ZAŠTITA ZDRAVLJA I SIGURNOSTI NA RADU U KONTEKSTU DIREKTIVE (EU) 2024/1760 O DUŽNOJ PAŽNJI ZA ODRŽIVO POSLOVANJE

This paper examines how the major disaster at the Rana Plaza textile factory in Bangladesh brought inadequate occupational safety and health measures in global supply chains into the public spotlight. As a result of public pressure, awareness has grown regarding the necessity of sustainable business practices for companies, particularly in the context of ensuring occupational safety and health. It explains how voluntary compliance proved insufficient, leading to appropriate actions to establish sustainable business practices by mandating certain obligations for companies. Following the introduction of non-financial reporting requirements, which require company business reports to include information on specific social and human rights factors, including working conditions, health, and safety, Directive (EU) 2024/1760 on corporate sustainability due diligence was recently adopted. The paper examines how, according to the provisions of this Directive, companies are obliged to engage in responsible business conduct, especially in the context of protecting workers’ safety and health. This should contribute to globally ensuring health and enhancing occupational safety through extraterritorial due diligence measures in the activity chains that companies are required to undertake. The obligations imposed on companies to which this Directive applies are analysed, as well as the ways in which they will be able to fulfill these obligations in the field of occupational safety after its implementation. Additionally, the paper reflects on the implications for the Republic of Croatia and how its implementation in the Republic of Croatia could be approached in the context of improving occupational safety standards.