There is a gap in understanding the occupational health and safety (OSH) implications of platform work. Aiming to fill this gap, this three-year project:

1) investigates the OSH risks and regulations associated with platform work and

2) will develop recommendations to foster a good OSH environment for platform workers in Europe.

The project adopts a mixed-method research design organised into two work packages. The first explores the OSH risks and poor health associated with platform work and how platform workers experience OSH in their work. The second seeks to identify ways to promote safer and healthier occupational environments for platform work. This second work package explores how platform work managers perceive the OSH of their employees/workers as well as the characteristics of platforms that maintain healthy work environments and the regulatory contexts and challenges in terms of OSH posed by platform work. Both work packages explore similarities and differences across countries and forms of platform work in Europe. The research will provide new and original scientific understanding of an understudied and evolving challenge for the future world of work that is relevant for policymakers, companies and trade unions concerned with protecting the health of the European workforce.

The research team is drawn from Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Poland, Spain, Sweden and the UK.

IER will undertake the UK and Danish research as well as the cross-national research with its partners.

More information about the project is available here: GIG-OSH projectLink opens in a new window