The European Agency for Safety & Health at Work has launched a new Web feature to support the integration of occupational health and safety into education and training at all levels.

Statistics show that younger workers have a 40 percent higher risk to suffer a work-related accident as compared with other workers.

Integrating or "mainstreaming" occupational safety and health into education forms a key part of developing a preventive culture by teaching children and young adults to live and work safely.

Agency Director Hans-Horst Konkolewsky said: "The agency is keen to promote mainstreaming OSH into all levels of education from primary schooling onwards, including technical and vocational education. We hope that the agency's new Web feature will provide resources to help prepare young people better to face the safety and health risks they will meet when starting their work life."

The Web feature includes:

Key findings from a wide range of national experiences showing how OSH has been integrated into different levels of education; awareness-raising campaigns and conclusions from the ensuing debates and discussion;

Proceedings of a seminar on learning about OSH, organized by the agency in co-operation with the Spanish Presidency of the European Union and the European Commission;

A list of links with information on integrating OSH into education in Member States, Europe and beyond;

The European Commission Strategy on OSH; and

An online discussion forum.

Visit the agency Web site at http://agency.osha.eu.int/