The document summarizes the results of a pan-European opinion poll on occupational safety and health conducted in the 27 EU member states. Key findings from the poll include: 1) When considering a new job, the most influential factors for EU citizens were salary (57%) and job security (53%), followed by safe and healthy working conditions (36%). 2) Most EU citizens believe that ill health is caused to some extent (47%) or a great deal (28%) by one's job. 3) Over the last 5 years, EU citizens felt that health and safety at work in their country had gotten better (48%) or worse (26%). 4) Many EU citizens expect that safety and

1. Pan-European opinion
poll on occupational
safety and health
Representative results in the 27 Member
States of the European Union
Package including results for the EU27

2. Opinion Poll Design
The pan-European perception poll was conducted through the use of an EU-
wide omnibus survey. Interviews were conducted by TNS partner institutes
in the 27 European Member States.
Universe: population aged 18+ with usual place of residence in the territory of the
EU - Member States and in full command of the resp. national language(s)
Sample: Representative random sample in each of the EU Member States (except
for the Netherlands, Hungary, Greece and Belgium where a representative
quota sample was drawn)
Method of data collection: CATI (Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviews) in 19 Member States.
In Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and
Romania, interviews were conducted Face to Face because of lower
telephone penetration rates.
Sample size: 27.106 Interviews (appr. 1.000 interviews per country)
Fieldwork period: March 24 – May 12 2009
Margin of error: 0,3* to 0,6**percentage points (total EU27)
1,4* to 3,1**percentage points (national sample)
Pan-European opinion poll on occupational safety and health – June 2009
* if value in table is 5%, ** if value in table is 50%

3. Questionnaire Overview
(1) If you were deciding whether to take a new job, which two of the
following would most influence your decision? (Salary | Safe and healthy
working conditions | Job security | Working hours | Others | None of these |
Don’t know/ no answer)
(2) In general, to what extent do you think that ill health is caused by the
job people have? (A great deal | To some extent | Not really | Not at all |
Don’t know/ no answer)
(3) Do you think that over the last 5 years health and safety at work in your
country has got …? (Much better | Better | Worse | Much worse | Don’t
know/ no answer)
(4) Regarding safety and health risks at the workplace; do you consider
yourself …? (Very well informed | Fairly well informed | Not very well
informed | Not at all informed | Don’t know/ no answer)
(5) Do you expect or not that safety and health conditions at work in your
country might deteriorate due to the economic crisis? (A great deal | To
some extent | Not really | Not at all | Don’t know/ no answer)
Pan-European opinion poll on occupational safety and health – June 2009

4. Decisive factors when looking for a new job

5. Decisive factors when looking for a new job – EU27
If you were deciding whether to take a new job, which two of the following would most
influence your decision (max. two answers)?
Salary 57
Job security 53
Safe and healthy working conditions 36
Working hours 23
Pan-European opinion poll on occupational safety and health – June 2009
Percent
Others: 2 / none of these: 2 / don‘t know/no answer: 2; Universe: population aged 18+

6. Decisive factors when looking for a new job – EU27
If you were deciding whether to take a new job, which two of the following would most
influence your decision (max. two answers)?
Full-time education
TOTAL Gender Occupation
finished at age
Self-
Employ- Manual Non
Male Female 15 16-19 20+ employ- ed worker active
ed
Salary 57 61 53 50 60 56 59 61 68 51
Job Security 53 55 51 54 55 51 47 56 53 52
Safe & healthy
36 35 38 41 34 37 37 34 32 40
working conditions
Working hours 23 19 26 17 22 26 24 26 22 20
Pan-European opinion poll on occupational safety and health – June 2009
Percent
Difference to 100 percent: others / don´t know / no answer; Universe: population aged 18+

7. Decisive factors when looking for a new job – EU27
If you were deciding whether to take a new job, which two of the following would most
influence your decision (max. two answers)?
- Safe and healthy working conditions -
53 52
50 49
47 47
45 45 45 44
36 35
33 32
31 30 29
28 28 27 27 27 27
22 21
19 19
16
SE MT IT NL EL ES DE DK SI LU EU PT BE CY FI FR LT AT CZ IE LV PL UK SK BG EE HU RO
27
Bottom line shows rank of safe and healthy working conditions among 4 factors including also salary, job security and working hours:
2 2 3 1 2 3 3 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 3 4 3 3 4 4 3 4 3 4
Pan-European opinion poll on occupational safety and health – June 2009
Percent
Universe: population aged 18+

