Despite various strategies, the work absenteeism caused by occupational diseases and hazards it has not been reduced in 20 years, acknowledges the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS). To a large extent, this is due to the fact that actions have focused on diagnosing and treating illnesses, not on preventing them.
The Institute’s statistical reports show that since 2000 the number of temporary disability certificates due to work risk has not presented a considerable reduction, except between 2003 and 2005. But in the last 20 years, absenteeism due to work-related illnesses and accidents has remained unchanged; the latest data available indicates that until now a similar number of temporary disabilities is issued to the level observed two decades ago.
“The pandemic revealed something that we had already been observing: our workforce has some health indicators not very good and there are very important areas of opportunity for improvement. These health conditions have to do with the productivity problems that companies have in Mexico”, Mauricio Hernández, director of Economic and Social Benefits of the IMSS, points out in an interview.
The official considers that in the last 20 years the strategies adopted in terms of security and health at work they have lacked “a focus on the problems”.
The IMSS estimates that for the first half of 2022 the number of temporary disabilities will be 1.5 million, just over double the number issued in the same period of 2021, this is largely explained by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
From the point of view of Hosanna Rodríguez, president of the National Federation of Occupational Health (Fenastac), prevention in matters of security and health in the workplace covers very little of the entire universe of risks that employees face.
Although the working population at risk is known, there are no concrete actions to care for it and prevent illnesses and accidents, the specialist points out. More of 10 million working people affiliated with the IMSS have some condition of vulnerability.
In addition to this, the president of Fenastac believes that prevention It has not received the importance from top management because it is difficult to perceive the return on investment. “We have to look for indicators such as absenteeism or presenteeism that show us where we can influence prevention.”
In 2020, the latest data available from the IMSS, workers who had a temporary incapacity for work (ITT) were absent on average 31 days in the year. Absences due to occupational hazards represented disbursements for 3,285 million pesos for the Institute.
ELSSA, the recipe to the test
To address this situation and move towards a broader culture in the workplace, the IMSS will launch the program Safe and Healthy Work Environments (ELSSA) with the aim of improving the health of working people, incorporating employers in a more active way in prevention, which will help increase productivity levels in organizations.
“We have been focused on the disease (early diagnosis and control) and not in prevention”, acknowledges the institute in an ELSSA presentation.
Mauricio Hernández explains that the program will offer various resources to companies to transform workplaces into healthy spacessuch as access to sports facilities, counseling for compliance with NOM-035 on psychosocial risk factors, support to build organizations with diversity, actions to prevent occupational accidents, training, health surveillance at work and information to promote spaces with health and wellness, among other tools.
“Before we focused on people and we work with people; for example, we told them that they had high blood sugar and that they had to change. In this case, with ELSSA we are covering all workers. It is a change to break down the barriers and not hold the workers responsible, but instead encourage the work environment becomes a factor of change”, explains the official.
Hosanna Rodríguez describes ELSSA as an ambitious program. Among its positive points is the structure that will allow organizations to advance through intervention levels. From the point of view of the specialist, it is necessary to strengthen these links between employers and government.
Incentives for prevention
In addition to productivity gains, the new IMSS program will help companies maintain risk premiums casualties by reducing their accidents at work. The Institute also provides for the annual awarding of prizes or distinctions to the companies adhering to ELSSA.
The ILO notes that strong cultures of security and health at work they incorporate all the actors —government, companies and employees— for the implementation of strategies to improve conditions in the workplace.
“In a workplace with a strong occupational safety and health culture, workers feel comfortable raising concerns about potential health risks or hazards. safety and health in the workplace and the management actively collaborates with the workers to find adequate, effective and sustainable solutions”, highlighted the organization within the framework of the World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2022.
Mauricio Hernández states that the IMSS is in dialogue with the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (STPS) to link the program with the dependency’s self-compliance strategy. “We are very hopeful that the Ministry of Labor will take ELSSA as part of the self-verification schemes of companies.”