There appears to be significant concern among some Europeans that the current economic crisis could adversely affect health and safety at work.

That was among findings of a new survey by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA).

Explains EU-OSHA Director Jukka Takala: "The financial crisis may lead organizations to ignore or minimize the importance of workplace safety and health. And [even] there is a risk that companies will consider cutting back on their investment in occupational safety and health."

Among other survey findings, EU-OSHA learned that citizens of European Union nations believe job security and salary are more important than safe and healthy working conditions. Also, most of those questioned considered themselves well-informed about workplace risks.

Takala noted that risks for Europe's women workers "tend to be underestimated and neglected." In part, that's because there is more emphasis on workplace accidents, which affect more men, than on workplace health.