8. Work as a cause of ill health

9. Work as a cause of ill health – EU27
In general, to what extent do you think that ill health is caused by the job people have?
A great deal 28
To some extent 47
Not really 15
Not at all 6
Pan-European opinion poll on occupational safety and health – June 2009
Percent
Difference to 100 percent: don´t know / no answer; Universe: population aged 18+

10. Work as a cause of ill health – EU27
In general, to what extent do you think that ill health is caused by the job people have?
Full-time education
TOTAL Gender Occupation
finished at age
Self-
Employ- Manual Non
Male Female 15 16-19 20+ employ- ed worker active
ed
A great deal 28 27 29 32 28 28 29 27 31 28
To some extent 47 46 48 39 48 50 45 50 46 46
Not really 15 16 14 13 16 15 17 15 13 15
Not at all 6 7 5 9 5 5 5 5 6 6
Pan-European opinion poll on occupational safety and health – June 2009
Percent
Difference to 100 percent: don´t know / no answer; Universe: population aged 18+

11. Work as a cause of ill health – EU27
In general, to what extent do you think that ill health is caused by the job people have?
a great deal to some extent not really not at all don´t know / no answer
4 2 2 2 1 2 2 3 2 2 3 4 3 2 2 2 2 2
2 2 3 5 3 2 5 4 6 8 6 6 5 7 4 6
1 5 5 5 11 8 6 11
4 6 4 2 6 4 5 9 9
9 8 2 12
9 11 9 13 8 8 1 9
2
11 16 15 14
13 15 18
16 18 25
9 21 23
15 13 17 22 21
27
24
40
44 36
46
57 32
56 58 53
55 52 49 41
54 47 41 42
55 42 42 40
59 55 49
58 53 46 45
51 49
47
41 43
30 33 31 30
28 26 29 27 29 28 29 27 28
25 24 22 21
14 17 16 16
12 14
LT SI CY IT EL EE NL LU SE FR BE SK AT DE EU LV FI RO DK PT BG CZ UK ES IE PL HU MT
27
Pan-European opinion poll on occupational safety and health – June 2009
Percent
Universe: population aged 18+

12. Development of safety and health risks

13. Development of safety and health at work – EU27
Do you think that over the last 5 years health and safety at work
in (YOUR COUNTRY) has got …?
Much better 9
Better 48
Worse 26
Much worse 6
Pan-European opinion poll on occupational safety and health – June 2009
Percent
Difference to 100 percent: don´t know / no answer; Universe: population aged 18+

14. Development of safety and health at work – EU27
Do you think that over the last 5 years health and safety at work
in (YOUR COUNTRY) has got …?
Full-time education
TOTAL Gender Occupation
finished at age
Self-
Employ- Manual Non
Male Female 15 16-19 20+ employ- ed worker active
ed
Much better 9 11 7 11 9 8 12 10 9 7
Better 48 51 45 42 48 51 47 54 51 43
Worse 26 22 29 26 25 26 23 24 26 27
Much worse 6 6 6 7 6 6 8 5 7 7
Pan-European opinion poll on occupational safety and health – June 2009
Percent
Difference to 100 percent: don´t know / no answer; Universe: population aged 18+

15. Development of safety and health at work – EU27
Do you think that over the last 5 years health and safety at work
in (YOUR COUNTRY) has got …?
83
77
75
better much better
72 72 71 71
12 66 65
9 9
13 10 61
38 22 59 59 59
8 58 57 57
11 4 55
7 5
9 7 49
11 9 8 47
43 42
8 5
3 38
3 36 35
4 33
4
31 31
65 3 1
63 62 61
59 58 57 2 3
53 54 52 54 51
50 48 47
45 46
41 42 40 39 15
34 32 32 32 29 28 1
14
IE DK UK MT NL CY ES BE LU FI FR DE EE CZ HU EU PT AT PL SE IT SK RO SI LT LV EL BG
27
Pan-European opinion poll on occupational safety and health – June 2009
Percent
Difference to 100 percent: worse / much worse / don´t know / no answer; Universe: population aged 18+

16. Development of safety and health at work – EU27
Do you think that over the last 5 years health and safety at work
in (YOUR COUNTRY) has got …?
66
worse much worse
56
55 54
19 51 51
9
13 45
14 10 10 42
39 38
7 37 36
8
7 32 32 31
7 30
13 9
5 6 4 26 25
6 24 23 22 22
47 47 5 3 21
42 40 41 41 5 4 3 2 17 17
38 3 16 16
34 32 1 2 13
30 27 27 27 2 5
25 26 24 21 22 19 19 19 20 4
18 16 15 14 11 9
EL BG SI RO LT LV IT SK SE PT FR HU PL EU CZ AT BE LU ES DE EE FI CY NL MT DK UK IE
27
Pan-European opinion poll on occupational safety and health – June 2009
Percent
Difference to 100 percent: better / much better / don´t know / no answer; Universe: population aged 18+

