PROJECT CO-FINANCED BY EUROPEAN UNION EUROPEAN UNION STRUCTURAL FUNDS NATIONAL PROGRAMME “LABOUR MARKET STUDIES” PROJECT “STUDIES OF THE MINISTRY OF WELFARE” No VPD1/ESF/NVA/04/NP/3.1.5.1./0003 WORK CONDITIONS AND RISKS IN LATVIA Riga, 2007 AS “Inspecta Latvia” & RSU DVVI 331.4 (474.3) Work conditions and risks in Latvia Da 620 RESEARCH GROUP The Study “Work conditions and risks in Latvia” in the frames of the Project “Studies of the Ministry of Welfare” No VPD1/ESF/NVA/04/NP/3.1.5.1./0003 of the National Programme “Labour Market Studies” financed by European Structural Fund was carried out by a consortium comprising A/S “Inspecta Latvia” and the Institute of Occupational and Environmental Health of the Riga Stradins University, as well as group of other experts under guidance of Dr.habil.med. Maija Eglīte. Maija Eglīte is the director of the Institute of Occupational and Environmental Health of the Riga Stradins University. She is a well known and recognised occupational health and safety specialist both in Latvia and world, an author of more than 300 publications and several books, an expert of several European Union occupational health and safety work groups, a member of editorial board of several scientific journals. Leading researchers: Linda Matisāne - Head of Occupational Health and Safety Division of A/S Inspecta Latvia, Ivars Vanadziņš – researcher of the Institute of Occupational and Environmental Health of the Riga Stradins University. Following specialists of A/S “Inspecta Latvia” and the Institute of Occupational and Environmental Health of the Riga Stradins University contributed to the Study: Rita Antonoviča, Mārīte Ārija Baķe, Artjoms Boriskins, Pēteris Druķis, Sandra Dumbrovska, Sabīne Grīnberga, Dace Jakimova, Solvita Leimane, Raimonda Mangule, Ţanna Martinsone, Inese Mārtiņsone, Anita Piķe, Andris Pommers, Jeļena Reste, Ģirts Sprancis, Dagmāra Sprūdţa, Pāvels Sudmalis. Translation was supported by Ineta Irbe and Vija Siliņa. Quantitative surveys of employers, employees and general public were carried out by TNS Latvia Ltd. under the guidance of Project manager Signe Kaņējeva. Survey of specially protected and socially castaway groups, as well as of health and social care employees along with some other activities was carried out by PSI Darba medicīna Ltd. Quantitative survey of specially protected and socially castaway groups (pregnant women and parents after their parental leave) was carried out by Market Lab Ltd. SUMMARY Objective of the Study “Work conditions and risks in Latvia” was to create analytic basis in the field of occupational health and safety, which would ease rational and effective decision-making for elaboration of employment and social policy programmes and for ensuring sustainable development. During the Study following groups of people were surveyed: residents of Latvia, employers, occupational health and safety specialists, employees (especially of specially protected and socially castaway groups), health and social care employees. Besides, activities of the Study included analysis of available occupational health and safety data bases, analysis of existing studies, objective assessment of occupational health and safety situation (analysis of measurement results), which ensures that results of the Study could be considered during development of occupational health and safety programme. Results of the Study reveal insufficient compliance of workplaces with legal requirements regarding occupational health and safety, as well as legal labour relations. Besides, awareness and understanding of general public regarding such requirements is also dissatisfactory. Further on attention should be paid to simplification of legal requirements, development of alternative methods for informing and educating people, as well as recurrent definition of national indicators to assess efficacy of implemented measures related to occupational health and safety, as well as legal labour relations. Keywords: occupational health and safety, legal labour relations, work environment Client: Ministry of Welfare of Republic of Latvia Composition by: Gundega Lojāne Edited by: Dr.Janīna Danusēviča Cover page designed by: Gundega Lojāne Printed by: Zemgus LB Ltd ISBN 978-9984-39-233-2 i AS “Inspecta Latvia” & RSU DVVI Work conditions and risks in Latvia TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS II LIST OF TABLES V LIST OF FIGURES VI LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS IX DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION OF USED TERMS X INTRODUCTION 1 MAIN CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 3 CONCLUSIONS 3 RECOMMENDATIONS 5 RECOMMENDATIONS ON IMPROVEMENT OF LEGISLATION 5 RECOMMENDATIONS ON BUILDING PUBLIC AWARENESS 6 RECOMMENDATION REGARDING INFORMATION THAT SHOULD BE REGULARLY SUMMARISED AND PUBLISHED RIGHT NOW 6 RECOMMENDATIONS ON FURTHER RESEARCH 7 1. LITERATURE REVIEW 8 1.1. LEGISLATION AND POLICY PLANNING DOCUMENTS 8 1.2. NATIONALLY AVAILABLE DATA ON OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY AND ON LEGAL LABOUR RELATIONS 11 1.2.1. DATABASES 14 1.2.2 RESEARCH AND STUDIES CARRIED OUT IN LATVIA AND OTHER COUNTRIES WITH