VSSM Swiss Associatio of Carpeters ad Furiture Maufacturers Liechtestei 2,556 compaies with 3,426 employees belog to VSSM (Swiss Associatio of Carpeters ad Furiture Maufacturers) ad it is oe of the largest trade associatios i Switzerlad. Most member compaies are small busiesses. Cotact: Swiss Accidet Isurace Istitute (SUVA) Volker Grässle Fluhmattstrasse 1 Postfach 6002 Luzer Phoe: +41 41 4196242 66 The associatio is headed by a cetral committee, which employs 50 staff. The associatio is also resposible for traiig its members ad rus a umber of traiig cetres. The traiig system, both for basic ad further traiig, is very up-to-date ad a very ope ad adaptable modular type of operatio. The trade associatio works i co-operatio with may compaies. It cosults Suva (the Swiss accidet isurace istitute) for expert guidace. Network Suva is based i Lucere ad represets Switzerlad ad Liechtestei i the Europea Network for Workplace Health Promotio. After Suva gave a workplace health promotio presetatio to VSSM, it was agreed that efforts should be made to brig WHP to the compay. Suva supported this project o may levels, but activities were always plaed with the itetio that VSSM should be able to operate idepedetly evetually. How Suva supported the compay: Preparig ad supportig all meetigs relatig to the workplace health promotio project Establishig structures ad procedures to facilitate the itegratio of workplace health promotio ito the iitial ad further traiig programme Plaig idividual modules Settig up the traiig programme for the mediators Brigig i a idustrial psychologist Plaig ad ruig basic workshops Supportig the workig groups ad helpig with plaig activities Offerig support i idetifyig problem areas, settig targets ad subsequet evaluatio Plaig a time schedule for implemetig proposed measures Selectig appropriate outside support. Activities are carried out o site with a advisor ad a traier. A idustrial psychologist ad a marketig specialist ca be cosulted whe eeded. Puttig WHP ito practice Although everyoe is optimistic that WHP ca become part of compay ethos, fidig a effective way of itroducig it is cosidered
to be a bigger problem tha practical implemetatio. Traslatig proposals ito actio eeds to be as smooth ruig ad simple a trasitio as possible. I order to itroduce the cocept of WHP to the compay, a game depictig a game of golf was desiged. The 18 holes were replaced with 18 questios about workplace health promotio. If the questios are aswered correctly, the game ca cotiue, if ot a detour must be made. If a staff member caot aswer ay of the questios, he is ecouraged to talk to the maager. He the receives full writte iformatio about every questio. Measures already take: Verbal iformatio for the VSSM area heads of careers traiig Verbal iformatio for the VSSM cetral committee Establishmet of a workig group i which employer ad employees are represeted Workshops ad meetigs orgaised Developig the workplace health promotio game Plaig a time scale for implemetatio Orgaisig traiig for the mediators. Make the healthy way the more humorous way Two levels of actio have take place: 1. WHP has bee itegrated ito the associatio teachig syllabus ad examiatio regulatios. Teachers are udergoig traiig as mediators by Suva. 2. WHP has also bee itegrated ito all the associatio compaies. WHP is to be itroduced i additio to the measures already stipulated by law. Emphasis should be placed o a humorous approach with the help of a game of golf amed Hole i Oe. Oce iterest is awakeed, it should be spotaeous ad fu to play. The followig aids are available: Playig field poster of a golf course with 18 questios. It should be displayed somewhere easily accessible, e.g. i the cloakrooms, catee, WC door. 18 aswer cards explaiig the questios should be hug i a folder. If a player has further questios, or would like further explaatio he should cotact the supervisor. This ecourages the commuicatio process. The perso resposible, ormally the compay ower, is provided with comprehesive backgroud material to the 18 questios. Every employee i each of the compaies belogig to the associatio, receives a special game to keep as a remider of workplace health promotio. Coclusios A associatio such as VSSM is ivolved with may compaies so it is a ideal poit of cotact. The associatio ad its traiig cetres are already well kow ad recogised by the compaies. It is well placed to ivolve a large umber of SMEs ad for regioal VSSM staff to provide support ad assistace. Without this kid of backig, compaies ted to be reluctat to udertake reform, particularly whe there is o legal obligatio. Ideally, employee represetatives should ot oly support the project but take a active role. Everyoe ivolved i the project believes that the chose method is a positive way of brigig workplace health promotio to SMEs. However, the success ca oly be assessed after the implemetatio. Ivolvemet of both employer ad employee is essetial. Ivolvemet of experts such as idustrial psychologists ad marketig specialists is to be recommeded. Because the associatio structures ad decisio makig processes eed to be take ito cosideratio, all the activities take much loger tha they would i idividual compaies where ofte oly oe perso makes the decisios. 67
TITAN AG Liechtestei Tita AG is a automobile service busiess based i cetral Zurich. It is oe of the mai cotract parters to BMW Switzerlad AG ad recetly became the geeral importer of the ew BMW scooter. The compay is divided ito departmets, each with its ow head who reports to the director at weekly meetigs. Cotact: Swiss Accidet Isurace Istitute (SUVA) Volker Grässle Fluhmattstrasse 1 Postfach 6002 Luzer Phoe: +41 41 4196242 68 WHP fidig aswers Followig a workplace health promotio presetatio give by Suva (the Swiss accidet isurace istitute), the director of Tita AG cotacted the orgaisatio s experts. He felt that there was potetial to improve both the relatioship betwee employees ad maagemet s behaviour towards staff. Before settig a pla i motio Suva discussed the way the compay operated, its products ad philosophy, so that a sustaiable structure could be created. Although Suva provides support, ultimately the compay has to fuctio idepedetly. Suva s cotributio: Preparig ad supportig all meetigs relatig to the workplace health promotio project Establishig structures ad procedures for the itegratio of workplace health promotio Preparig ad ruig workshops i co-operatio with maagemet ad workig groups Providig support for the workig groups ad helpig to pla activities Idetifyig problems, settig targets ad evaluatig results Assessig the situatio via questioaires ad iterviews ad evaluatig the results before recommedig appropriate measures Supportig the measures ad moitorig them with regular assessmets ad evaluatio discussios with maagemet ad selected employees. The activities were carried out osite with a cosultat ad a traier. A idustrial psychologist ad a quality cosultat were available for cosultatio whe eeded. The traiig module team buildig ad iter-departmetal co-operatio was applied. Plaig the project Suva s programme ra as follows: Iformig maagemet about the project Iformig the etire staff about the project Appoitig a iteral workig group ad traiig a appropriate staff member as a mediator Drawig up a report usig a SALSA questioaire (salutogeic subjective workig aalysis) ad circulatig it to all employees Holdig a series of iterviews (fourtee i total), based o the questioaire Aalysig the results compiled by the workig groups
