Sector
Hotels, restaurants and catering (HORECA)
The hotel, restaurant and catering sector (HORECA) is one of the fastest growing sectors in Europe. It consists mainly of restaurants and bars, but it also includes:
- hotels and motels, with or without restaurant
- camping sites and other short-stay accommodation
- youth hostels and mountain refuges
- other provision of lodgings
- canteens and catering.
HORECA is an important job creator in the service sector and in the economy as a whole in many EU Member States. However, the employees of this sector are facing many difficulties and risk factors in their working environment. These include mostly: physically demanding work involving prolonged standing and static postures, carrying and lifting loads, repetitive movements, high noise levels, high temperatures, contact with dangerous substances and poorly equipped or dangerous working environments, like kitchens and bars.
For all these reasons, health and safety in the HORECA sector deserves greater attention, especially through prevention and information. The intention is to increase the awareness on possible risk factors and on long term consequences of work in this sector, as well as the improvement of its working conditions.
From these webpages (EL) you will find information on the following issues:
- Employment in the hotel, restaurant and catering sector
- Features of working conditions in the HORECA sector
- Accident prevention in the HORECA sector
- Most common risks
- Protection and prevention measures
Education
( section under construction) (EN)
More information...(EL)
Agriculture
The Agriculture and Forestry sectors involve growing crops, raising animals, harvesting timber and harvesting other plants and animals from a farm or their natural habitats, excluding hunting. Agricultural activity excludes any subsequent processing of the agricultural products.
Agriculture, including forestry, plays an important part in the economic, cultural and political life of Europe. Over 10 million people work in agriculture (about 5.5 % of the working population) including full time workers, many temporary and seasonal workers, many women and a significant number of children (working on "family farms").
Although the number of employed population and the numbers of farms are reducing, the sector remains a vitally important business. However, it is also a business in which many workers are killed and injured in workplace accidents, or suffer from occupationally acquired diseases. The relative rates are some of the highest for any industry. In 2002, the European Commission identified agriculture as one of four sectors that have an accident rate 30% above average.