17. Impact of the Economic Crisis

18. Impact of the Economic Crisis – EU27
Do you expect or not that safety and health conditions at work in (YOUR COUNTRY)
might deteriorate due to the economic crisis:
A great deal 21
To some extent 40
Not really 23
Not at all 11
Pan-European opinion poll on occupational safety and health – June 2009
Percent
Difference to 100 percent: don´t know / no answer; Universe: population aged 18+

19. Impact of the Economic Crisis – EU27
Do you expect or not that safety and health conditions at work in (YOUR COUNTRY)
might deteriorate due to the economic crisis:
Full-time education
TOTAL Gender Occupation
finished at age
Self-
Employ- Manual Non
Male Female 15 16-19 20+ employ- ed worker active
ed
A great deal 21 21 22 27 21 20 22 19 23 23
To some extent 40 39 41 38 39 41 38 40 39 40
Not really 23 23 23 18 24 25 23 26 22 21
Not at all 11 13 9 11 11 11 13 13 10 9
Pan-European opinion poll on occupational safety and health – June 2009
Percent
Difference to 100 percent: don´t know / no answer; Universe: population aged 18+

20. Impact of the Economic Crisis – EU27
Do you expect or not that safety and health conditions at work in (YOUR COUNTRY)
might deteriorate due to the economic crisis:
a great deal to some extent not really not at all don't know / no answer
1 1 2 4 3 1 3 2 2 1 1 3 2 2 3 1 2
5 4 7 5 5
7 7 7 10 6 10
2 9 7 10 4 13 14
2 7 12 16 14 17
11 16 16 17 13 20 18
10 14 4 24
12 11 4
13 14 18 20 7
23 7 7
16 22 28 32 23
18
2
11 23 22 26
24 27 29
14 27
37 27 30
38 31 38
48
43 39 26
56 50
52 43 39
47 44 32
52 42 40 39
48 45 38
39
43
47 43 37
38 35 32
46
42
33 32 33
26 27 29
23 26 23
21 20 20 21 21 19
14 13 15 15
12 9 12 9
7 7 7
LT SI EL EE SE PT CY FR IT BE LV NL RO HU ES EU SK IE BG DE CZ FI LU AT UK PL DK MT
27
Pan-European opinion poll on occupational safety and health – June 2009
Percent
Universe: population aged 18+

21. Level of information
about safety and health risks at work

22. Level of information – EU27
Regarding safety and health risks at the workplace, do you consider yourself...?
Very well informed 20
Fairly well informed 46
Not very well informed 22
Not at all informed 6
Pan-European opinion poll on occupational safety and health – June 2009
Percent
Difference to 100 percent: don´t know / no answer; Universe: population aged 18+

23. Level of information – EU27
Regarding safety and health risks at the workplace, do you consider yourself...?
Full-time education
TOTAL Gender Occupation
finished at age
Self-
Employ- Manual Non
Male Female 15 16-19 20+ employ- ed worker active
ed
Very well informed 20 23 17 17 20 23 25 28 20 13
Fairly well informed 46 48 44 37 48 50 50 51 52 40
Not very well informed 22 19 25 26 20 20 18 16 20 27
Not at all informed 6 5 7 10 5 4 3 3 5 8
Pan-European opinion poll on occupational safety and health – June 2009
Percent
Difference to 100 percent: don´t know / no answer; Universe: population aged 18+

24. Level of information – EU27
Regarding safety and health risks at the workplace, do you consider yourself...?
very well informed fairly well informed not very well informed not at all informed don´t know / no answer
4 1 3 3 4
1 2 2 2 1 4 1
5 5 7 4 6 6 6
2 3 9 4 6 6 8 9 9
7 9 13 13
15 5 7 8 15 13
9 6 7 6 8 20
9 11 3
28 28 10
10 3 25 8 9 17 17
16 22 23 8
6 17 21 25
20 22 27 7
29 26
27
4 6 37
43 7 24 28 34
43 31
11 27 28
38
55 45
42
50
49
51 46
55 54 53 51 44 38
57 45
50 45 36
37
42 39
39 39 38 40
42 41 39 26
32
28
24 22 23
19 20 19 20
14 15 14 16 16 14 15
12 11 11
9 9 9 8 6 6
UK IE DK SE FI CZ DE LU HU IT FR CY EE EU ES PT SI NL MT BE LV SK EL LT AT RO PL BG
27
Pan-European opinion poll on occupational safety and health – June 2009
Percent
Universe: population aged 18+