Horsens

Horsens

Number of inhabitants: 81,000
Programme started year: 1996
International Safe Communities Network Membership: Designation year : 2003
Info address on www for the programme: http://www.sundbyhorsens.dk

The programme covers the following safety promotion activities:

A network consisting of representatives from all trade administrations and one representative from the staff administration has been established to co-ordinate initiatives in the City of Horsens. In its work on safety and security, the network will collaborate on the listed areas.

Sports accidents

Accidents among children and young people
Criminality and violence
Traffic safety
Residential and urban development
Fire safety/catastrophes
Suicide
Preventive home visits
Diet and exercise
Accidents at work (including the social working environment)

Involvement of citizens is a central method in the City of Horsens’ efforts to create equality in health and sustainability, as it will also be in the City’s efforts to ensure safety and security. Both Agenda 21 and the Healthy City have the commitment of local residents as an important driving force.

For the age group

Children 0-14 years:
The children´s nurse is a key-person in this area.

Nurses and health workers in the City of Horsens participate in cross-sectoral groups to promote safety
The School Contact Committee co-ordinates co-operation between primary schools and organisations. The primary school instructs students in the working environment from the 1st to the 10th forms.
Education within Fire Safety and Traffic Safety takes place in public schools.

Youth 15-24 years:
The work of the Steering and Co-ordination Groups is to prevent criminality, especially among children and young people. The Steering Group consists of the Commissioner of Police, assistant commissioners from the criminal and uniformed police, and committee chairpersons and directors from the municipal departments.

Adults 25-64 years:
The City of Horsens has an Executive Committee under which the safety committees and the Co-operation Committee operate. There are five safety committees and 149 safety groups. The Executive Committee’s task in the area of safety is to ensure that responsibilities are allocated to all levels in the city. The central point in the safety committees is the requirement under the Health and Safety at Work Act that all employers prepare workplace assessments.

With respect to the broad concept of health, initiatives in the workplace will be limited to the following aspects:

Physical aspects of work such as dust, noise, chemicals, lighting, indoor climate, workplace furnishing, lifting and carrying, odours and monotonous repetitive work.

Personal aspects of work such as job content, job satisfaction, job security, training and development options, stress, mobbing and challenges.

Social aspects of work such as co-operation, fellowship, communication and establishment of networks at the workplace.

The SSID is a union of safety officers from both private and public companies and heads of employees’ health services. The purpose of the SSID is to ensure that safety officers have a high level of professional knowledge and expertise concerning safety, the environment and health.

Horsens City Council is working in the 1997-2001 municipal plan with the following objectives for traffic structure:

Extension and improvement of the road and cycle network so that traffic safety, the traffic environment and the visual environment are improved while traffic can flow in an efficient manner.
Extend and improve the existing road network so that traffic safety is increased for all, especially for children.
The population must be effectively protected against known health hazards caused by air pollution from traffic.
Reduction in energy consumption, air pollution, noise, accidents and the barrier effect via promotion of the use of alternative transport (walking, cycling and collective traffic).

Elderly 65+ years:
All persons reaching the age of 80 are offered a home visit and a discussion with a nurse. The purpose of the discussion is to promote health and prevent illness and accidental falls. The discussion is primarily concerned with the elderly person’s everyday life and how a healthier life can be lived. Preventive home visits offered to people over 80 are now required by law. Once a year, the staff review, together with the citizen and any relative(s) concerned, the elderly person’s risk of falling, including suggestions for the prevention of falls.

It is important in preventing accidental falls to utilise the elderly people’s own resources. Active Elderly People can thus support other elderly people in remaining active.

"Accidents" (non-intentional injuries) in the following injury areas:

Violence prevention:

Kindergarten
School
Parents patrolling the streets (The Night Ravens)
Self Help Groups
Crisis Centres for both men and women
Cooperation between Social Department, School and Police (SSP).

Suicide prevention:
The project "Five minutes to midnight", crisis contact for people on the point of suicide.

The project "The road forward" at the hospital in Horsens
Self Help Groups

Programs aiming at "High risk-groups":
Initiatives aimed at high risk groups focusing on accidents among children and elderly people.

Work is also proceeding in the areas of sporting accidents, traffic accidents and fire safety.

Surveillance of injuries:
The registration and documentation on the frequencies and causes of accidents is an important method in the work to develop and strengthen safety and security. There is already a systematic record in several places and at a number of different levels in Denmark, Vejle County and the City of Horsens - that is authorities at national, county and local levels.

Staff: Integrated in the Horsens Municipality Administration.
Number: 8
Professions: part-time or full-time: part-time
Permanent: Yes
Organization: Horsens Municipality, Health and Social Department
Specific intersectoral leadership group: Safe Com Steering Group
General public health/health promotion group: Healthy City Steering Group
International commitments: Also a member of WHO´s Healthy Cities
Study visits: -

Participation in Safe Community conferences: Skövde, Frederiksstad, Reykjavik and Anchorage

Hosting Safe Community Conferences: Not yet, planning a seminar

For further information contact:
Inge Kristiansen
Municipality of Horsens, Department of Health and Social Services
Rådhustorvet 4
DK- 8700 Horsens, Denmark
Phone: +45 76 29 35 27
Fax: +45 76 29 35 30
E-mail: ssikri@horsens.dk
http://horsenskom.dk