General principles of prevention

(cf. Article 6(2) of Council Directive 89/391/EEC on the introduction of measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health of workers at work).

1. Avoiding risks;
2. evaluating risks which cannot be avoided;
3. combating the risks at source;
4. adapting the work to the individual, especially as regards the design of workplaces, the choice of work equipment and the choice of working and production methods, with a view, in particular, to alleviating monotonous work and work at a predetermined work-rate and to reducing their effect on health;
5. adapting to technical progress;
6. replacing the dangerous by the non-dangerous or the less dangerous;
7. developing a coherent overall prevention policy which covers technology, organisation of work, working conditions, social relationships and the influence of factors relating to the working environment;
8. giving collective protective measures priority over individual protective measures; and
9. giving appropriate instructions to employees.