GOSH! : an open and distance learning programme which helps in Gearing up to the Occupational Safety and Health Systems of the European Union

The GOSH! open and distance learning programme on the topic of occupational safety and health (OSH) was organized as part of the European Studies Programme. Prevention of damage to workers' health is an important issue in EU-policy. Apart from the individual human trauma, the socio-economic costs of poor performance in occupational safety and health are high and threaten Europe's competency in a global economy. Countries in Central and Eastern Europe will have to adopt this EU-policy, especially those, which are on the threshold of future accession to the European Union. The programme provided a broad knowledge of the Framework Directive on Safety and Health of workers at Work (Council Directive 89/391/EEC of 12 June 1989). All the relevant elements were covered, including risk assessment, preventive services, workers' participation and an introduction to the development of sound safety and health policy based on the Framework Directive's basic philosophy. Participants were introduced to the Internet based networks of OSH-experts and OSH-institutions who are working and communicating with one another within Europe and on global scale.