Occupational Disease Prevention, Mental Health, AI, and Climate Change Should Shape Future EU Agenda on Safety and Health at Work, as per ILO

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Occupational Disease Prevention, Mental Health, AI, and Climate Change Should Shape Future EU Agenda on Safety and Health at Work, as per ILO

On 2 June 2026, the International Labour Organisation explained in a hearing of the European Parliament’s Committee on Employment and Social Affairs that occupational diseases are expected to be the defining occupational safety and health (OSH) challenge of the next decade, while mental health risks, artificial intelligence (AI) and climate change are reshaping the world of work and creating new prevention priorities.

The ILO noted that Europe has made considerable progress in reducing fatal workplace accidents. However, occupational diseases now account for more than 98 per cent of work-related deaths in the European Union, according to ILO estimates. Almost half are linked to occupational cancers, while circulatory and respiratory diseases remain major causes of work-related mortality.

The hearing also examined how psychosocial risks, digitalization and climate change are transforming occupational safety and health. According to the ILO, psychosocial risks contribute to more than 840,000 deaths annually worldwide, while AI is creating both opportunities for prevention and challenges linked to algorithmic management, surveillance, and work intensification.

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