Compilig a list of improvemet measures with the workig group, prioritisig these ad suggestig them to the directors. Traslatig ideas ito actio Followig aalysis of the questioaires ad the iterviews ad havig looked at the priorities set out by the iteral workig group, the followig issues were idetified as eedig urget attetio: Iter-departmetal co-operatio Maagemet behaviour towards staff Persoal relatioships amog staff Iformatio policy Desig ad clealiess of the rest rooms A two day workshop atteded by maagemet aimed to fulfill a umber of further objectives too Itegratio of WHP measures ito compay policy Improvemet of supervisor ad maagemet leadership style Improvemet of iter-departmetal co-operatio Promotio of team spirit ad cooperatio. Efforts were also made to fid ways of itegratig workplace health promotio ito compay maagemet processes, redesigig work systems i the garages, itroducig the ew product (BMW scooter) ito the sales, service ad maiteace departmets ad establishig a publicity campaig to update all staff o the project s progress (mothly ewsletters ad a iformatio board i the cafeteria). Achievig the desired result The maagemet at Tita AG immediately pledged their support for Suva, havig already recogised the eed for improved staff relatioships. Suva s list of proposed improvemets was approved by maagemet ad the project was set i motio without delay. Before startig o each activity, the situatio at the outset was recorded ad idividual objectives idetified. A evaluatio took place every six moths so that progress could be assessed. Prelimiary results ad the respose from staff at all levels show that positive strides have bee made. The most sigificat beig a tagible improvemet i the workig atmosphere. The reactio to the implemeted WHP measures was positive too. Employees reported improved well-beig. However, it is too soo to tell if the project will be successful i the log-term. These results show that this is a effective method of itegratig workplace health promotio ito a SME. However, the success of the veture is depedet o a umber of crucial factors: the mediator ca oly fuctio effectively if the right perso is chose for the job; the whole project ca oly be successful if it becomes part of the daily fuctioig of a compay ad is wholeheartedly supported by the director. WHP a wider cotext Workplace health promotio is ot yet widely embraced. Its chaces of success are improved, as metioed earlier, if the ower or maager is co-operative ad supports the project. WHP is also more likely to be well received i a compay where positive persoal relatioships ad good verbal commuicatio already exist. At preset, Suva caot advertise its services for legal reasos. If workplace health promotio is to reach a wider circle of SMEs, a comprehesive advertisig campaig is eeded. A effective etwork is also essetial for the implemetatio ad itegratio of workplace health promotio. Suva idetified the followig key poits as prerequisites for success: For the mediator to successfully lead a iteral workig group he or she must feel a geuie commitmet to the task ad ot feel pressurised by maagemet. Maagemet should have a positive attitude to workplace health promotio, set a example ad give active support. Workplace health promotio should ot be regarded as a oeoff project. It eeds to be itegrated ito the structure of the compay if it is to be sustaiable. A expert orgaisatio has to be available for cosultatio ad regular cotact must be maitaied betwee the SME ad the experts. 69
Suva Liechtestei The Swiss accidet isurace istitute (Suva) is a fiacially idepedet o-profit makig orgaisatio employig 2203 people. The head office is i Lucere ad it has 22 agecies throughout Switzerlad. Suva isures aroud 1.74 millio employees i 106,367 compaies agaist occupatioal ad o-occupatioal accidets ad occupatioal illesses. Suva also provides accidet isurace to the 140,000 uemployed i Switzerlad. To support the orgaisatioal uits with awareess campaigs, traiig measures ad iformatio To optimise health promotio activities To develop health promotio models. Swiss Accidet Isurace Istitute (SUVA) Volker Grässle Fluhmattstrasse 1 Postfach 6002 Luzer Phoe: +41 41 4196242 Brigig i WHP I 1993, Suva decided to develop a strategy for itroducig workplace health promotio to the orgaisatio ad for providig specifically tailored advice o WHP for productio ad service eterprises. Suva started off by drawig up a framework programme to itegrate all 42 orgaisatioal uits ito the iteral health promotio project. The first pilot project was lauched at the ed of 1996 i a agecy with a staff of 130 ad five more followed i 1997. The success of these was evaluated by a exteral compay. Sice the, 26 of the 42 orgaisatios have become ivolved. Aims of the iteral WHP project: To eable the orgaisatioal uits to icorporate health promotio ito their daily workig lives Makig progress Each orgaisatioal uit ivolved i the project was classified as a small or medium sized eterprise ad give a budget of approximately CHF 22,000 (about 14,300 ) to carry out iitial measures ad to fiace exteral expertise where ecessary. For aalysis, implemetatio ad evaluatio purposes, each uit was dealt with autoomously. Workig towards solutios Two employees from each uit were traied as mediators. They led the team for the duratio of the project ad maitaied resposibility oce it had bee itegrated as a process. Workig groups were also set up. A SALSA (Salutogeic subjective workig aalysis by Schwager ad Udris) questioaire was used to assess the situatio. 70
Sample actio pla Activity ad aim: Assessmet of office ergoomics ad passig o of results to employees Improvig existig maagemet methods Helpig employees cope with stress Helpig employees to deal with coflict situatios Actio guidelies: Traiig two staff members i ergoomics Checkig the ergoomics of the office ifrastructure Eye test ad eye-pressure measurig for all PC users Traiig maagemet persoel i better techiques ad improvig commuicatio with employees Providig iformatio o stress ad helpig idividuals to ehace their persoal ability to maage stress Support from iteral/exteral expert Emphasise each employee s strog poits ad cotributio to the team. Improve positive commuicatio to create a happier workig atmosphere i the departmet already ejoyed good health, so there was o oticeable improvemet. Well-beig fared better... 42% of those questioed reported a improvemet i their wellbeig. This is a ecouragig result, as accordig to the WHO, well-beig is a importat elemet i health; it also correspods with the broad defiitio of health adopted by Suva. Brigig the health promotio philosophy to the workplace Approximately 85% of these were retured, which was a excellet result. Iterviews supplemeted the fidigs from the questioaire. It was therefore possible to produce both quatitative ad qualitative evidece. The workig groups aalysed this iformatio, idetified ad prioritised problems, drew up list of measures ad a time pla for implemetatio. Levels of success varied cosiderably from uit to uit, which was oly to be expected. Some employees are more willig tha others to commit to this type of project. Creatig healthy workig coditios Despite the fact that o occasios the project was too brief for cocrete measures to be itroduced, may employees reported a degree of improvemet i their workig coditios. However, it proved difficult to solve the problem of reducig the work load ad dealig with time pressure. Noetheless, creatig a better workig eviromet was a tremedous achievemet. It has to be oted that WHP issues ad the reality of the demads of the workig world are at odds with oe aother. This dilemma eeds to be resolved if WHP is to maitai credibility. Improvemet i health ad well-beig As far as health ad well-beig are cocered, Suva s expectatios were ot met. A mere 27% of the employees questioed thought that their health had improved sice the project bega. A possible reaso could be that the employees Greater emphasis is ow placed o psycho-social issues such as stress maagemet, team-spirit ad reducig the work load ad both staff ad employees are workig towards achievig this. The health promotio philosophy has bee take o board pretty much comprehesively ad oly a few people failed to uderstad the cocepts behid it. Almost 90% of the workforce are familiar with their health promotio cotact perso. With the groud work i place, further measures ca ow be put ito practice ad cosolidated o a log-term basis. However, oly 52% of the workforce have ever spoke to their supervisor about health matters ad oly 25% have come to a agreemet o a health objective withi the framework of the MBO (maagemet by objective). 71
