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the safe and healthy workplace–

a social responsibility and an economic necessity

Sevilla28 November 2006Ir. Kris De MeesterAdviser health and safety affairs

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VI JORNADAS EUROPEAS SOBRE SEGURIDAD Y SALUD EN EL TRABAJO

Sevillamartes, 28 noviembre 2006 Ir. Kris De Meester

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Megatrends in the world of work Restructuring of economy and politics: "Competitive

Europe" Competitive world economy and increased productivity with

restructuring of organizations and management Outsourcing, focus on core-business, downsizing, delocalisation Work intensity, stress,… The world becomes "smaller" (a global village in a "global" world)

New technology and new production: "Innovative Europe" Increasing global automation and change of manufacturing

industries towards a service production New production models and job contents

Demographic shift: "Graying Europe" Rapid ageing of work force, changing age attitudes and

demands on work ability and competence Challenges facing young workers and immigrants

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Megatrends in the world of work Geographic shift: “Migrating Europe”

Workers from new EU member states,… Language barriers, training

Social change: “Conscient European Generation" From a work life-centred society toward a "multi-

society"– Periods of employment, unemployment, training, leisure,

family life and individual development vary throughout the whole life course.

Employee participation and a new citizenship is growing

Balancing work and family life Growing role of media "Attention Economy and

Citizens Europe"

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Working ConditionsWorking Conditionsin Europe:in Europe:

What workers sayWhat workers say

first findings (nov. 2006) offirst findings (nov. 2006) of

the fourththe fourth

European Working Conditions European Working Conditions SurveySurvey

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Components of work satisfaction

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Good prospects for career advancement

Well paid for the w ork done

Opportunities to learn and grow

Feel 'at home' in organisation

Have very good friends at w ork

Job security*

Strongly agree Agree Neither agree nor disagree Disagree Strongly disagree

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Work intensity on the increase

0

10

20

30

40

high skilledwhite collar

high skilled bluecollar

low skilled bluecollar

low skilled whitecollar

total eu27

working at high speed

working at tight deadlines

work interruptions (very often)

almost never enough time to get the job done

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Health and work

15% of workers are not well informed about risks linked to their work

28% report that their health and safety is at risk because of their work

Exposure to risks have remain stable at the best

35% report that their work affects their health MSDs, stress, fatigue are the most reported

health problems

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Exposure to physical risks stable or on the increase

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Vibrations Noise Low temps Breathing in

smoke, fumes,

dust or powder

Handling

chemical

products /

substances

Radiation

(welding light

etc)

Painful, tiring

positions

Repetitive hand

or arm

movements

1990 EU12 1995 EU15 2000 EU15 2005 EU25 2005 OMS 2005 NMS

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Impact of work on health

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Work affects health

Reported symptoms:

Backache

Muscular pains

Stress

Fatigue

Headache

Irritability

Anxiety

Hearing

Respiratory

EU15 NMS

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Doing the same job at 60 Yes I think so ...

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

DE NL SE DK FI UK IT AT EE EU27 CY LT LU CZ LV ES MT IE HU BE RO FR PT BG PL EL SK SI

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Political and social reaction Political answers, solutions

Legislation? (NOK) Negation: ostriches (NOK) Strategy: approach embedded in global socio-economic strategy

of employment, welfare and productivity (GDP factor) = priority n° 1 (OK)

Lisbon agenda = driver and target Do not isolate one element

For some politicians, NGO’s,… Deus ex machina = corporate social responsibility

What about:– Social market economy– Sustainable development– Business ethics– Corporate governance– Consultation and self regulation

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C.S.R. Corporate Social Responsibility

Not a new concept Revival - response to scandals & NGO

Presented as a Business ethical approach / stakeholder management

CSR/business ethics includes Social: workers (employment) Safety & health: workers, neighbours Environmental: sustainability - community & future

generation Philanthropy - local community – corporate

citizenship Supply chain: suppliers, contractors

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CSR Business Case for Europe CSR mainly in big companies Objective EU: to engage also CSR in SMEs Part of Lisbon strategy : CSR means better

business CSR business case :

Not philanthropy but business ethics (workers, supply chain,…)

CSR is profitable Self-enlightened interest

On voluntary basis Regulation? - ISO? - Legislation?

