Armands Kalniņš,  Sunstar group member of board

In spite of information events, number of accidents on workspaces increase for 20% for  last five years.  Which fault it this?  Irresponsible staff or employers, which do not follow the safety on work spaces? What should be done the safety to become  a habit  both to staff and emplyers?

At the moment  in case of accident this considered to be the fault of employer, but this is not always true. Investigating different situations, it turns out, that lots of accidents caused by safety rules violation. Work with equipment in condiion of alcohol or narcotic intoxication followed by lost fingers- this is one of examples of such violation. This is the situation, where employer is violator, but not employee, and  according to the laws, employer`s fault is accepted. It is like parents and children, if something happenes to a child, parents will always be quilty, because did not take care enough of a child.  It is easier to put responsibility on more powerfull side. In some cases this comparision is truth, so that`s why every employer should ask himself, whether work safety in his company is real or nominal.

It seems that we are fighting with effects, not reasons, that`s why it should be effective to teach work safety in schools.   You can imagine that young employees already know everything about work safety, health inspection, all kind of risks, so employer has just  to remind this information.

Unfortunately, employers have to teach already grown-up persons. This is an attitude to his health and even life. Is it real to teach 20, 30, 50 years old persons to care care of their safety? I`m in doubt in it, sometimes even obvious things  like that in  territory where is written "No entry", access is denied, that helmets are required on building site. Following-up current situation, i can make a conslusion, that most injuries get young people. If  to include safety work in education materials, next generation will not get injuries caused by inattention or ignorence. Young people till 25 years old, which were driven in baby seats in childhood, are good example, they don`t even ask why it is necessary to fasten the belts in car, they do it automatically. The same is with work safety, this should become obvious. 

Knowing about accidents, employees often think that could not happen to them, but in fact they get injuries or even lost life exactly on workplaces. 

Visually funny protection glasses or hermet can save life, it depends on changing habbits.

Available information from Work Inspection only confirm, that situation is tragical.- last year 2182 accidents were registered, 25 of them ended  with the death. At the end of april of this year already 67 accidents have been registered, 8 of them ended with the death and 59 of them are heavy.

What should employer do to make work enviroment safety? First of all, showing personal example. If manager does not wearing a helmet, why shout others do this? If manager cannot arrange his workspace according to his height, no chances, that staff will even think of this.

Solution is very simple. We are practiсing free fruits and vegetables for staff. For team of 40 employees it costs not more then 30 euro per week. This is one of effective methods to let the staff be healthy, do not forget about themselves.

 One more way is to include enviroment`s improvment in meeting`s schedule. Maybe it is necessary to  take lectures on private data protection, work safety  or ergonomic workspace.If work safety is arranged in company, in case of accident this will not be the fault of employer. Therefore lots of digital solutions are available to arrange work safety.

If we are looking forward for changes, we shout start with ourselves.