3oTrimestre11 | PROTECCIÓN LABORAL 68 Point of view Law, and in addition to that, to the regula- tions by local administrations depending on the area. In spite of the progress seen over the past decades, in everything related to the preven- tion of work hazards, laws always need to be accompanied by instruments that will make it possible to enforce them suitably, and this, especially because it has been demonstrated that laws by themselves are not enough, to prevent accidents at work. We need to remember as well that this is a very complex area, that must be approached from various flanks: rules, laws, culture, technical progress, with the participation of various agents whose interests are someti- mes opposed to one another. All of this, along with the fact that points to the concern our society has for safety and health at work due to the impact on people’s lives, make prevention a strong issue, far reaching beyond the workplace. In order to convey and spread the message of a prevention culture, as set by European Standards and Prevention at Work Laws, fully adapted to the Basque context, OSA- LAN, the Basque Institute for Safety and Health at Work, was created 18 years ago. Ever since the beginning, and of course, still in our days, it has been a major reference tool for the management, coordination and communication of various actions that seek to protect workers’ health. To stress the effectiveness of its actions, and reach all possible addressees – society in general – OSALAN has extended its field to all business activities including employees. And this includes public administrations, cooperatives in their various types, and all activities where there are people at work. Besides, its action field includes freelance or independent workers, by means of activities that promote hazard prevention among all. To this end, and to attain goals in particular that are known and shared by all agents, OSALAN’s work is oriented to develop in a consistent, coordinated, orderly way all poli- cies and actions tending to prevention at work. This will make it possible to assess results and account for all actions, so that society learns about success and achieve- ments at all times. Safety and health at work are, without a doubt, a major concern and this means full attention must be paid to the matter for both in good and bad times, prevention is the best way to strengthen businesses and their rela- tions, making them more competitive while maximizing protection of workers. *Pilar Collantes is the General Director of OSALAN 79