CONRARDY Luxembourg CONRARDY furiture is a family owed busiess employig 15 people. All employees have log-term cotracts. A good workig relatioship has bee built up betwee the owers ad the staff. Schräierei Olivier Corardy Mr. Olivier Corardy (ower) 13, rue de l Idustrie L-3895 Foetz Phoe +352 55 79 61 E-mail: corardy@vo.lu A iclusive policy The ethos of the compay is to ivolve employees i the plaig ad decisio makig process to give them a sese of owership. All staff members meet o a weekly basis to discuss the plaig of the week ahead. These meetigs also provide a excellet opportuity for discussig ew ideas ad lookig at ways of improvig the site, for istace creatig a better system for storig stock, improvig equipmet ad creatig more effective work systems. Lookig after employees iterests It is importat to balace the demads of workig life with the eeds of employees. Beig flexible suits both the employer ad the staff. Oe example of flexibility workig for everyoe occurred durig a recet slack period. Staff were give the optio of takig upaid leave, although there was o pressure whatsoever o ayoe to do so. Four staff members chose to take extra leave. Whe the factory is very busy meetig large orders, staff are uder immese pressure. Ways of alleviatig stress have bee looked at carefully. Employees have the optio of workig overtime, deadlies are discussed with customers to see if these ca be exteded without causig icoveiece, sometimes extra workers are drafted i to spread the workload. Creatig a happy workig atmosphere Efforts are made to create a pleasat ad positive workig eviromet. Staff ted to be more motivated ad productive whe they feel that their wellbeig couts. Staff ejoy activities together outside the workplace. For istace, the compay orgaised moutai bike rides durig the summer. Other summer activities iclude log weekeds away where staff ejoy activities like sailig. Evets like these serve a dual purpose staff have a good time ad stregthe their persoal relatioships which subsequetly helps them work together more effectively as a team. Every Friday the plat shuts at luchtime, so employees have the beefit of a exteded weeked break. At the ed of each workig year, a party is laid o for staff. 72
Traiig ad qualificatios The compay is committed to improvig staff skills. The ower atteds semiars ad there is ogoig traiig for all staff members too. Specialist istructors are brought i to teach correct liftig techiques whe movig heavy loads. This is carried out uder the authority of the govermet accidet isurace orgaisatio Associatio d Assuraces cotre les Accidets (AAA). There is also a commitmet to the cotiuous improvemet of workig coditios (icludig upgradig equipmet) ad work flow. This area is looked at regularly ad a umber of improvemets have bee made. Workig equipmet Efforts are made to esure that the workig equipmet is i good order. Improvemets have bee made to the storage racks to make product hadlig easier ad to avoid excessive strai; liftig equipmet has also bee itroduced to cut dow muscular-skeletal problems. health ad safety services is provided ad iformatio is gathered through specialist magazies, exhibitios ad via the media. A risk assessmet booklet writte by the AAA is give to every worker whe he or she starts the job. There is o statutory requiremet to supply persoal protective equipmet, but the ower covers 50% of such costs. Tropical hardwood is t used i the compay s maufacturig processes because of the evirometal impact of usig this kid of raw material How are health ad safety related behaviour patters dealt with? Smokers have the right to tobacco breaks, oe i the morig ad aother i the afteroo. Six workers decided to stop smokig o their ow volitio, but with ecouragemet from the compay. Problems with alcohol are dealt with i a ope ad hoest way. Three staff members had drik related problems ad both the ower ad their co-workers helped them through their difficulties. Specific welfare related activities Employee satisfactio goes hadi-had with good health. It is also clear that a good workig atmosphere is good for busiess. While welfare measures cost moey, these are more tha outweighed by the beefits. Customer satisfactio is also crucial to the success of the compay. Customers opiios are sought ad heeded. If ay complaits are received these are reported immediately ad dealt with. Complaits are very ifrequet though. Better health better busiess Geerally speakig, employees ejoy good health. There is very little occupatioal illess ad abseteeism is low. Health ad welfare related activities have improved busiess results. Resposibility for OHS matters ad evirometal issues The etire team shares the resposibility for OHS matters ad traiig is give. Access to relevat The ower of the busiess has a strog social cosciece ad is cocered with the welfare of staff. Good employee health is ot looked at purely from a physical poit of view, but also i terms of wellbeig ad job satisfactio. 73
SUDGAZ Luxembourg SUDGAZ is a eergy distributio compay supplyig atural gas. The regioal muicipalities, 15 i total, are shareholders i the compay. A staff of 62 all have log-term cotracts. SUDGAZ rus a traiig iitiative aimed at itroducig youg people to the workplace. The studets work o site. The maager is well aware that brigig studets to the workplace is a time-cosumig process, but feels that this is good practice ad is of cosiderable beefit to the youg people i the area. A valued workforce respected they are more motivated ad productive. He ecourages staff to participate i leisure activities such as bike rides, football, teis ad table teis. Ejoyig social evets together helps staff to bod. Some staff members also take part i the Europea bicycle ride orgaised by the Iteratioal Gas Cogress, ad held every three years. This also cotributes to the social cohesio of the workforce. The director is kee to make employees feel that they are a itegral part of the compay. To improve commuicatios ad establish strog persoal relatioships, he tours the site o a daily basis. Workers are ecouraged to make suggestios, these are approved by maagemet ad implemeted swiftly. There are times whe work ca become stressful. If staff are uder extreme pressure, work is carried out by subcotractors. Achievig better workig coditios ad improvig safety Sice safety issues have bee uder the spotlight, the accidet rate has dropped dramatically. A umber of measures have bee itroduced to improve workers daily lives. These iclude: purchase of a special device similar to a liftig-beam for movig gas-pipes; provisio of wet weather gear with itegrated fire-protectio ad fluorescet stripes for all staff, alog with the provisio of safety helmets. SUDGAZ Mr. Jo Simo, Director B.P. 383 L - 4004 Esch-sur-Alzette Phoe: +352 55 66 55-22 (secretary) E-mail: cotact@sudgaz.lu 74 Creatig a positive work eviromet The director is well aware that a positive workig atmosphere is a vital part of a successful busiess. Whe staff feel appreciated ad The compay s task-force egies have bee improved, oe vehicle operates like a o-site office ad carries comprehesive diagrams idicatig the locatio of pipelies. Safety measures relatig to gas leak detectio have bee
