As the Single Market of 1992 comes into being, the need to develop an effective "social dimension" for that market has been acknowledged as a matter of pressing concern. Of the numerous initiatives already embarked upon by the European Commission in the context of that "social dimension", one of the most fundamental is the programme of measures designed to safeguard the health and safety of workers at their places of work. This volume presents the background to the programme of European Community initiatives, tracing the origins of a European policy on occupational health and safety and looking at the progressively expanding ambitions of Commission Action Programmes in this field. This brings the picture up to date to the measures adopted within the framework of the Community Charter of Fundamental Social Rights of Workers and includes consideration of the "Framework Directives" 80/1107/EEC and 89/391/EEC. Full texts of the relevant instruments making up the European Communities' Health and Safety Legislation are included in this work.

This important new book presents the background to the modern programme of European Community initiatives, tracing the origins of a European policy on occupational health and safety, and looking at the progressively expanding ambitions of Commission Action Programmes in this field.