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This is Geri de Kock's farm in northern France.

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Madame de Kock, who's a salaried member of staff, was working on the palletiser when she had an industrial accident.

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As a result of this accident, Viviane de Kock was paralysed for several months.

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As for Geri de Kock, it was a painful way of realising what an industrial accident means.

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With a work-related accident occurring every three and a half minutes in the European Union,

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the loss of revenue linked to absence from work costs European workers about one billion euros per year.

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As for employers, they have to bear the costs linked to sick pay, replacing absent workers and loss of productivity,

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a good part of which is not covered by insurance.

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To help Europe become more competitive, the European Commission has decided to adopt a five-year plan

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aimed at reducing industrial accidents by 25% before 2012.

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It is of course in the interests of the worker to stay healthy,

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but it is also in the interests of the employer and the economy in Europe in general

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to reduce industrial accidents as far as possible.

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In this context, the European Agency for Health and Safety at Work, which has relay points in all Member States,

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as here in Warsaw, is launching a widespread information campaign to encourage risk evaluation everywhere.

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This is what Jerzy de Kock did after his wife had the accident.

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Helped by his specialist doctor, he evaluated the various workstations himself,

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not forgetting the palletiser responsible for the accident, an accident which he believes could have been avoided.