Abstract

The etymology and the development of the meanings of well-being, prevention and risk, as well as their relationships, are presented and discussed. It is reminded that the World Health Organization defined health as physical, mental and social well-being, and that the European Union prescribed a general and programmed primary prevention, integrated with the design of work situations. However, current interpretations and practices mistake well-being with wellness, and prevention with the management of existing risks, while usually attributing the responsibility to the acting subjects in the workplace. The Interdisciplinary Research Program “Organization and Well-being”, for over three decades, has interpreted well-being as a perfectible process, and outlined pathways of work analysis that actually carry out primary prevention.