European year for Safety and health at work - Germany / Federal Republic of Germany 1993 - 100 Pfennig

One of the first German special postage stamps after completion of the European internal market is dedicated to the safety and the health protection at the workplace and shows as a motive the protective hands around the working person. The Council of Ministers of the European Community has, on the proposal of the European Commission and with the express consent of the European Parliament, declared 1993 the "European Year for Safety and Health at Work", expressing the will of the Community institutions, especially at the beginning of the European internal market emphasize social dimension. Despite many efforts and measures, and despite remarkable achievements in the past, around 8,000 people lose their lives every year in Europe due to accidental injuries and occupational diseases, and another 10 million employees suffer occupational accidents each year. Therefore, the protection of health and safety at work is of great importance to the approximately 150 million workers in the European Community. With the creation of the single market, every worker has had free access to jobs in all 12 Member States since 1 January 1993. It is therefore all the more important for Europe to have a high standard of safety and health at work. To this end, the Council of Ministers of the European Community, in cooperation with the European Parliament, has adopted numerous binding regulations on improving the working environment, following a proposal from the European Commission. On the basis of these rules, Member States have the possibility to impose further requirements as part of the national transposition of these directives. For the Federal Republic of Germany, the requirements of the EC give reason to regulate the public health and safety in a timely and uniform manner. The German slogan for the European Year for Safety and Health at Work is »Europe 1993. Together for Better Jobs«. The four main themes of air pollution control, safety, well-being and the reduction of noise and vibration are aimed at reducing the frequently encountered workplace stress. For the concrete implementation and control of the various actions of this European Year, national liaison committees were formed in all the EC Member States, consisting of representatives of the state (federal / Länder), trade unions and employers. The German Liaison Committee is chaired by the Federal Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, and the management was delegated to the Federation of Professional Associations. Events, projects and other measures within the framework of this year are carried out in the Federal Republic of Germany by the Federal Government and the Länder, the social partners and, above all, by the employers' liability insurance associations as bearers of the statutory accident insurance. The Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in Dortmund will open the German occupational safety exhibition, which will continue the issue of the European OSH year in a permanent facility. (Text: Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, Bonn)