upgraded. Gas leak detectio devices are o loger carried by the operator but trasported o a secure two-wheel system. All old gas meters are beig replaced ad a policy of reewig meters every te years has bee brought i. Prevetive traiig ad first aid istructio relatig to gas leaks is give to all subcotractors ad to all excavator operators employed by the costructio compaies. Upo completio of traiig each idividual is give a certificate ad a idetity card carryig importat phoe umbers i. e. emergecy services; a special sticker is also attached to the operator s excavator. This meas that legitimate, fully-traied operators ca be recogised at a glace durig routie site checks. Office based staff ejoy the beefits of a moder, spacious workig eviromet. Employees are ecouraged to persoalise their work space with posters, radios etc. Resposibility for OHS matters The compay meets the required occupatioal health ad safety stadards. A staff member has bee appoited to oversee health ad safety measures at the plat ad o costructio sites. The sites where licesed excavator operators work are ispected regularly. Due to the expasio of the city, the plat is ow located i a busy area. A clear delieatio betwee the workig uit ad the pavemet has bee established to prevet accidets. Dealig with health ad safety related behaviour patters All employees are certified as osmokers a fact vouched for i their employmet cotracts. The compay operates a policy for reitegratig the log-term sick ito the workplace. This policy was implemeted both for compassioate reasos ad to keep skilled workers withi the compay. The costs of rehabilitatig staff are less tha those ivolved i traiig ew people. Valued members of staff also make a cotributio that caot be assessed i direct fiacial terms. A satisfied ad healthy workforce It is importat to make workers feel as though they matter to the compay. Persoalised offices give staff a sese of belogig ad help them feel as though their idividuality couts. Team logos o delivery vas serve a similar purpose. Compay activities ivolvig all workers help create better team work. Employees are satisfied at SUDGAZ, a fact reflected i the low staff turover. Compared to the other three similar compaies operatig i the coutry, SUDGAZ employees are i particularly good health. Keepig the customer happy The compay is committed to providig a high stadard of customer care. Very few complaits are received, idicatig that this policy is payig off. Makig plas for the future The compay plas to repeat the first-aid traiig programme carried out i 1998 i order to refresh participats memories ad update skills. The fire brigades i all the muicipalities ivolved i the regioal gas-supply-et will receive further traiig too. 75
Maiso Steffe Luxembourg Maiso Steffe is a family-owed butcher s eterprise employig 25 people 18 me ad seve wome. All employees have log-term cotracts. Quality ad customer satisfactio is a priority. A serious fiacial ivestmet has bee made i order to achieve the highest possible stadards. Maiso Frak Steffe Boucher-charcutier Mr. Frak Steffe (ower) 8, route d Arlo L - 8410 Steifort Phoe: +352 39 96 50-1 E-mail: steffef@pt.lu 76 Improvig health ad wellbeig The employees feel that they are part of the busiess as they are brought ito the plaig ad decisio makig process. Every week staff meet for a briefig ad twice a year all staff meet up to discuss a wide variety of work issues. These meetigs are ope ad iformal so that staff feel able to make a cotributio. Good commuicatio chaels are cosidered to be essetial ad staff ca approach the ower at ay time if they are experiecig difficulties. Good workig relatioships are importat too, ad these are maitaied by effective coflict maagemet techiques ad by ecouragig a sese of camaraderie ad team spirit. Everyoe eats breakfast together, for example. This commual meal is provided by the compay ad icludes healthy optios such as freshly squeezed juice. The employer takes the trouble to accommodate staff eeds withi the busy work schedule. I cases of extreme work overload, a cliet s order might be refused to avoid excessive pressure beig placed o the staff. A umber of other small but importat gestures cotribute to the staff feelig valued, for istace providig a laudry service for dirty work clothes. Cotiuous upgradig of skills The compay believes that traiig should be ogoig ad that broadeig staff skills is a cotributory factor to a successful busiess. The staff skills base is maitaied ad improved via aual traiig schemes. This traiig takes place iterally, however, the compay has take part i the LEONARDO project traiig as a strategic tool for busiess developmet. Creatig better workig coditios Workers are cosulted about their workig eviromet ad ay problems they experiece with it. Steps are take to address the issues brought up by employees ad a umber of improvemets have bee made as a result. These iclude purchase of adjustable tables that ca be altered to suit idividual eeds ad trolleys for trasportig heavy loads. Aother measure brought i to cut dow
the risk of muscular-skeletal problems was a overhead crae system for liftig heavy goods. Stairs have bee replaced with ramps to make trasportatio of produce easier. The employer has also purchased persoal protective equipmet for all staff. Meetig occupatioal health ad safety obligatios The compay meets statutory requiremets o OHS ad access to relevat services is provided for all workers. Whe idividuals start work they are give a iformatio file o OHS matters relatig specifically to their professio. A exteral audit is carried out twice a moth by a veteriary surgeo. A variety of measures beyod those required by law are also implemeted. I order to protect the health of employees, smokig is baed i the commual diig area. The compay s efforts o behalf of staff resulted i its beig omiated for a Good Practice Award 2000. The beefits of carig for staff The compay believes that takig prevetive actio where health is cocered cotributes towards prosperity. A happy, healthy workforce is a productive oe. Iitial fiacial outlay is more tha repaid by log-term beefits such as low abseteeism ad high productivity. Because staff are well looked after ad feel valued, turover is low too. I 2001 four staff members will be give a gold watch to mark te years of employmet with the compay. Guarateeig customer satisfactio I a busiess like this customer satisfactio is of immese importace. Customers are very happy with the service they are gettig ad appreciate that such great emphasis is placed o high quality, however their satisfactio is ever take for grated. Should a complait be received, it is take very seriously ad is dealt with immediately. The compay believes strogly that it caot flourish if the eeds of its employees ad customers are igored. Improvig health Although the employees ejoy very good health ad abseteeism is low, the compay makes a poit of lookig at ways i which health ad well-beig ca be improved. Like traiig, maitaiig health is a ogoig process ad the compay caot afford to be complacet. The compay is coviced that a healthy, motivated workforce makes a ivaluable cotributio to the cotiued success of the busiess. Developig plas for the future The busiess has grow eormously sice it was set up more tha a decade ago. At the start the ower ad oe parter ra the etire operatio, ow the compay employs 25 people. Lack of space has become a major problem with the expasio of the busiess, so there are plas to move to a sophisticated, moder ad spacious plat as soo as possible. 77
