Developing a prevention culture on workplace level: the perspective from workers viewpoint Viktor Kempa, Working Conditions, Health & Safety Department

Developing a prevention culture on workplace level:

the perspective from workers viewpoint

Viktor Kempa, Working Conditions, Health & Safety Department

European Trade Union Institute

[email protected] (2009)

Using of the work equipment 89/655/EEC

Work Equipment (2)

89/391/EEC – Framework Directiveon the introduction of measures to encourage improvements

in the safety and health of workers at work

Specific activities90/269/EEC

Manual Handling of Loads (4)90/270/EEC

Display Screen Equipments (5)92/91/EECDrilling (11)

Workplace89/654/EEC Workplace (1)92/57/EEC

Temporary/Mobile Construction Sites (8)92/58/EEC

Safety and/or Health Signs (9)92/104/EEC

Surface and Underground Mineral-extracting Industries (12)

93/103/EC Fishing Vessel (13)

1999/92/ECExplosive Atmospheres (15)

Specific group of workers 92/85/EEC

Pregnant and breastfeeding workers and worker who have recently given

birth (10)

Personal protection89/656/EEC

Personal Protective Equipment (3)

Exposure to agents 90/394/EEC

Carcinogens (6)2000/54/EC

Biological Agents (7)98/24/EC

Chemical Agents (14)2000/44/EC

Vibrations (16)2003/10/ECNoise (17)

2004/40/ECElectromagnetic Fields (18)

2000/39/ECIndicative occupationalexposure limit values

What is in game?

● Policy & Strategy● Legislation & Principles

● Institutions & Agencies (tripartite)● Social dialogue (European Framework Agrements)

● Guidelines & Codes of Practice● Standards

National transpositions and implementations

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Multi-Country Workshop on Developing Systems for Occupational Health and Safety through Social DialogueMercure Brussels Center Louise, Brussels, Belgium

Dates: 18-19 February 2013

Presentation outline

● Definitions● Role of workers and worker participation in developing a

preventive culture● How to measure a quality of prevention culture?

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Definitions

● Prevention culture: the ways in which OHS is managed in the workplace, and often reflects "the attitudes, beliefs, perceptions and values that both partners share in relation to OHS“

● Prevention culture vs. workplace democracy (including voting system, debates, democratic structuring, due process, adversarial process)

● Social dialogue ● Worker participation – methods, procedures, actors, representation

● Direct vs. Representative○ Trade Unions, Work Councils, Mix, Worker Reps

● Joint H&S Committee, Coll. agreements, Specific agreements (election of Reps, rights to info, consult, particip, or codecision)

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Worker participation – methods, procedures, actors,

● Direct vs. Representative model● Trade Unions, Work Councils, Mix, Worker Reps● Joint H&S Committees● Coll. Agreements● Specific agreements ● Legislative rights

● (Workers, Reps, ICP)

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Culture is a combination of an organization's:

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• Attitudes

• Behaviors

• Beliefs

• Values

• Ways of doing things, and

• Other shared characteristics of a particular group of people.



A strong prevention culture is the result of::

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•Commitment and leadership of management

•Positive workplace attitudes

•Support to worker participation in OHS

•Mutual, meaningful, and measurable OHS goals

•Policies and procedures that serve as reference tools

•Training at all levels within the organization

•Responsibility and accountability throughout the organization



Basic questions to be raised at the beginning


18-19 February 2013

• Have you introduced a policy on OHS in your company? • Is there any agreement between company and workers on a creation

and maintaining of this policy?

• Have you introduced any system of OHSM?• Are the workers involved satisfactorily in the OHSMS?

• Is there indirect participation of workers in your company?• Are there exact and defined procedures for information and

consultation of workers in your company?

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Questionnaire / Test


18-19 February 2013

For example divided into net chapters:

1.Management commitment

2.Communication

3.Worker participation

4.Training/Information

5.Compliance with procedures

6.Learning organisation

vkempa@etui/2013

vkempa@etui/2013The economic crisis: Consequences for health and safety of workers in Europe?

Bilbao, 28 February & 1 March 2013

Questions to be asked

Source: HSE

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Questions to be asked

Source: HSE


18-19 February 2013




● Prevention first! (proactive rather than retroactive & compensation)

● Employers' responsibility ● Hierarchy of prevention measures ● Continuous improvement (OHSM)● Health AND Safety● Social dialogue & workers' participation (ICP)● Multidisciplinarity of prevention services

Key principles of the EU OHS law

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Hierarchy of prevention measures

► Avoid/eliminate the hazards ► Evaluate the risks that cannot be avoided

► Substitute dangerous by less dangerous► Combat risks at source► Adapt the work to the individual► Adapt to technical progress► Develop a coherent overall prevention policy► Give collective protective measures priority ► Give appropriate instructions


Dates: 18-19 February 2013 vkempa@etui/2013

An efficient prevention at the workplace

Participation

Multidisciplinarity

Comprehensiveness

• Comitted employers - Recognize the problem!

• Risk assessment & management- Assess the risk on participatory basis!

• Hierarchy of preventive measures- Remove the hazard first!

• Technical and organisational measures - Use a feedback from the workplace!

• Social dialogue at the workplace- Talk to and listen to Workers H&S Reps!

• Concerted cooperation of all the actors- Identify, evaluate and combat the risks using

synergy of knowledge and powers!


18-19 February 2013 vkempa@etui/2013

vkempa@etui/2013

Thank you for your attention!

[email protected]


18-19 February 2013

Documents

Developing a prevention culture on workplace level: the perspective from workers viewpoint Viktor Kempa, Working Conditions, Health & Safety Department