1. Occupational Health and Safety in Latvia before, during and after Economic Slowdown
Linda Matisane,
Head of Cooperation and Development Unit
linda.matisane@vdi.gov.lv

2. Content
• Incidence of accidents at
work in relation to economic
development
• Effect of legal initiatives to
promote economic situation
• Occupational health and
safety and «grey economy»

3. GDP and workplace accidents in Latvia, 2007 -2012
40
35
35,4
30,2
30
25
32,8
32,5
25,7
23,1
22,4
18,4
20
26,2
18,2
19,2
20,1
15
10
5
0
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
GDP (in comparable prices of 2010), billion €
Severe and fatal accidents per 100000 employees
2012

4. Prevalence of companies with workplace risk assessment
and action plan for risk reduction
Results of the employers’ surveys, 2006, 2010, 2013

5. What does hinder you from performing OSH activities?
Results of the employers’ surveys, 2006, 2010, 2013

6. How many employees in your company are exposed to any of the
risk factors?
Results of the employers’ surveys, 2006, 2010, 2013

7. Microcompanies and OSH

8. What is typical for companies involved in grey economy?
Salary paid without taxes
Never (%)
Sometimes
(%)
Every month
(%)
Workplace risk assessment is not
carried out
11
18
24
Workers received information on
workplace risk factors, their effect
on health
76
63
54
Workplace accidents during last 3
years
14
10
23
Workplace accidents were not
reported
20
38
41
Results from the workers’ survey, 2013

9. What is typical for companies involved in grey economy?
Salary paid without taxes
Never
(%)
Sometimes
(%)
Every month
(%)
Exposed to passive smoking
22
46
41
Workers have not used paid
vocations during the last year
8
18
33
Workers have been working
overtime
44
69
60
Overtime work has not been paid
28
28
40
Results from the workers’ survey, 2013

10. What is typical for companies involved in grey economy?
Salary paid without taxes
Never
(%)
Sometimes
(%)
Every
month (%)
Workers reported health effects
related to workplace risk factors
20
29
33
Workers have had pain longer than
3 days during the last year
34
46
40
If ill, workers were still going to
work during the last year
8
17
21
Workers have undergone medical
examinations (within last 3 years)
83
62
56
Results from the workers’ survey, 2013

11. CONCLUSIONS
1. Even if the economic slowdown is over, long term effects
might be observed
2. Workers in companies participating in grey economy are at
higher risk, e.g.
–
–
–
–
They work longer hours
They do not rest enough
When they are ill, they go to work
They are exposed to passive smoking
1. Companies not complying to one type of legal acts tend not to
comply also to other

12. Thank you for your attention!