BGZ Wegvervoer Netherlad BGZ Wegvervoer (Road trasport) is a itermediary orgaisatio dedicated to improvig workig coditios ad creatig better health policies i road trasport compaies i The Netherlads. Nearly 5000 compaies (85% of trasport compaies) with approximately 100.000 employees buy their occupatioal health care via a collective cotract with BGZ Wegvervoer s occupatioal health services. The majority of these compaies are SMEs. teeism ad improvig workplace health promotio. It icludes idetificatio of factors that might cotribute to log-term ill-health, orgaisig cousellig ad rehabilitatio for sick employees ad, if rehabilitatio is t possible, fidig aother suitable job for that perso. BGZ Wegvervoer Ms Marijke va Hemert Postbus 221 NL - 2800 AE Gouda Phoe : +31-182-580 266 E-mail: project@bgz.l 78 Itroducig better services Besides co-ordiatig occupatioal health ad workplace health promotio, BGZ Wegvervoer recogises the importace of assessig the success of implemeted measures. As these measures eed to have a practical applicatio i the real world, resources have bee allocated for moitorig ad evaluatio. Buildig better relatioships BGZ Wegvervoer is determied to ecourage better co-operatio betwee the parties ivolved i occupatioal health ad workplace health promotio. Relevat parties iclude trasport compaies (both employers ad employees) ad the regioal occupatioal health services. Lauch of the complete package A ew ad uique package for improvig workig coditios was itroduced i Jauary 2000. It adopts a more proactive approach to reducig (log-term) abse- Compaies are also offered a o demad package where each activity is paid for separately this optio teds to be favoured by larger compaies. However, early 85% opt for the complete package. Provisio of additioal services BGZ Wegvervoer provides a special service desk to aswer queries from compaies, employees ad occupatioal health services. There is also a website providig iformatio o a variety of topics icludig service packages ad special courses for compaies ad their employees. BGZ Wegvervoer also develops specific material such as occupatioal health policies ad abseteeism maagemet plas. A occupatioal health & safety checklist for road trasport compaies has also bee developed for busiesses with fewer tha 15 employees.
Occupatioal health awards From time to time BGZ Wegvervoer presets awards to compaies with good occupatioal health ad health promotio policies. The Healthier o the go ewsletter BGZ Wegvervoer produces a bimothly ewsletter called Healthier o the go. This magazie is distributed to all road trasport compaies, occupatioal health services, roadside cafes used by drivers, associated orgaisatios ad to the home addresses of all member orgaisatio employees (100.000). The ewsletter covers developmets i health ad safety ad workplace health promotio as well as issues such as ergoomic tests o truck cabs. Other valuable services Road Trasport iformatio system Data relatig to occupatioal health ad workplace health promotio (for example reportig rates of sickess ad retur to work) are fed ito the computer iformatio system (WIS). The data are statistically aalysed by BGZ Wegvervoer ad made available to members uder the coditios imposed by privacy regulatios. Traiig courses A umber of maagemet traiig courses are orgaised o a broad spectrum of topics. Prevetive health issues are covered extesively. Compay research Research has bee carried out o stress i road trasport ad problems related to workig with cotaiers, pallet trucks ad trasport of livestock. Pilot projects are ruig i a umber of compaies. WHP uder the spotlight BGZ Wegvervoer is placig icreasig emphasis o workplace health promotio i additio to its existig work i occupatioal health. Regioal maagers are resposible for buildig up relatioships with trasport compaies ad occupatioal health services. These regioal maagers ecourage compaies to discuss their eeds ad to itroduce improvemets to the workig eviromet. Demad for workplace health promotio is growig as busiesses become icreasigly aware of the costs of ill-health. Educatio ad traiig BGZ Wegvervoer recogises that good commuicatio with employees is essetial. A umber of presetatios is orgaised throughout the coutry ad efforts are made to esure that meetigs are easily accessible. Reduced rates are offered to members for all traiig activities. Traiig of experts Thaks to the special course for occupatioal health workers orgaised by the Netherlads School of Occupatioal Health i associatio with BGZ Wegvervoer, the focus o workplace health promotio i road trasport has icreased. Extesive research Several methods are used to assess the success of BGZ Wegvervoer s approach. Every two years employers ad employees are asked to fill i a questioaire about the activities ad services provided by the orgaisatio. I-depth research is carried out to assess the success of BGZ s programmes. The approach developed by BGZ Wegvervoer has attracted iterest from orgaisatios outside the trasport sector. The Miistry of Social Affairs ad Employmet has commissioed a study to fid out if this approach is trasferable to other sectors. Durig 2001 methods of tacklig stress will be looked at. These will be tailored to suit the specific eeds of idividual compaies. Large-scale research has bee carried out i various trasport compaies ad BGZ Wegvervoer has developed a umber of traiig programmes as a result. Adoptig a practical approach to occupatioal health ad workplace health promotio alog with implemetig a structured policy for rehabilitatio ad prevetio of abseteeism has produced positive results. Health awareess i the trasport ad road trasport idustry is icreasig ad with it a demad for workplace health promotio. 79
Social parters i the motor vehicle ad two-wheeler brach Netherlad The Bedrijsraad ( compay coucil ) for the motor idustry is the cosultative body ad commuicatio platform of employers orgaisatios BOVAG ad NCBRM ad the uios FNV Bodgeote, CNV Bedrijvebod ad De Uie. This cosultative body oversees workig coditios, safety ad well-beig at work for 12.000 employers ad 84.000 employees i car ad truck dealerships, petrol statios, car wash compaies, car retal compaies, carava ad trailer compaies, salvage compaies, motor repair compaies ad bicycle ad motorcycle compaies. The majority of these eterprises are SMEs. A icreased awareess of WHP SMEs rarely make full use of occupatioal health services. A collective agreemet makes it easier to develop a tailor-made service better suited to SMEs. BOVAG has developed a system ivolvig three differet occupatioal health services that brigs i tailor-made health promotio optios alogside primary occupatioal health care. Nearly 40% of its members subscribe to this system. compay coucil therefore decided to orgaise the Occupatioal health care, take it seriously campaig (1998-2000). A log-term approach was adopted with the aim of icreasig awareess about workig coditios ad health promotio. A actio pla was based o the results of questioaires set to employers ad employees. Makig chages for the better Cotact: Bedrijfsraad voor het Motorvoertuigebedrijf (Works Coucil for Motor vehicle compaies) Ms Machteld Nieswaag P.O. Box 1100 NL - 3980 DC Buik Phoe: +31-30-659 53 14 E-mail: mieswaag@bedrijfsraad.l 80 As a result of these idustry specific measures, awareess of WHP has grow ad employers ad employees i the motor vehicle ad motorcycle sector are takig a more active iterest i health ad well-beig tha ever before. Developig WHP Research has revealed that oly 30% of busiesses have carried out a risk-evaluatio ad risk ivetory somethig they are legally obliged to do. A campaig ecouragig compaies to carry out a workig coditios checklist was ot very successful either. The A exteral orgaisatio was commissioed to develop the campaig. Four areas were sigled out for attetio ad James Bod imagery used to highlight them: Dagerous substaces: (uder the headig Not for your eyes oly ). Drawig attetio to the safe use ad disposal of solvets, petrol, battery acid ad coolats. Exteral factors: (uder the headig Cold figers ). This looked at the work eviromet icludig elemets such as temperature, draughts, lightig ad oise.
