Bullying
is becoming a serious problem in Europe’s
education sector – with students and parents usually being the culprits, a new
report reveals.
The
European Agency for Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) says 15 per cent of
the 11 million employees in the sector, from teachers and cooks to
administrative staff, have suffered physical or verbal abuse at work.
They
must also contend with dangerous substances in laboratories, sports injuries,
work-related stress and slips on litter-strewn floors.
Each
year, more than half a million staff in the sector have to take time off work
due to work-related accidents and illness, accounting for 40 per cent of all
absenteeism, with most staying away for more than six days on average, it says.
The
Unison union called on employers to develop strong prevention measures to
eliminate or reduce bullying and improve health and safety.
“Our
members want to go to work without the fear of injury or ill health caused by
work, and we will continue our fight to ensure their health and safety is at
the top of the curriculum,” said Hope Daley, national health and safety officer
at Unison.
The
OSHA has issued advice to help staff in Europe’s
education sector minimise the risk of violence and other health hazards.
www.http://europe.osha.eu.int/good_practice/sector/education/
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