example, the benefits of following good safety and health practices to all European employers and workers, and to intermediaries including the social partners, OSH professionals and practitioners, and others providing assistance and information at workplace level.
They also aim to promote actions in companies to help prevent risks from MSDs, and to support the exchange and dissemination of information, via the internet and other media, about effective ways of prevention, “practical solutions”, retention, reintegration and rehabilitation of those who have suffered MSDs, in Member States and at European level.
This year the Awards will recognise companies or organisations that have made outstanding and innovative contributions to improving MSD prevention at workplace level, and to the retention, reintegration and rehabilitation of those who have suffered MSDs.
The awards will provide those selected with European recognition for their role in improving working conditions in Europe. In addition:
Good practice examples are implemented solutions to promote the effective management of the occupational safety and health in the workplace, and prevention measures to reduce the incidence of MSDs, and to support those who have suffered from MSDs.
Examples might include identification and implementation of an action programme which takes a holistic approach to the risks that cause MSDs, modification of tasks to eliminate or reduce prolonged periods of standing or sitting, rehabilitation and sickness schemes, and procurement plans to provide, in consultation with workers, “user-friendly” machines and equipment.
Organisations include individual companies, where actions have been taken, companies or organisations within the product, equipment, or personnel supply chain, training providers and the education community, employer organisations, trade associations, trade unions, non-governmental organisations and regional or local occupational health and safety prevention services, insurance services and other intermediary organisations.
To give you ideas of what good practice examples the European Agency is looking for, you can have a look at the winners from the European Good Practice Awards 2006 on Young People.
The European Good Practice Awards leaflet will provide you with more details on the Awards. Alternatively, please visit the European Agency’s website.
To apply for the European Agency’s Good Practice Awards 2007 please download the UK Application Form [95kb] 
. This must be submitted to the UK Focal Point by email: uk.focalpoint@hse.gsi.gov.uk
The closing date for UK applicants is 15th September 2007. Applications must be received in full and electronically by this date.