1. OSH challenges and perspectives in the new EU-Member States:
Northern Dimension Partnership in Public Health and Social Well-being (NDPHS) Annual Conference “HEALTHY LIFE – HEALTHY WORK” Vilnius, 15 Nov 2007
OSH challenges and perspectives in the new EU-Member States:
the case of Lithuania
Romualdas Sabaliauskas
Secretary of the Ministry of Health of Lithuania

2. Contents of the report Organisation of OS&H in Lithuania
Situation and problems of OSH in Lithuania in the context of EU Member States
Challenges for the implementation of WHO, ILO and EU occupational health and safety strategies in Lithuania
National strategy for strengthening OSH services

3. Total
Men (%)
Women (%)
Population, thousands
3.403
46,6
53,4
Employed, thousands
1.482
49,5
50,5
Average life expectancy at birth, years
71,1
65,3
77,0

4. Organization of OH&S system in Lithuania

5. Hazardous health conditions at work in Lithuania and EU-25 (EF 2005 survey of working conditions)

6. Workers exposed to health hazards at work in Lithuania and EU-25 (EF 2005 survey of working conditions)

7. Occupational health status and problems in Lithuania and EU-Member States
(1) In Lithuania, compared to EU-25, more workers are faced to hazardous health factors, especially noise (10% ), low temperature (9.5%), standing and walking (8 %), heavy loads, vibration, dust, vapour, cigarette smoke (7.5%).
(2) In Lithuania, compared to EU-25, more workers point out that work harms their health, especially due to the general fatigue (19%), back and muscle pain (14%), sight problems (13.5%), sleeping disorders, headaches (11%), breathing and skin problems and stress (10%).

8. Trends of fatal accidents at work in Lithuania and EU-15 (1998 = 100, Eurostat, 2005)

9. Trends of occupational diseases in Lithuania (State Register of Occupational Diseases, 2007)

10. New cases of occupational diseases in Lithuania and the old EU-Member States (Eurostat; National Register of occupational diseases,2004)
Lithuania EU 12
______________________________________________________________
All cases (per 100 thous. employed) 65,4 37,0
men ,8 47,8
women 18,1 22,0
Age groups (years)
,8 22,4
,7 31,1
,1 39,2
,0 69,2
(“Visuomenės sveikata” (Public Health),Vol.31,2005)

11. Occupational diseases in Lithuania according to the sector and the status of employment (State Register of Occupational Diseases, 2006)

12. Perceptions of OH&S stakeholders on activities of OH services in Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia and Czech Republic (EU Inco-copernicus project, 2002)
employers employees experts and
representatives representatives administrators
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Number of OH professionals sufficient
physicians
hygienists
nurses
Medical services are available for those at risk
large enterprises
medium enterprises
small enterprises
Well organized:
registration of risks and injuries
Prevention actions
distribution of OH&S information

13. Occupational health status and problems in Lithuania and EU-Member states
(3) In Lithuania, compared to other EU countries, the number of occupational medicine physicians is the lowest. Number of OH physicians per 1 thousand of workers is over 10 times less than in the neighbouring Latvia and Scandinavian countries.
(4) Lithuania, like other new EU-Member States has not established an efficient system of occupational health services responsible for health care of the employed. As a result only large enterprises provide access to health care services to their workers while workers of medium and small enterprises do not have such services.

14. International standards for the development of OH&S systems and policies
National System for Occupational Safety and Health
Each Member shall establish, maintain, progressively develop and periodically review a national system for occupational safety and health, in consultation with the most representative organizations of employers and workers. (Article 4 of C187)
National Programme on Occupational Safety and Health
Each Member shall formulate, implement, monitor, evaluate and periodically review a national programme on occupational safety and health in consultation with the most representative organizations of employers and workers. (Article 5, C187)
Occupational health services
Each Member State undertakes to develop progressively occupational health services for all workers, including those in the public sector and the members of production co-operatives, in all branches of economic activity and all undertakings. The provision made should be adequate and appropriate to the specific risks of the undertakings. (Article 3, C161)

15. Expert estimation of the Lithuanian national system for OH&S (1996-2007)
Main Components fully considerable some not
achieved progress progress started
__________________________________________________________________________________
OH&S legislation yes
Authority, responsible for OH&S yes
Inspection system yes
Cooperation between E and W yes
Tripartite advisory body yes
Information and advisory services yes
OH&S training system yes
Occupational Health services yes
OH&S research yes
OA and OD data collection yes
Occupational injuries insurance yes

16. Expert estimation of the Lithuanian national programmes for OH&S (1996-2000 and 2002-2004)
Main Components fully considerable some not
achieved progress progress started
__________________________________________________________________________________
Promotion of the development
of the national OH&S culture yes
Contribution to the workers
health protection yes
Analysis of the national
OH&S system yes
Setting of the expected results
and indicators of progress yes
Support by the other
national programmes yes

17. Expert estimation of the Lithuanian occupational health services (1995-2007)
Main functions fully considerable some not
achieved progress progress started _________________________________________________________________________________
Risk identification and assessment yes
Surveillance of risks at work yes
Advice on work organization yes
Participation in the development of
prevention programmes yes
Advice on OH&S yes
Surveillance of workers health yes
Promotion of adaptation of work
to worker yes
Contribution to vocational rehabilitation yes
Information, training and education yes
Organization of first aid yes
Analysis of occupational accidents
and diseases yes

18. Main objectives of the planned National OH&S strategy for the years 2008-2012
Improvement of OH&S legislation:
updating of existing legislation according to the EU and social partners requirements
monitoring of legal requirements implementation
Improvement of OH&S education, training and information system:
promotion of OH&S prevention culture
introducing OH&S training elements in all on-going programmes
creation of full access OH&S information system
development of OH&S research
strengthening of intersectoral collaboration
Enforcement the capacities for occupational health care:
strengthening of occupational health services
improvement of the basis for occupational health provision
improvement of the qualifications of OH professionals
increase the number of occupational medicine physicians

19. Outline of the planned activities for the implementation of the national OH&S strategy
Lithuania has defined its OH&S problems and is ready for immediate actions. The national strategy implementation is foreseen as a considerable challenge for Lithuania as well as for other new EU-Member States.
The expected results within the implementation of the Lithuanian OH&S strategy during the years period are as follows:
Decreasing the number of heavy and fatal accidents at work per 100 thousand employees;
Increasing the number of occupational medicine physicians and other occupational heath professionals per 100 thousand employees;
Increasing the number of in-plant and external occupational health services as well as increasing the percentage of enterprises that have implemented the international heath and safety management (OHSAS) system.

20. Thank you for your attention