Occupational Health and Safety in SMEs

2014 ◽  
pp. 167-182
Author(s):  
Burcu Özge Özaslan Çalişkan
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
Occupational Diseases ◽  
Safety Management ◽  
Integrated Management ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Occupational Health And Safety ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
The Political ◽  
Economic Interests ◽  
Education Legislation

Employees of Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) are exposed to higher risks than the employees of larger ones, and SMEs have difficulties in controlling risk. Many countries have noticed the potential of the SMEs, and they judge employment and economic growth to a great extent based on these enterprises. The studies regarding this subject have increased during the last decade, parallel to the political and economic interests in occupational health and safety in SMEs. The objective of this chapter is to reveal general conclusions on effective approaches to prevent occupational diseases and injuries in SMEs and to gain information related to employment, welfare and health facilities, health education, legislation, occupational health, and safety management as a part of integrated management systems and other safety activities. The chapter also aims to facilitate developing an informative perspective about Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems (OHSMS) in SMEs by emphasizing the drivers, benefits, and barriers of SMEs trying to adopt these systems.

scholarly journals Analysis of certified occupational health and safety management systems in Portugal

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. P. T. Domingues ◽  
P. Sampaio ◽  
P. M. Arezes
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
Management System ◽  
Safety Management ◽  
Quality Management System ◽  
Integrated Management ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Occupational Health And Safety ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Safety Management Systems ◽  
Safety Management System

The systematic assurance of the occupational health, safety and wellbeing of the employees may be accomplished through the implementation (and certification) of standardized occupational health and safety management systems in accordance with the requirements listed in the BS OHSAS 18001 standard. In Portugal the certification of occupational health and safety management systems is usually carried out against the requirements of the BS OHSAS 18001 and the NP 4397 standard which is a national adaptation of the former. The purpose of this paper is to "snapshot" the diffusion of the certified occupational health and safety management systems in Portugal dissecting the following features: regional geographic location, integration phenomenon, evolution throughout the years, more involved activity sectors, more often found integrated management systems typologies and the most relevant and active certification bodies. To address this research goal a thorough, in-depth and comprehensive analysis of the data available in a Portuguese periodical publication (Barómetro da Certificação) was carried out. Results show that a great deal of the certified occupational health and safety management systems (96.3%) is integrated (in the sense that encompasses a multiple certification scheme). However the occupational health and safety management system is not typically the primordial subsystem of an integrated management system. In our view these results provide insights to the companies' top management. On one hand, it seems that a patterned and "logical" path is pursued by the companies that seek organizational excellence- management systems integration. On the other hand, it seems that previously implemented subsystems, such as the quality management system, facilitate a "smoother" integration process encompassing the occupational health and safety management system.

A generic model for integration of Quality, Environment and Safety Management Systems

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuel Ferreira Rebelo ◽  
Gilberto Santos ◽  
Rui Silva
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
Safety Management ◽  
Integrated Management ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Occupational Health And Safety ◽  
Iso 14001 ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Generic Model ◽  
Safety Management Systems ◽  
Content Type

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose a generic model of Integrated Management System of Quality, Environment and Safety (IMS-QES) that can be adapted and progressively to assimilate various Management Systems, of which highlights: ISO 9001 for Quality; ISO 14001 for Environment; OHSAS 18001 for Occupational Health and Safety. Design/methodology/approach – The model was designed in the real environment of a Portuguese Organization and 160 employees were surveyed. The rate response was equal to 86 percent. The conceived model was implemented in a first phase for the integration of Quality, Environment and Safety Management Systems. Findings – Among the main findings of the survey the paper highlights: the elimination of conflicts between individual systems with resources optimization; creation of added value to the business by eliminating several types of wastes; the integrated management of sustainability components in a global market; the improvement of partnerships with suppliers of goods and services; reducing the number of internal and external audits. Originality/value – This case study is one of the first Portuguese empirical researches about IMS-QES and the paper believes that it can be useful in the creation of a Portuguese guideline for integration, namely the Quality Management Systems; Environmental Management Systems and Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems among others.

Development of system of automated occupational health and safety management in enterprises

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (107) ◽  
pp. 28-41
Author(s):  
A.P. Bochkovskyi ◽  
N.Yu. Sapozhnikova
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
Economic Efficiency ◽  
Social Insurance ◽  
System Analysis ◽  
Safety Management ◽  
Occupational Injuries ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Occupational Health And Safety ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Negative Factors

Purpose: Develop a system of automated occupational health and safety management to improve the procedure for minimizing occupational risks and ensure comprehensive protection of employees from the impacts of negative factors of the systems "man - machine - environment". Design/methodology/approach: The following set of scientific methods was used in the study: analysis of normative-legal documents and scientific-technical literature in the field of building and functioning of occupational safety and health management systems, methods of system analysis, simulation methods, namely discrete-event simulation (DES) of random and dynamic processes, methods of decision theory and data mining. Findings: Based on the results of the research, a system of automated occupational health and safety management, which due to the connection the functionally independent elements (according to a certain scheme) allows to provide comprehensive protection of employees from the impacts of negative factors of the system "man - machine - environment" and reduce occupational injuries and diseases, was developed. This is done by constant monitoring and promt correcting of parameters of impact on the employee of the specified factors. The developed system was implemented in the occupational health and safety management system of the industrial enterprise "Stalkanat-Silur" (Odessa, Ukraine), resulting in reducing the number of accidents, in particular, in dangerous areas of production by 33.3%, increasing the economic efficiency of the enterprise through increasing the level of productivity by 5% and reducing in the number of social insurance payments by 11%. Research limitations/implications: The developed system can be implemented both within separate industrial premises and in the enterprise as a whole, but the number of its elements could be changed (increase / decrease) depending on the number of jobs and dangerous areas that need control. Practical implications: The implementation of the proposed system allows to increase the level of economic efficiency of the enterprise by increasing the level of labor productivity due to reducing the negative impact on the employee of harmful factors and compliance with rational mode of work and rest in each workplace, as well as by reducing the number of social insurance payments due to reducing the occupational injuries and diseases. Originality/value: For the first time the system of automated occupational health and safety, which, in contrast to existing automated occupational risk minimization systems and traditional occupational health and safety management systems, provides comprehensive protection of employees from the the impacts negative factors of the system "man - machine-environment", by constant monitoring the parameters of such impact and their prompt correction in case of deviation of the specified parameters from the set criteria, was developed and proposed for use at enterprises, institutions and organizations.

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