1. Baltic Sea Network on Occupational Health and Safety
15 November 2007, Vilnius, Lithuania
Suvi Lehtinen

2. Baltic Sea Network on Occupational Health and Safety (BSN), Nov. 1995─
Network of OH&S Institutes of the 10 Baltic Sea countries
Idea proposed in the WHO Consultation on Development of OHS in the Baltic States, Copenhagen
Network established later in 1996, three Baltic States and four Nordic Countries, and slightly later Germany, Poland and the Russian Federation were invited to join
Aims
bringing essential country information to everybody's reach
a forum for transmitting and developing good practices
disseminating information on training events
encouraging the countries to develop national networking arrangements
offer a framework and stimulation for joint bilateral and multilateral projects
S. Lehtinen /

3. BSN website
S. Lehtinen /

4. Social capital Concept of social capital ─ Robert Putnam
Networking of friends, neighbours, social communities, civic society
Norms of reciprocity
Participation
Trust
Added value to activities
S. Lehtinen /

5. Networking focal points
Networking within BSN
peer-to-peer
voluntary participation
facilitator needed
equal
information-oriented
sharing information
learning from others
long-term collaboration
trust
win-win-win-situation
basis for joint projects
Networking focal points
S. Lehtinen /

6. BSN – A joint forum for exchange of information and learning
Concentrating on joint themes
Receiving information
Mixed participation among
OSH experts and authorities
Social communication
Growing trust
Platform for joint projects
S. Lehtinen /

7. Accomplishments
A network of OSH experts in the sub-region has been working for 12 years ─ Tradition of collaboration have been established
OSH websites were created in the three Baltic States stimulated by BSN ─ they paved the way for joining the electronic EU Networks
Smoke-free workplaces as a topic in 2004 – an opportunity for WHO/EURO to inform about and discuss the issue and the guideline produced
Learning from others obvious
Making a situation analysis of OSH in the countries (Questionnaire survey)
Meeting in Riga on 29–30 March 2007 (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland)
SIHLWA meeting, May 2007
Annual Meeting of the BSN, 30–31 October 2007
Identifying the OSH priorities
Preparing a Policy Paper for November 2007 PAC discussion
S. Lehtinen /

8. Topics discussed in Annual Meetings of BSN in 1996–2007
OHS
OH&S assessment – indicators
Notification and registration of ODs and accidents
Economic appraisal in OH&S
Education and training in OH&S
Twinning projects
E-learning
Country profiles in OH&S
BOHS
Networking in agriculture
Health risks of environmental tobacco smoke
Psychosocial factors and stress
Collaboration with other networks
etc.
S. Lehtinen /

9. ILO Framework Convention
ILO Framework Convention was approved at ILC 2006
Preparation of a National Profile on OSH
Preparation of a National Programme on OSH
S. Lehtinen /

10. Basic Occupational Health Services
13th Joint ILO/WHO Committee on Occupational Health, 2003
ICOH, WHO, ILO – development of Basic Occupational Health Services 2005, revised in September 2007
S. Lehtinen /

11. BSN – a platform to implement
A well-functioning network offers a forum for implementation ─ it should be fully utilized
Several relevant topics have been discussed and analysed in earlier meetings of BSN
Developing the situation analysis reports into National OSH Profiles and Programmes
Basic Occupational Health Services
Discussions and preparations for Joint Activities in OSH in Selected Sectors
Funding possibilities – NDPHS, EU, others
Working together –
10!
S. Lehtinen /