EU Workplace Safety in 2025 and 2026 - Campaigns, Regulation, and What Comes Next
Author
Paddy McDonnell
Date Published
European workplace safety policy is in a period of transition, with the conclusion of one major campaign, the launch of another, and the phased implementation of the EU AI Act creating new obligations for employers and safety professionals across the continent. For IIESMS members working in safety and health, understanding these European developments is essential - not just for CPD purposes, but because EU policy directly shapes the Irish regulatory environment through transposition of directives and adoption of European standards.
EU-OSHA Healthy Workplaces Campaign 2023-2025 - Safe and Healthy Work in the Digital Age
The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) concluded its three-year Healthy Workplaces Campaign on the theme of Safe and Healthy Work in the Digital Age with a summit in late 2025. The campaign addressed how digital technologies - including artificial intelligence, automation, robotics, and remote working platforms - are transforming workplaces across Europe, and what this means for occupational safety and health.
Key findings from the campaign included that 32% of European workers now report using one or more advanced digital technologies such as AI software or wearable devices in their daily work. The campaign highlighted both the opportunities that digital tools present for improving safety (real-time hazard monitoring, predictive maintenance, ergonomic assessment tools) and the new risks they introduce (algorithmic management, digital surveillance, technostress, and the blurring of work-life boundaries in remote and hybrid working arrangements).
The campaign's Good Practice Awards ceremony recognised organisations across Europe that have successfully implemented digital technologies to improve workplace safety. The summit's findings and resources remain available on the EU-OSHA website and provide valuable reference material for safety professionals advising organisations on the safe adoption of digital tools.
European Week for Safety and Health at Work 2025
The European Week for Safety and Health at Work 2025 ran from 20-24 October 2025, marking the final edition under the Safe and Healthy Work in the Digital Age banner. Hundreds of awareness-raising events took place across Europe and beyond, including film screenings, exhibitions, competitions, conferences, social media campaigns, and training sessions.
In Ireland, the National Irish Safety Organisation (NISO) coordinated national activities alongside the Health and Safety Authority (HSA). The European Week provides an annual focal point for workplace safety awareness and is an opportunity for safety professionals to engage their organisations in structured safety activities that can be recorded as CPD.
EU-OSHA Healthy Workplaces Campaign 2026-2028 - Together for Mental Health at Work
The next EU-OSHA Healthy Workplaces Campaign will launch in October 2026 under the theme Together for Mental Health at Work. This will be the ninth campaign organised under the overarching slogan Safety and Health at Work is Everyone's Business.
The campaign will spotlight mental health and psychosocial risks at work, with a particular focus on often-overlooked sectors including agriculture and healthcare. EU-OSHA data indicates that 29% of EU workers report suffering from stress, depression, or anxiety related to their work. The campaign aims to raise awareness of the impact of a good working environment on mental health, increase practical knowledge about the prevention of psychosocial risks, and promote the assessment of these risks in the workplace.
For safety and health professionals in Ireland, this campaign is particularly relevant given the increasing recognition of psychosocial risks in Irish workplace safety legislation and the HSA's growing emphasis on mental health as a workplace safety issue. IIESMS members working in safety and health should begin familiarising themselves with psychosocial risk assessment methodologies in preparation for the campaign launch.
The EU AI Act - Implications for Workplace Safety
The EU AI Act entered into force on 1 August 2024 and is being implemented in phases, with full applicability from 2 August 2026. The Act has significant implications for how AI is used in workplaces across Europe, including Ireland.
Key provisions affecting workplaces include:
Prohibited practices: Emotion recognition in workplaces and educational institutions has been banned since February 2025
High-risk classification: AI systems used for recruiting, screening, selection, performance evaluation, or other employment-related decision-making are explicitly classified as high risk under the Act
Worker notification: Employers must consult workers' representatives and inform affected employees before deploying high-risk AI systems in the workplace
Human oversight: High-risk AI systems must have meaningful human oversight by individuals with appropriate competence, training, authority, and support, including the ability to intervene and override outputs
Monitoring and logging: Employers must monitor AI systems for issues such as discrimination, with prompt suspension of use where problems are detected, and must maintain logs for a minimum of six months
AI literacy: Since February 2025, organisations deploying AI systems must ensure that staff have sufficient AI literacy to understand the systems they interact with
The HSA has been designated as the competent authority for enforcement of certain aspects of the EU AI Act in Ireland. Safety and health professionals need to understand how AI systems in their organisations interact with existing safety management systems and whether they fall within the high-risk category requiring additional compliance measures.
A+A Dusseldorf - The World's Largest Occupational Safety Fair
A+A 2025 took place from 4-7 November 2025 in Dusseldorf, Germany, attracting 2,340 exhibitors from 70 countries and 67,000 trade visitors from 150 nations. Established in 1954, A+A (Arbeitsschutz und Arbeitsmedizin - Occupational Safety and Occupational Medicine) is held biennially and is the world's largest trade fair for safety, security, and health at work.
The next edition, A+A 2027, will take place from 19-22 October 2027 in Dusseldorf. Key themes include safety at work, security at work, and health at work, covering areas such as fire protection, electrical safety, hazardous material handling, personal protective equipment, and AI-driven solutions for workplace safety.
For IIESMS members, A+A represents a significant CPD opportunity. The combination of trade exhibition, conference programme, and networking events provides exposure to the latest products, technologies, and practices in occupational safety from across the globe. Attendance at A+A qualifies as structured CPD activity under the IIESMS framework.
Relevance for Irish Safety Professionals
European workplace safety policy has a direct and measurable impact on Irish practice. EU directives are transposed into Irish law, European standards are adopted as Irish standards, and EU-OSHA campaigns provide the framework for national awareness activities coordinated by the HSA and NISO. Safety and health professionals who understand the European context are better positioned to anticipate regulatory changes, advise their organisations on emerging risks, and demonstrate the breadth of professional knowledge that employers and clients expect.
The IIESMS Safety and Health Sector Group keeps members informed of European developments through sector group meetings, CPD events, and member communications. Whether you are a Practitioner in Safety and Health (PSH.IIESMS) or a Certified Practitioner in Safety and Health (CPSH.IIESMS), engagement with European safety policy strengthens your professional standing and ensures your advice to clients and employers reflects the most current regulatory environment.
To learn more about IIESMS membership and how it supports your professional development as a safety and health practitioner, find your membership grade or contact us directly.
Sources and Further Reading
EU-OSHA European Agency for Safety and Health at Work