Pressure of work ad physical strai: (uder the headig Dr Yes/ Dr No ). This looked at both metal ad physical stresses ad strais. Safety (physical ad psychological): (uder the headig You oly live oce ). Lookig at safety i the workplace ad well-beig. Special meetigs for employers ad employees were orgaised ad prited material distributed. Materials developed icluded a recogisable logo, a video, five leaflets ad a CD-ROM for both employers ad employees, iformatio packages relatig to each of the four categories listed above, posters ad stickers, educatioal material for use i traiig courses, press releases ad prizes for the best idea for creatig a healthier work eviromet. A evaluatio study was also commissioed. this sector). Checklist for workig coditios The compay coucil has developed two special checklists for the motor vehicle ad motorcycle idustry. Tools for carryig out risk ivetory ad risk evaluatio have bee developed for car ad truck dealers, petrol statios, car wash compaies, car retal compaies, carava ad trailer compaies, salvage compaies, motor repair compaies ad bicycle ad motorcycle compaies. Evaluatio A survey was carried out to assess the respose to the campaig, the use of the checklist ad the role of occupatioal health services. Oe importat stride forward was idetified: sice the campaig bega the umber of compaies carryig out risk ivetories ad evaluatio has icreased sigificatly. Lookig for further improvemets The compay coucil believes that there is still much room for improvemet i workig coditios ad workplace health promotio i the motor ad motor-cycle idustry. The first step is for all compaies to fulfill their legal obligatios, therefore brigig occupatioal health ito the quality ad evirometal policy of their eterprises. The campaig has see some successes however. As it provided practical solutios specific to idividual eeds it was relevat to may orgaisatios. As a result recogitio of the eed for a health policy has clearly icreased withi the idustry ad the umber of compaies carryig out a risk ivetory ad evaluatio has also goe up. There is a great deal more opeess towards discussio of workig coditios ad wellbeig at work. Nevertheless, it is still a real challege to get SMEs iterested i workplace health promotio ad to keep that iterest goig. The compay coucil has decided to cotiue with the campaig ad develop it further as the respose has bee receptive ad further work eeds to be doe. Further developmets Regioal meetigs Special meetigs were orgaised for staff by the employer ad employee orgaisatios. All employees received a persoal ivitatio to these meetigs. Each of the four areas outlied above were discussed i depth. Traiig schedules The campaig has bee itegrated ito the traiig schedule of INNOVAM (a traiig istitute for 81
Motorhuis Leide Netherlad Motorhuis Leide is a middle-sized eterprise which has itegrated workplace health promotio ad occupatioal health care ito its quality ad social policy. Developig huma potetial ad developig mutual trust betwee employees ad maagemet is a priority. As a result abseteeism rates due to sickess have bee low for may years ad employees are very loyal to the compay. The compay geerally iitiates health policies but is very grateful for the support of the Compay Coucil for Motor Vehicles ad Arboed (the occupatioal health service). The beefits of a carig policy Motorhuis Leide believes that ivestig i people, maitaiig good commuicatio chaels ad developig soud health policies makes good busiess sese. Het Motorhuis Mr Sta vd Maarel Postbus 44 NL - 2300 AA Leide Phoe: +31 71 535 18 00 E-mail: leide@motorhuis.l How the busiess operates The Motorhuis group has a decetralised orgaisatioal structure made up of idepedet workig compaies which are resposible for their ow busiess success. The group employs 850 people spread over 10 locatios. The busiess described here is based i Leide. Motorhuis Leide deals primarily i Opel cars but also has a iterest i America vehicles. It employs 200 people, some of them o a part-time basis. I additio to sellig ew ad specialised vehicles, the compay sells spare parts ad has a garage for maiteace ad repair ad a car wash. There is also a sales ad admiistratio office. Ecoomically, the compay is very successful ad has expaded over the last few years. Motorhuis has a log traditio of ecouragig a very huma work culture. Maagemet tries to be very ope ad is axious to esure that employees feel ivolved i all aspects of the orgaisatio. It has worked hard to create a atmosphere of mutual respect ad trust. Itroducig successful measures A effective iteral commuicatio system has bee developed. Good formal ad iformal commuicatio chaels are i place ad the maagers are very approachable. The compay has a very active staff associatio which orgaises activities for employees. A iteral computer etwork is curretly i developmet. A staff magazie called Het koppel (The lik) is produced 5 times a year. 82
Opel Netherlads itroduced a motivatioal programme i 1995 called Opel Differece which focuses o quality ad optimal customer service. Withi this programme attetio is paid to workig coditios ad workplace health promotio. The compay attempts to balace the demads of the job with workers well-beig ad satisfactio. Employees are ecouraged to ehace their skills ad are give extesive traiig opportuities. As great emphasis is placed o persoal resposibility ad decisio-makig, special motivatioal ad traiig programmes are offered to employees so that they ca further their persoal developmet. Motorhuis Leide employs a occupatioal health co-ordiator who meets up regularly with occupatioal health co-ordiators from the other ie establishmets. The compay has a writte policy statemet for occupatioal health care, makes aual occupatioal health care plas ad fulfils all legal requiremets. The compay ofte makes the first move regardig ew ad improved health policies but is also extremely grateful for the support provided by the Compay Coucil for Motor Vehicles i developig these policies. Support from the OHS service Arboed has proved ivaluable ad the occupatioal health doctor has also made a very importat cotributio. All the above have played their part i the compay s low rates of abseteeism due to sickess (which are much lower tha those of similar busiesses i the same idustry). Positive results Tremedous emphasis has bee placed o occupatioal health care ad health promotio as well as carig for the metal health ad well-beig of employees. A carig compay culture ad approachable, employee-orieted maagemet structure is see as beig vital to the success of the busiess. Staff display great loyalty to the compay, to the extet that several employees who left to take up other jobs have sice retured to their old posts. I 1999 ad 2000 a great deal of work was carried out to improve occupatioal health care ad workplace health promotio. Prior to this, research was coducted i a umber of areas, for istace, oise levels were measured i all workshops ad potetial risk factors i usig solvets looked at. All the recommedatios made were acted upo. Every employee is give the opportuity to visit the local hospital for a health check. Cosultatios about work, work satisfactio ad traiig are carried out regularly ad talkig about persoal health is part of this. Motorhuis Leide gives people the chace to develop by givig them resposibility ad by providig focused traiig programmes ad courses. Employees are ecouraged to voice their opiios. Whe people leave the compay the reasos for this are looked at. The very huma, iteractive approach adopted by Motorhuis Leide has reaped divideds i fiacial terms, the compay is very successful ad profitable. As a result further health iitiatives are plaed alog with a greater emphasis o health promotio measures, such as makig the compay a smoke-free zoe. 83
