Reaching for top form – avoiding occupational diseases
For dancers and musicians, a physical top form, as it is for top athletes, is necessary to do their job. Also in other disciplines occupational diseases happen regularly. Preventing mental and physical problems is therefore highly important for a long career in the arts. 

Each professional group has specific occupational diseases. Think of foot injuries with dancers and disorders of the bronchial tubes caused by toxic fumes with visual artists. RSI is not only a risk for film editors and architects who often work with computers, but also for musicians. Also hearing damage, stress and stage fright are well-known complaints for musicians.

Imagine you have become chronically ill as a result of an occupational disease. What is no longer possible or only with adjustments? Possibly, this means that you can no longer earn your income with your current job and you will have to deal with these problems for the rest of your life.

Your own responsibility in prevention
Think about the risks for your health in your profession and what you can do yourself to prevent them. Art education pays an increasing amount of attention to top form and occupational diseases. Keep track of that, also after graduating. Find the organizations that focus especially on your profession and top form/occupational diseases. They can inform you on the latest developments in the field of prevention and optimizing your achievements in a healthy way.

The working conditions act and liability if it goes wrong
For employees, students and mostly employers, the working conditions act involves many obligations. The working conditions cannot influence safety and health negatively.  

The employer has to make a RIE (Risk Inventory and Evaluation) with a Plan of Action. The Labour Inspection can fine employers if this is done insufficiently or not at all – according to the most recent guidelines). If possible, the employer has to tackle the risks at the source. For musicians this can for instance mean that practice rooms have to be sound absorbing and that handing out earplugs is not sufficient, because the risk of hearing damage is substantial. If the employee contracts an occupational disease as a result of work, the employer has to pay damages. This can cost the employer’s insurance company a lot of money.

If you work as a self-employed person, the working conditions act does not apply to you. Only you are responsible for a healthy working attitude. As a self-employed person you can insure yourself for possible damage.