1Institute of Occupational Safety and

Environmental Health

Health and Safety at Work: A Tedious Obligation or Partof Economic Success?

Prevention and Early Intervention – importance of

preventive culture and some of it’s aspects

Ivars Vanadzins,

Institute of Occupational Safety and Environmental Health, Riga Stradins University

2Institute of Occupational Safety and

Environmental Health

Example of Early prevention – Incidence of pain among Latvian workers

Have you had pain during last year?

… and what did you do?

I continued my work with no changes

I took sickness leave

I changed the tempo of work

I changed working methods

I asked for health examination

I went to see the doctor on my own

I worked shorter time

I worked from home

I asked help of physiotherapist

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

51

27

8

5

3

3

3

2

2

Percents

3Institute of Occupational Safety and

Environmental Health

Multifactorial aspects of pain and MSD – potential for prevention and early intervention

4Institute of Occupational Safety and

Environmental Health

RemarksInstitutional and legal frameworks must be in

placeTraining and information must cover all

groups/industries and «cultures»Specific cultural and historical problems must

also be addressed and coveredSocial media must be included but limitations

remembered

4