“You should be afraid not of inspections, but of ending up in a pool of blood”: what is the real situation with labor safety in Latvia 0 4

According to Zarina, although the number of fatal accidents has slightly decreased, the overall situation resembles a "stagnant state," where there is movement but no progress in reducing the number of incidents.

Fatal workplace accidents most often occur in manufacturing, construction, transportation, and trade. Compared to other European countries, Latvia still has a high number of accidents per 100,000 employed.

"This is a worrying signal not only about deficiencies in occupational safety at workplaces but also about society's attitude towards health and human life," emphasizes Zarina.

A significant portion of fatalities consists of traffic accidents. Data from the State Labor Inspectorate (SLI) indicates that falls from heights resulting in death also occur annually. Last year, there was a case where two employees were supposed to install antennas on a roof. One followed all safety rules, while the other tied a rope around a chimney, which subsequently collapsed, causing the person to fall to their death.

There are also cases every year where people are buried in trenches. Sometimes heavy objects fall on people, or they get caught in machinery.

These incidents serve as a reminder of how important it is to train employees in occupational safety and to adhere to established rules, emphasizes the SLI.

"Paradoxically, it is often experienced workers aged 45 to 64 who suffer in accidents," points out Zarina. "The longer a person works, the more confident they feel, and sometimes they become overconfident."

A similar situation exists with workers who frequently change jobs — new rules seem unnecessary to them because "they already know everything." However, the consequences in both cases can be tragic.

Zarina explains that workplace safety starts with the management of the enterprise. Where management recognizes risks and invests in employee safety, the number of accidents is significantly lower. For example, many enterprises set a goal of "zero accidents" and prove that it is possible. In contrast, small enterprises often hold the belief: "this won't happen to us."

At the same time, many employers, like the injured themselves, are afraid to report accidents. The experience of the SLI shows that some incidents go unreported as they are concealed by both the employer and the injured party. It is easiest to hide cases where the worker sustained minor injuries.

Therefore, the SLI has begun cooperation with the Traumatology and Orthopedic Hospital, where injured workers are most often admitted. Information explaining what to do in case of a workplace injury and why it is important to investigate such incidents has been placed in the hospital's emergency department for some time.

The SLI emphasizes that it is important to investigate accidents, establish objective and real causes of incidents to prevent their recurrence. Additionally, the injured party can receive social guarantees only if the incident is registered and investigated by the SLI.

The SLI conducts an average of about 10,000 inspections annually and organizes information campaigns, such as "Be sure that work is safe!" This year, the focus is on slip and fall risks. The SLI visits enterprises in various sectors to check whether such risks are assessed in workplaces.

Zarina notes that there is a widespread belief in society that state institutions "want to harm." To dispel this misconception, the SLI often uses the expression in conversations with entrepreneurs: "You should be afraid not of SLI inspections, but of the fact that a worker ends up in a pool of blood." According to Zarina, the awareness of the importance of occupational safety often comes only after this "pool of blood" has already appeared.

Zarina also points out that society tends to disregard laws, seeks to circumvent them, and human life is generally not valued highly. Often, an employer believes that their employees should work under any conditions and be grateful for such an opportunity, notes the SLI representative. However, she also points to a positive trend in the labor environment — workers are becoming more educated, aware of their rights, and are no longer willing to risk their health or lives.

As reported earlier, in the first half of this year, 1,080 workplace accidents were registered and investigated, of which 82 were severe and eight were fatal, according to SLI data.

For comparison, last year a total of 2,312 accidents were registered and investigated, of which 250 were severe and 25 were fatal.