Managing safety in small and medium enterprises. (January 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Legg, S.J.; Olsen, K.B.; Laird, I.S.; Hasle, P.
• Is Part Of: Safety science. Volume 71:Part C(2015)
• Page Start: 189
• Page End: 196
• Publication Date: 2015-01
• Subjects: Small businesses -- Occupational health and safety -- Work environment; Industrial accidents -- Periodicals; Accident Prevention -- Periodicals; Safety -- Periodicals; Travail -- Accidents -- Périodiques; 363.11
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ssci.2014.11.007
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0925-7535

Abstract

Highlights: Origins and commentary of the papers in the special issue. Background and summary of current research on managing safety in SMEs. Presentation of a conceptual model for improving the work environment in SMEs. Abstract: This paper presents a conceptual model for increasing acceptable working environments for SMEs. It also acts as an editorial for the special issue of Safety Science on 'Managing safety in small and medium enterprises (SMEs)'. It describes how seven of the ten papers in the special issue originate from an international conference in 2013 on Understanding Small Enterprises. It includes a commentary on the papers in the special issue as well as directing the reader to all of the current state-of-the-science sources known to the authors. The paper provides a background to previous research on safety in SMEs, showing how most current policy and legislation on occupational health and safety (OSH) and the work environment is based on large enterprises and that there is a relative paucity of research on OSH in SMEs. In a summary of current knowledge, it is argued that modern OHS legislation and interventions to help improve work environments need to increasingly take account of the specific characteristics of SMEs. The conceptual model for increasing acceptable working environments for SMEs takes its onset in a legislative standard that is built into intervention programmes and includes three instrument pillars: inspection to enhance compliance, recognition of the standard by the stakeholders in the industry sector and dissemination of information to small enterprises.