SIMILAR DEVELOPMENT TRENDS 21 2. METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY 28 2.1. JUSTIFICATION OF SELECTED METHODS 28 2.2. SUMMARY OF THE SURVEYS 28 2.3. OBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT OF WORKING ENVIRONMENT 33 2.4. ASSESSMENT AND ANALYSIS OF WORK ABILITY 34 3. RESULTS OF THE STUDY 36 ii AS “Inspecta Latvia” & RSU DVVI Work conditions and risks in Latvia 3.1. JOB SATISFACTION AND SATISFACTION WITH WORK CONDITIONS 36 3.1.1. JOB SATISFACTION 36 3.1.2. SATISFACTION WITH WORKING CONDITIONS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT 39 3.1.3. OPINION OF EMPLOYEES ON CHANGES IN OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY CONDITIONS 41 3.2 ENFORCEMENT OF LEGISLATION 42 3.2.1 COMPLIANCE WITH OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY REGULATIONS 42 3.2.2. OCCUPATIONAL RISK ASSESSMENT 46 3.2.3. ORGANISING OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM 49 3.2.4. COMPLIANCE WITH SPECIFIC REGULATIONS 53 3.2.5. COMPLIANCE WITH LEGISLATION REGARDING LEGAL LABOUR RELATIONS 56 3.3. OCCUPATIONAL RISK FACTORS AND THEIR PREVENTION 61 3.3.1. OCCUPATIONAL RISK FACTORS 61 3.3.2. MEASURES FOR OCCUPATIONAL RISK PREVENTION 70 3.4. EFFECTS OF NON-COMPLIANCE WITH OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY REQUIREMENTS 75 3.4.1. WORKPLACE ACCIDENTS 75 3.4.2 OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES 78 3.4.3. WORK RELATED HEALTH DISORDERS 81 3.4.4. COSTS OF OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES AND WORKPLACE ACCIDENTS 82 3.5. SOCIAL DIALOGUE ON OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY 86 3.5.1. REPRESENTATIVES OF EMPLOYEES 86 3.5.2. SUGGESTIONS OF EMPLOYEES 89 3.6. OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY – AWARENESS, EDUCATION AND TRAINING 91 3.6.1. PUBLIC AWARENESS 91 3.6.2. AWARENESS LEVELS AMONG EMPLOYERS 95 3.6.3. AWARENESS LEVELS AMONG EMPLOYEES 96 3.6.4. INFORMATION MATERIALS ON OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY INFORMATION AND THEIR AVAILABILITY 98 3.6.5. EDUCATION AND TRAINING OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY SPECIALISTS, QUALITY OF TRAINING 101 3.7. ASSESSMENT OF ACTIVITIES OF THE STATE LABOUR INSPECTORATE 105 4. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 110 4.1. COMPLIANCE WITH LEGAL REQUIREMENTS 110 4.2. OCCUPATIONAL RISKS AND THEIR PREVENTION 112 4.3. AWARENESS LEVEL 113 4.4. WORKPLACE ACCIDENTS, OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES AND RELATED COSTS 114 4.5. STATE LABOUR INSPECTORATE 117 4.6. RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING FURTHER RESEARCH 118 5. ALTERNATIVES 121 iii AS “Inspecta Latvia” & RSU DVVI Work conditions and risks in Latvia 5.1. IMPROVEMENT OF REGISTRATION OF WORKPLACE ACCIDENTS AND EARLY DIAGNOSIS OF OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES, AS WELL AS EARLY REHABILITATION OF PATIENTS AFFECTED BY OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES AND WORKPLACE ACCIDENTS 121 5.2. RECOMMENDED AMENDMENTS IN OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY LEGISLATION AND PROVISIONS 130 5.3 CHANGES IN COMPULSORY INSURANCE AGAINST WORKPLACE ACCIDENTS AND OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES 140 5.3.1 GENERAL IDEA OF THE ALTERNATIVE 140 5.3.2 POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY OF THE ALTERNATIVE 149 5.3.3 FINANCIAL ANALYSIS OF THE ALTERNATIVE 150 5.3.4 SOCIO-ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF THE ALTERNATIVE 151 5.3.5 PROBABLE RISKS TO IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ALTERNATIVE AND THEIR PREVENTION 151 THANKS 153 REFERENCES 155 APPENDIXES 157 iv AS “Inspecta Latvia” & RSU DVVI Work conditions and risks in Latvia LIST OF TABLES Table 1. The most significant studies in the field of occupational health and safety and on legal labour relations carried out in Latvia. 24 Table 2. Summary of carried out surveys. 29 Table 3. Employers’ self-assessment of compliance of their companies with the requirements of the Labour Protection Law, per sector. 44 Table 4. Compliance with occupational health and safety requirements – assessment by employees, per sector. 45 Table 5. Completion of occupational risk assessments in different size companies. 47 Table 6. External occupational health and safety services received from competent institutions or specialists. 51 Table 7. Number of employees without a written contract of employment (%). 59 Table 8. Presence of authorised employee representatives, trade union representatives and trusted representatives in enterprises and institutions according to the opinion of corresponding employers. 86 Table 9. Presence of authorised employee representatives (represent employees regarding legal labour relations), trade union representatives and trusted representatives (represent employees regarding occupational health and safety issues) in work places according to the opinion of corresponding employees. 87 Table 10. Employers’ opinion on activities of the State Labour Inspectorate. 107 Table 11. Employees’ opinion on activities of the State Labour Inspectorate. 108 Table 12. Proposals for improvement of workplace accident