Day One
During the first day, a conference was held by the National Labour Inspectorate and the Regional Labour Inspectorate in Poznań: Vision Zero – From Awareness to Action. How Can Employee Engagement Be Built in Improving Working Conditions?
Cooperation, dialogue, and engagement are the foundation of a safe working environment. For years, the National Labour Inspectorate has been taking steps to promote best practices, provide education, and support employers and employees in building high occupational safety and health standards. During the opening of the conference, Chief Labour Inspector Marcin Stanecki outlined the mission of the National Labour Inspectorate. This year, conferences are being held in every district. Poznań is the second district in the series. Each conference focuses on different issues. Sixteen districts mean sixteen different observations, comments, and remedies in the fight against workplace accidents in Poland.
Photos: FOTOBUENO
“Vision Zero is a vision that has the characteristics of a workplace philosophy of life. It goes beyond machine guards or certified helmets. We believe that genuine and lasting employee engagement arises only where the pillars of technical safety, physical health, and psychosocial well-being are harmoniously integrated,” the Chief Labour Inspector said.
Discussions and networking
The next items on the agenda were two thematic panels, First Aid and Ergonomics, featuring experts Karol Bączkowski, Tomasz Kutycki, Adrian Zadorecki, Mirela Motyka, Dariusz Tokarczyk, Maciej Żłobiński, Mirosław Bzura, and Barbara Tokarczyk. The discussions were moderated by Artur Lipowicz.
During the first day, there was also a strong Italian presence. Confindustria Polonia organized an Italian-style networking event aimed at launching and presenting the “Safety in Action” project, which includes a series of events in various cities across Poland devoted to the key area of personal protective equipment (PPE).
Safety culture
The conference and workshops organized by the Safety Culture Foundation were further events intended to familiarize participants with proven international approaches to workplace safety, as well as with how neuroscience helps shape safe behaviors and better decision-making in the workplace. The event presented the most common mistakes and pitfalls in safety management, along with current challenges. There was also a discussion among experts and business leaders, who shared their experiences and proven solutions. Awards titled “Faces of Safety” were also presented, honoring individuals who are genuinely changing the approach to safety in Poland. The workshop “Emotional Support as an Element of Building a Safety Culture,” in turn, was aimed at people with experience of accident situations, those working on post-accident teams, and those wishing to consciously build a culture of safety and support.
Expert presentations
The conference “Practical Workshops on the Selection of Personal Protective Equipment and Protective Gear” was opened by Dr. Eng. Józef Witczak, President of the Main Board of the Nationwide Association of OHS Service Employees. The event addressed the importance of using personal protective equipment to protect health, followed by presentations on Hazard Identification in the Work Environment, Occupational Risk Assessment, and The Importance of Measuring Harmful Factors in the Work Environment to Confirm Hazards. A representative of the delegation of occupational health and safety personnel from Romania also delivered a presentation: Adrian Ispasoiu, President of ARSSM.
