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THIRD CONFERENCE OF THE BULGARIAN FORUM "HEALTHY AND SAFE WORKPLACES" / SECOND ENWHP ROUNDTABLE MEETING ON WORKPLACE HEALTH PROMOTION IN BULGARIA

Assoc. Prof. Zaprian Zapryanov, MD, PhD, Head, Section "Health Promotion" and National Contact Office of ENWHP in Bulgaria, National Centre of Public Health Protection, Sofia, Bulgaria

   
The Third conference of the Bulgarian Forum "Healthy and Safe Workplaces" (BF"HSW") under the motto "Healthy work - healthy lifestyle - healthy business" was held on July 9,2009.The traditional place of the Conference was the auditorium of the National Centre of Public Health Protection (NCPHP) in Sofia. It was organised in partnership by the Secretariat of the European Network for Workplace Health Promotion (ENWHP) and NCPHP. The scope of the Conference covered three topics:

  1. To share knowledge, methodology and practice in workplace health promotion (WHP) between countries of EU: Germany, Romania and Bulgaria. Through the Second ENWHP roundtable meeting on WHP in Bulgaria to strengthen the positions of ENWHP, Bulgarian NCO and Forum as competent structures - experienced in WHP.
  2. To present and market the results of the Seventh ENWHP initiative - "Move Europe" campaign.
  3. To announce to the general public the start in Bulgaria of the Eighth ENWHP initiative - "Promoting Good Practice in Mental Health Promotion at the Workplace" (MentalHealthWork) for the period 2009 - 2010. 

The social marketing and organisation of the event were subject of a  detailed Plan. The realisation of that plan ensured the production of materials (personal invitation letter; poster; banner with the conference motto; press information list; Bulletin for express information "Occupational health. WHP" (BEI) in two issues containing the full text of Bulgarian articles - description of identification procedure and of two Bulgarian models of good practice in WHP (MOGP-WHP) (the first) and the slides of all presentations, those of Dr. R. Sochert and Dr. T. Haratau  translated in Bulgarian (the second); "Move Europe facts and figures" list in Bulgarian; certificates for the Bulgarian MOGP-WHP and participants attendance; badges for the new MentalHealthWork project; questionnaire for anonymous survey on participants evaluations and opinions concerning the conference), invitation and publicity of the event (invitation campaign through announcements in three newspapers and personal mail to all partners of "Move Europe" project, other interested companies/organisations, national stakeholders, staff of the regional offices of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy (MLSP) - Labour inspectorates and the Ministry of Health (MH) - Regional inspectorates for protection and control of public health, press conference) and good communication during the conference/roundtable meeting (simultaneous translation).

At the Conference participated 65 partners from the whole country: (a) decision makers from MH and MLSP at national and regional levels (21,5 %), (b) company managers on human resources and safety and health at work, representatives of occupational health services (35,4 %) and (c) scientists and educators on occupational health (43,1 %).

The participants were welcomed by the Deputy Director of NCPHP Prof. Dr. Stoyanka Usunova.  The conference programme started by the introduction of MH representative Dr. Masha Gavrailova, head of Department "Protection of Public Health". She noted that the protection of the public health through health promotion, diseases prevention and state health protection is a strategic aim of the MH. The contribution to the national knowledge, methodology and practice of health promotion of the First and Second Roundtable Meetings of ENWHP on WHP is very important for the ongoing new national programmes to become more effective in the improvement of the negative to critical national demographic and health parameters.

The first part of the conference, the Second ENWHP Roundtable Meeting on WHP started by presentation of Dr. Reinhold Sochert, ENWHP Secretariat, "The contribution of WHP to a healthy and safe working environment -  experiences from Germany". The presentation of Dr.Theodor Haratau, Executive Director of Romtens Foundation, NCO - Romania, "WHP within the Romanian development regions "Centre" and "West"" was published in Bulgarian and used by participants in printed version. The third presentation was of Dr. Zaprian Zapryanov, NCPHP, NCO - Bulgaria, "Results of the Move Europe Campaign in Bulgaria. Impressions from the 6-th European Conference on  promoting Workplace Health, Perugia, Italy, 27-th and 28-th of April, 2009". The roundtable discussion moderated by Dr. Sochert and Dr. Zapryanov was lively with the commonly agreed statements that:

  1. This international contact and discussion are very important for our country - beginner in adopting HP/WHP, when some national experts doubt about its relevance.
  2. It is very important to have for the first time not only education but presentation of practiced WHP procedure ("Move Europe" campaign) and real final result - two national MOGP.   
  3. This WHP procedure looks universal - it could be applied in health promotion in different areas e.g. to solve by a positive approach the issue concerning the quality assurance of occupational health services activity, in different settings etc.
  4. On the basis of the Bulgarian MOGP it is possible to conclude that in the actual occupational health and safety practice there are many elements used in WHP too, but they should be reconsidered from WHP point of view and adapted to its basic philosophy.
  5. It is not surprising that the active innovative attitude of the business may implement and use MOGP in WHP of their national or foreign partners before the local scientific knowledge could adopt such a model.     

During the second part of the Conference were presented two national MOGP: by Dipl. Eng. Pandali Bosadjiev, HRM and OHS expert in "Optix" Co, Panagyurichte, "Bulgarian MOGP - Role of the innovative style in the development of comprehensive WHP practice" and by Dipl. Eng. Svetlana Gjokova, OHS expert, "Progress"JSC, Stara Zagora, "Bulgarian MOGP - A successful tradition to achieve physical, mental and organisational health through quality management system, experienced line managers and workers participation". These presentations provoked a number of questions and answers in highly positive atmosphere.

The start of the MentalHealthWork project in Bulgaria was announced by the presentation of Dr. Reinhold Sochert, ENWHP, "The start of the Eighth ENWHP initiative in Bulgaria - Promoting Good Practice for Mental Health at the Workplace for a period 2008 - 2010":

39 participants (60 % response ratio) filled in the anonymous "Evaluation questionnaire for national events" prepared for "Move Europe" by Romtens Foundation. They gave 100 % highly positive evaluations (up to "excellent") to 15 questions with prescribed answers (of all 16; 95 % "Yes" on the consistency of the Agenda with the title of the event). A lot of useful positive supporting statements and proposals for further improvements were made:

  1. "From your perspective what was the main strength of this event?":
    - The presentations of Dr. Sochert, the information on the experience of European partners and ENWHP, the clarification of the contribution of WHP to the workplace health and safety.
    -  The roundtable discussion, the exchange of information and practical experience, the documented existence of the models of good practice in Bulgaria.
    -  The professional presentation of problems, the printed materials and high quality of lecturers and presentations.
    -  The very good organisation, positive and creative atmosphere.
  2. "Will you recommend this type of event to your colleagues/peers? If yes on which reasons?":
    -  This Forum is very useful for all companies, all the experts should know details of WHP.
    -  This event increases the professionalism, increases the optimism and diversity of approaches to achieve healthy and safe working environment. -  This event increases the motivation and communication.
  3. "From your perspective what is the main issue that should be improved?":
    -  To offer a systematic education and training according to approved curriculum for WHP.
    -  To provide more information, materials and MOGP's, specially through the new project - mental health at work, stress management by identifying, decreasing or eliminating the risk factors.