NHO Norway The Cofederatio of Norwegia Busiess ad Idustry (NHO) was established i 1989. Its aim is to improve workig coditios ad develop opportuities for all member eterprises ad to foster ecoomic growth. Cotact: Mr. Odd Bjørstad Natioal Istitute of Occupatioal Health Gydas vei 8 pb 8149 Dep N - 0033 Oslo Phoe: +47 23 19 51 00 E-Mail: odd.bjorstad@stami.o 84 NHO is made up of 15,800 member orgaisatios. Most are small eterprises 91 per cet have fewer tha 50 employees ad may of them are family owed. More tha half of NHO members (52 per cet) come from service idustries such as tourism, crafts, media ad research. The others (48 per cet) are from idustries like oil ad buildig. Goals ad strategies NHO is workig towards: Puttig the spotlight o health, safety ad the eviromet Raisig politicias awareess of workig life i small busiesses Reducig the burde of red tape Securig more flexible workig arragemets The NHO s Workig Eviromet Fud Aually, NHO s Workig Eviromet Fud grats up to 40 millio NOK to support projects aimig to improve the work eviromet i Norwegia busiess ad idustry. It is stressed that the experieces made from the projects will be spread out to other eterprises ad busiesses that may fid them useful. NHO claims that the fud will icreasigly stress projects emphasisig the importace of the workplace as a positive health promoter. NHO Projects NHO rus a umber of projects i cojuctio with the authorities, research istitutios ad trade uios. Examples of these iclude: EGA-DUA This is a joit project betwee NHO ad the Norwegia Federatio of Trade Uios (LO). Emphasis is placed o ivolvig employees i the day to day ruig of the busiess ad results show that staff take a active iterest i how the busiess operates. A great iterest has also bee show i creatig a health promotig work eviromet ad good quality productio processes. Good health makes good busiess This project looked at how effective, relevat HES (Health, Eviromet ad Safety) could be brought to SMEs. 60 small busiesses took part i the project ad methods of tailorig HES to the eeds of small orgaisatios were developed. Reducig sick leave (SYPRAS) The focus here was o reducig abseteeism ad improvig wellbeig ad productivity. Busiesses from four differet fields worked together to idetify best practice.
HES work i the federatios The Workig Eviromet Fud fiaces HES cosultats withi the federatios. Together the federatios ad the HES cosultats work to create a better ad more health promotig work eviromet i the member orgaisatios. The followig activities are beig carried out: Natioal Federatio of Norwegia Fish ad Aquaculture Idustries (FHL) This orgaisatio represets 542 members. It looks after their iterests relatig to trade policy, wages, workig coditios ad HES. Several cocrete projects ad iitiatives are take i the field of multicultural work eviromet i the fishig idustry, establishmet of eviromet committees, EGA- DUA projects icludig four eterprises ad a joit HES project i Båtsfjord ivolvig seve pilot eterprises. Norwegia Hospitality Associatio (RBL) The Norwegia Hospitality Associatio (RBL) is the uifyig orgaisatio for eterprises withi the Norwegia hospitality sector. RBL has approximately 2,250 members with a total of close to 50,000 employees. 96 per cet of the member eterprises have less tha 50 employees - 85 per cet have less tha 20 employees. I several projects they are workig out guidelies ad iformatio focusig o how to perform a good practice regardig the work eviromet. Federatio of Norwegia Buildig Idustries (BNL) BNL looks after approximately 3,000 member orgaisatios. About a third have less tha five employees. BNL employs three HES cosultats who have extesive experiece i health, safety, the eviromet ad quality assurace ad ca help member eterprises with advice o how to make HES work ad how to achieve good results from it ad guidace o occupatioal health services ad HES legislatio. Federatio of Norwegia Food ad Drik Idustry (NBL) NBL orgaises cofereces, rus projects, offers cosultacy ad prepares ad sells various HES material. The relatioship betwee the workig eviromet ad sick leave is oe of the most pressig issues it deals with. Valuable ad productive projects May of the projects have used HES as a tool for improvig competitiveess. Good health ad a good workig eviromet are importat factors i icreasig productivity ad profitability. There is also a potetial for makig cosiderable savigs by improvig HES stadards. NHO stresses the importace of idetifyig effective measures ad passig this iformatio o to as may of the member orgaisatios as possible. SMEs ofte experiece problems i hadlig vast amouts of red tape. May projects have addressed this ad work is i progress to develop simpler systems for SMEs. The EGA-DUA project, which NHO ad the Norwegia Federatio of Trade Uios are workig together o, ivolves 25 eterprises i differet busiess areas. The project focuses o ways of makig work more health promotig. Reachig SMEs The workload is heavy i most SMEs ad employees are used to shoulderig resposibility ad performig a umber of roles. I order that employees feel ecouraged to participate actively i projects, they must be realistic ad meaigful ad the aims have to be credible. It is importat to develop idividual solutios that suit idividual eterprises. WHP i SMEs: lookig to the future NHO wats to prioritise iitiatives that emphasise the workplace as a health promotig area. It is of major importace to pass o good iitiatives so that other busiesses ca beefit from them. Examples of positive iitiatives iclude: Developig methods of helpig older employees to remai i employmet as log as possible Helpig employees o log-term sick leave to retur to the workplace wherever possible rather tha havig to rely o beefits Developig workplace iitiatives that will beefit employees both physically ad metally via idividual ad orgaisatioal adjustmets. 85
