Protecting children's health in the workplace

WHO/Europe works to protect the 7 million adolescents legally employed in the WHO European Region, as well as the many others (including children as young as 7) who are illegally employed and exposed to many hazards in farms, shops and factories. They are subject to injuries, acute and chronic poisoning, respiratory disorders, cancer and musculoskeletal problems.

At the Fifth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health ( 2010), European ministers adopted the Parma Declaration which reconfirmed their commitments to protecting children from hazardous forms of child labour which are the major settings of exposure to hazardous chemicals and physical stressors.