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CSR from OSH point of view OSH management (systems) Preventative safety and health culture Increase general awareness, knowledge and

understanding of hazard, risk and prevention Increase responsibility of employers, managers

and workers

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ILO 2003 conclusions The fundamental pillars of a global OSH strategy include the building

and maintenance of a national preventative safety and health culture and the introduction of a systems approach to OSH management.

A national preventative safety and health culture is one in which the right to a safe and healthy working environment is respected at all levels, where governments, employers and workers actively participate in securing a safe and healthy working environment through a system of defined rights, responsibilities and duties, and where the principle of prevention is accorded the highest priority.

Building and maintaining a preventative safety and health culture requires making use of all available means to increase general awareness, knowledge and understanding of the concepts of hazards and risks and how they may be prevented or controlled.

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OSH management

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OSH policy and management No “corporate manslaughter” Economic necessity

Essential for producing/delivering high quality products and services

Human cost of accidents and diseases Economic cost (medical treatment, accidents/disease insurance,

absenteeism, loss of time/production, work-incapacity, loss of expertise, replacement cost, etc.)

Continuity of business Productivity Retain workers Company image Brand image

Iceberg model for accidents also applies to cost

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The business benefits of OSH Business to understand and accept the benefits

of OSH OSH - an integral part of effective business

management OSH - an enabler and not a hindrance Building a culture of continuous improvement Systematic approach to OSH management at

company level can help establishing a preventive culture

Links with the EU promotion of corporate social responsibility and the Lisbon agenda

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OSH policy and management Different strategies possible

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OSH policy Employer is responsible for working out and

implementing the policy Integrated policy!

Strategy has to be implemented in every segment of the company en has to be integrated in the management

Focus on risk prevention Includes technique, organisation, working-conditions,

social factors, environment Multidisciplinary approach Tailor made OSH management rather than standards

= Dynamic Risk Assessment

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Beyond health and safety Safety at work Health protection Hygiene at work+ Psychosocial aspects (stress, harassment, violence) Ergonomics Embellishment of the workplaces

= Well-being at work

= The healthy workplace

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Dynamic Risk Assessment Dynamic system for the management of risks= concept Risk analysis

identification of dangers determination of risks evaluation of risks

Preventive measures (prevention principles) Collective measures, individual measures or both

Long term strategic prevention plan Yearly action plan

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Framework directive Other directives

Processes:

Risk assessmentPreventionHealth Surveillance

Worker information and training

Technical safety

HealthHygiene Psychosocial aspects

Ergonomics

Prevention services

Training center

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Preventive measures

1. Avoid risks2. Avoid damage3. Limit damage

Preventive measures apply to: organisation methods of work and production conception of the workplace conception and adaption of the workpost; choice and usage of work equipment and chemical substances risks arising from chemical, biological and fysical agents collective and individual protection, and working-clothes health and safety signals heath surveillance psychosocial workload competence, training and information of workers, including proper instructions coordination on the workplace emergency procedures incl. first aid, fire protection, and evacuation

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Focus on prevention 3 levels

Organization as a whole Team/division Individual

Primary prevention Human based measures (awareness raising , job-information

and job-training of management and workers, working conditions, job content, teambuilding,...);

Organizational measures (company culture, prevention services, flexibility, control, communication, consultation,...);

Technical measures (working environment, workplace design,...).

Secondary prevention (support structures,…) Tertiary prevention (remediation, help,…)

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Prevention principles Avoid, eliminate risks; Evaluate and limit those risks that cannot be

eliminated; Attack risks at the source; Replace dangerous products by other not

dangerous or less dangerous products; Collective protection before individual protective

equipment; Adapter the work to the person (= ergonomics); Organisation of training; Proper instructions.

