Minister Hung Leads Delegation to EU-OSHA to Strengthen Taiwan-EU Labor Rights Cooperation

(Central News Agency reporter Wu Hsin-yun, Taipei, June 17) To deepen substantive cooperation between Taiwan and the European Union in the fields of labor rights and occupational safety and health, Minister of Labor Hung Shen-Han led a team from Taiwan's Occupational Safety and Health Administration to visit the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA), co-hosting the Taiwan-EU Occupational Safety and Health Cooperation Conference and marking a new milestone in bilateral collaboration.

The Ministry of Labor released a press statement today, announcing that Minister Hung personally led the Occupational Safety and Health Administration team to Bilbao, Spain, on June 15 (local time), where they met with EU-OSHA and jointly chaired the '5th Taiwan-EU Occupational Safety and Health Cooperation Conference' alongside EU-OSHA Director William COCKBURN.

The Ministry stated that the meeting focused on two critical global workplace challenges: 'The Impact of Climate Change on Occupational Safety and Health' and 'Integrated Frameworks for Rehabilitation and Return to Work after Occupational Accidents and Health Issues.' Through in-depth exchanges and sharing of experiences, both sides reached multiple concrete agreements, demonstrating their shared commitment to creating safe and healthy working environments.

On the topic of 'Climate Change and Workplace Health,' Taiwan shared its regulatory guidelines for preventing heat stress in outdoor work under high temperatures, special inspection programs, and diverse public awareness strategies. It also introduced technological tools such as the 'Digital Mobile Information Network' to assist employers in effectively managing heat stress prevention.

EU-OSHA, in turn, presented information on the types of occupational safety and health risks caused by climate change, high-risk industries and job roles, vulnerable worker groups, and individual susceptibility factors. It also introduced the OiRA tool to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) conduct risk assessments, key actions for heat stress prevention, and the EU's future focus areas.

Minister Hung emphasized that EU-OSHA is one of the Ministry of Labor's most important partners in the field of occupational safety and health. The Taiwan-EU Occupational Safety and Health Cooperation Conference has been held four times previously, covering a wide range of topics such as platform economy worker protection, digitalization, psychosocial risks in the workplace, and cardiovascular diseases. Moving forward, both sides will focus on emerging issues such as climate change and digital transformation, aiming to continue deep dialogue, mutual learning, and joint development of occupational safety and health policies to effectively address new risks and substantially improve worker well-being. (Edited by Chen Ching-fang) 1150617