The Crisis Cetre i Fredrikstad Norway The crisis cetre i Fredrikstad provides a have for wome ad childre sufferig domestic violece ad is part of a etwork of shelters established 21 years ago. Advice ad support is offered, but the emphasis is o helpig people to help themselves. The cetre has a staff of 12. It also operates a 24-hour telephoe service. Cotact: Mr. Odd Bjørstad Natioal Istitute of Occupatioal Health Gydas vei 8 pb 8149 Dep N - 0033 Oslo Phoe: +47 23 19 51 00 E-Mail: odd.bjorstad@stami.o 86 Like most crisis cetres, this oe is ru by a private orgaisatio as a subsidiary to public services. Half the fudig comes from the state ad the rest of the budget from the muicipalities of Fredrikstad ad Hvaler. Domestic violece i Norway I 1998, 51 crisis cetres had 2.200 wome ad 17.000 childre through their doors totallig some 80.000 overight stays. I additio to providig a safe house for sufferers of domestic abuse, these shelters try to address the geder bias that legitimises domestic ad sexual violece. Workplace health promotio i the crisis cetre Providig support for traumatised wome ad childre ca be very demadig for staff at the shelter. They are costatly dealig with people whose situatio is desperate ad have to face the challege of turig despair ito somethig positive. For staff to be able to cope with the huge demads placed upo them, they too have to feel urtured. Staff welfare is a major cocer ad the cetre works hard to create a supportive structure. The Fredrikstad cetre is owed ad ru by the Blue Cross Fredrikstad ad is a member of the Norwegia Associatio of Crisis Cetres. It also belogs to a employers orgaisatio, the Federatio of Commercial ad Service Eterprises. Employees wages ad workig coditios are fixed accordig to curret agreemets. Developig effective workig relatioships A ope workig eviromet ad close co-operatio betwee staff is essetial if a high stadard of care is to be provided for abused wome ad childre. I a sesitive eviromet such as this, a good rapport betwee staff is vital. Staff meetigs are held every moth. Everyoe cotributes to the discussios o the ruig of the cetre ad how thigs ca be developed i the future. This helps create a sese of owership amog employees that is so importat to a small operatio where every perso couts. Work is also divided democratically so that everyoe has to do their fair share of good
ad bad jobs. The crisis cetre is a progressive orgaisatio ad staff are ecouraged to ehace ad update their skills. Meetig employees eeds Two years ago, as part of a traiig course, the shelter maager had to ask employees to give a evaluatio of the shelter s maagerial style ad how this could be improved upo. Staff said that they wated to feel recogised ad valued ad have their opiios listeed to. These requests were respoded to, with good results. Employees are looked after i a umber of ways, for example: If someoe is havig problems i their private life they are offered advice or therapy. Chages i the work schedule ad workload ca also be arraged to ease the burde. Cosideratio ad thoughtfuless are importat too. If someoe is ill they are set flowers ad get well cards. Followig sick leave staff are eased back ito the workplace getly. Developig a relatioship with the commuity The crisis cetre is ru from a private house i a residetial area. Geerally speakig, people are sceptical of havig a crisis cetre o their doorstep, but i this case eighbourly relatios are excellet. The cetre has made a poit of ivolvig the commuity ad has ivited everyoe i the area to a discussio sessio. The cetre is very active i terms of raisig awareess about domestic violece ad creatig a better uderstadig of this issue. Awareess campaigs also serve as a marketig tool, alertig wome to the cetre s existece, so that they kow where to tur whe the situatio at home becomes uteable. A good relatioship has also bee developed with the press ad the cetre s work is ofte highlighted i a positive way. Cotact has bee established with the police as well as with the casualty departmet at the hospital. Lectures o domestic violece ad the cetre s work have bee give to both the above ad practical experiece is offered to traiee social workers, police officers ad urses as well as pupils from the local comprehesive school. A leaflet has also bee produced for survivors of violece ad their families. Occupatioal Health ad Safety The cetre has a arragemet with a security firm called Securitas, so that help is at had if a situatio becomes hostile. There is also a fire alarm system with a direct coectio to the Fire Brigade. The cetre is coected to the local occupatioal health service, Volvat OHS, ad receives advice o developig a health promotig workig eviromet. Results The crisis cetre is a small operatio with limited fiacial resources. The cetre leader works hard to create a orgaisatioal culture that promotes health ad safety for everyoe. A carig atmosphere has bee developed ad staff kow that they ca expect support if the work becomes too stressful or whe problems arise i their private life. Despite the pressures iheret i this work, the cetre has made positive strides i promotig good health for both the wome ad childre who use its services ad for employees. Staff turover is very low which is surprisig give the demadig ature of the work ad the fairly low status it has withi society. Employees also take great resposibility ad pride i the way the shelter operates. The cetre is highly regarded by sufferers of domestic violece ad is see as a safe have. No formal evaluatio of the crisis cetre has bee carried out, but these idicators show that this cetre is a health promotig orgaisatio both for the wome who eed help, ad for the employees. 87
Båtsfjord a society of good practice Norway The fishig commuity of Båtsfjord has formed a co-operative society where all the busiesses (ad the local authority) have joied forces to secure the village s ecoomic developmet ad prosperity. The commuity faces eormous challeges as export markets are far away ad rural depopulatio has created a mapower problem. A supportive structure Aims ad objectives The village of Båtsfjord makes a sigificat cotributio to Norway s fishig idustry. Although all the busiesses that operate from here are i competitio, they ackowledge that they all eed to pull together for the greater good. Joit services have bee set up: a occupatioal health service, a refrigeratio plat (a vital asset as o sigle busiess could afford to set up this kid of operatio), a traiig cetre ad Fishet, a facility for lookig at IT opportuities. Båtsfjordbruket AS Båtsfjordbruket AS aims to: Develop ad maitai a safe ad health promotig workplace, a good workig eviromet ad to take evirometal cosideratios o board Achieve prosperity with high quality productio processes ad a top class product Be flexible ad adaptable to esure future prosperity. The busiess is up-to-date with all statutory requiremets withi productio ad process maagemet ad will cotiue to make improvemets i the future. Cotact: Mr. Odd Bjørstad Natioal Istitute of Occupatioal Health Gydas vei 8 pb 8149 Dep N - 0033 Oslo Phoe: +47 23 19 51 00 E-Mail: odd.bjorstad@stami.o Båtsfjordbruket AS is a SME withi the fishig idustry etwork. Established i the late 19th cetury, it was moderised extesively i 1981, with a further 15 millio NOK (about 1,8 millio ) ivested durig the 90s to keep the busiess at the cuttig edge. This ivestmet paid off ad the compay has ejoyed tremedous prosperity i recet years. The demads of the job Each year the eterprise buys about 5 millio kilos of raw materials. The fish is the filleted ad 90 per cet of it exported to Europea ad US markets. Almost 50 per cet of the staff work o filletig. This is skilled work ad demadig i terms of the speed required to keep up with productio, but it is also mootoous, repetitive work that 88