die Each year, 40 to 60 people out of work-related accidents in Sweden and around 10 000 people suffer accidents in the workplace that is causing the 14 days of absence or more. Yet workplace accidents are only the tip of the iceberg. Many lives are cut short each year due to lack of work environment. Today’s work-related mortality is caused by imperfections in both yesterday’s and today’s work environment.
On behalf of the Swedish work environment authority, researchers have calculated how many lives that certain risk factors in the work environment harvests each year at Swedish workplaces. The results of the studied exposures, which contributes to a premature death for thousands of people is astonishing. Exposure to risk factors such as stress, shift work, exhaust gases of the engine, the noise and the persistent physically heavy work of the harvest each year, more than 500 human lives per risk factor. Other factors – such as dust, asbestos, silica and passive smoking also leads to between 100 and 500 work-related deaths per year in Sweden. The researchers ‘ analysis also indicates that the number of deaths due to work-related stress will increase in the future.
Our inspections show that more than half of the employers do not live up to the law’s basic requirements to pursue an active, systematic work environment management. This is because the rules are not followed.
The vast majority of them are probably exposed to several occupational risk factors at the same time. When prioritising action, it is therefore important to act against environments that contain multiple risk factors at the same time. All workplaces should have a zero vision that is not just about preventing accidents, but that takes a holistic approach to occupational health including occupational diseases, and the organizational and social issues. We have a major health problem in society. Stress and mental ill-health is at an alarming high level.
According to the UN’s international labour organization, ILO, occurs annually about 2.8 million work-related deaths. Over 380 000 of them are fatal accidents. Of the deaths due 14 per cent of the accidents and 86 percent of diseases. People die, get sick or wear out prematurely and to jobbstressen is forcing up the number of sick-days is completely unacceptable. Every work-related death is a failure in the work environment.
the Research shows that it is possible to reduce the work-related mortality through preventive measures at the workplace and application of new knowledge that reduces the presence of stress and shift work. Similarly, measures that reduce the levels of various air pollutants in the work environment.
the Employer has the ultimate responsibility for the work environment, but this does not exclude everyone who is at the workplace has a responsibility to contribute to a good working environment. For example, it may be about to follow the instructions and safety procedures which are to use protective equipment.
Risks of each operation should be analysed, behaviours and attitudes are discussed and the employer has a responsibility to create a culture where it is okay to speak up when there is a risk of accident or illness. It is crucial in an environment where one is afraid of each other and dare to discuss both the risks and how to prevent ill health.
We all need a safe and good working environment – both physically and mentally. It is important to report incidents even if they are not led to injury or death. Incident reports are used to detect deficiencies in procedures and safety. The concrete preventive work environment management needs to run every day in the interaction between employers and employees, safety representatives, trade unions and the authorities.
health and safety personnel, it is the watchful eye in the workplace so that both employers and workers will do anything to prevent someone getting injured or in the worst case die on the job. Therefore, the skyddsombudens mission in the workplace is extremely important. It is also important that health and safety personnel will check early in the process.
Our inspections show that more than half of the employers do not live up to the law’s basic requirements to pursue an active, systematic work environment management. This is not due to shortcomings in legislation or the work health Authority regulations, but the rules are not followed.
That compliance shortcomings are worrying. It depends on ignorance? Possibly, but ignorance is seldom an acceptable excuse. It depends on the stress and pressure of time? Yes, perhaps the ”genas” sometimes and maybe it has ”gone well so far”. It depends on the bad track of sub-contractors? Probably. We sometimes see the effects of contracts where the safety requirements have not been at the top of the list of duties and shortcomings in the coordination becomes all the more essential the longer entreprenörskedjorna is. More people need to keep an eye on the big picture.
• We are modernising and developing our rules, our guidance and our support so that the framework becomes available, clear and relevant for working life in constant change.
• We give priority to inspections in activities which are particularly risky as transport, agriculture, construction and forestry industry.
• We have a close collaboration with both the Police and the Prosecutor’s office to get the legal processes to become faster and more efficient.
• There is support and tools for an active preventive work, such as Partsrådet, Healthy work life, and Prevent developed.
The preventative work must be deleted from the conditions in the individual workplace. It is unacceptable that the job makes us sick or leads to damage, in the worst cases, fatal. Everyone has the right to a healthy and safe work environment. We shall keep in an ever-longer working life – it serves all on.