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Prevention measures Be creative!

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Employer: not alone Designated worker(s) (prevention officers) OSH-services Management + chefs Workers: workers representatives and individual

workers

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Preventative culture

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In general Development and strengthening of a preventive culture

must be a central element of any strategy aiming at improving occupational safety and health

Development and strengthening of a preventive culture = achieving better OSH performance by fostering changes in behavioural patterns

Governments Employers Workers OSH-Experts Financial world Students, young people ALL PEOPLE

Cannot be achieved through legislation !

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Strategy Strategy to promote a preventive culture must

address all parts of society go beyond the workplace and the working population should help create a general culture that values

health and risk prevention

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Worker as individual Pay attention to the workers as individual in his

work environment Psychosocial workload Stress Harassment, violence Home – Work trajectory Health

– Alcohol and drugs– Exercise– Nutrition– Quality of sleep

Socio-economic status of worker is determining factor For health Also for work attitude Focus on social inclusion through education, assistance,…)

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Quality Global, integrated HR approach (4 fields to take

into account) Job content Job environment (OSH) Job conditions (working hours, wages,…) Job relations (colleagues, supervisors, management,

clients,…) Job satisfaction

Set expectations form employers and workers side Overall situation is good (large majority of workers

are happy with an in their job) Company culture Encourage job mobility (internal or external)

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Increase OSH knowledge and awareness

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Education and training Many accidents and incidents can be blamed on a lack of

knowledge or inadequate awareness of the risks among people performing work or people directly involved, such as supervisors

Major improvements in safety performance can therefore be achieved by more and better staff training which focuses on safety, with the aim of raising levels of knowledge and skills and generating safety awareness.Good training and sound instructions, especially for dangerous work, are therefore of major importance in terms of preventing accidents and incidents

That is why particular attention needs to be given to training and instruction and to proofs of the required safety qualifications for operational staff, their supervisors and the appointed safety officers

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Education and training Education and training policies (Member-State

responsibility) play an important (even crucial) role in strengthening the prevention culture

Start early: it is beneficial to start education valuing a general culture of health and risk prevention at an early age

All education an training! all future workers all future managers all future policy makers etc.

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Education and training Learning programmes should

adequately integrate aspects relating to safety and health and

be up-to-date and correspond to workplace realities and challenges.

Further progress at Member State level is needed Council (+ AC) might act as a catalyst by means

of a resolution/recommendation

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Conclusions

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Mainstreaming Health into OSH

Workplace health promotion Smoking ban Soft-drinks ban Fat ban in company restaurants (balanced, healthy food) Attentions hypertension World sleep day (21 Mars)

OSH into Health (less developed) General medical check-up by OSH-services Occupational diseases Revalidation/reintegration after accident/disease

Education into OSH OSH into education

Integration of health (+ safety) aspects in education systems (curricula,…)

Partnership with industry !!!

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To do at industry level Federations

Take control over the agenda Assume leadership (captains of industry) Offensive or opportunistic strategy (voluntary) Agreements at national, regional and

branche level Exchange of good practice Collaboration: with education, health,…

Companies Workers involvement (partnership – set expectations) Further explore “the healthy workplace”

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A new industry vision

To gain recognition of health and safety as a cornerstone of civilized and responsible companies and, with that, to achieve a record of workplace health and safety that leads the world!

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Levers for change Management systems/tools Activities to usefully support focus on prevention

Awareness-raising actions targeting a large public Dissemination of good practices

Use/search “market driven” instruments Contractor safety management systems and training Safety logbook Temporary workers management systems (risk

activities) Be creative

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Practice what you preach! What has been build up over months and years

can be destroyed in minutes! Practice what you preach

– Authorities– Social partners– Top management– Operational supervisors– Experts

Stimulate safe behavior Discourage unsafe behavior Stress the success of safe behavior Reduce disadvantages of safe behavior

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THANK YOU !