Monday, September 27, 2010
[IWS] EWCO: HEALTH & SAFETY AT WORK in SMEs: STRATEGIES FOR EMPLOYEE INFORMATION & CONSULTATION [23 September 2010]
IWS Documented News Service
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Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
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European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditons (Dublin Foundation)
European Working Conditions Observatory (EWCO)
COMPARATIVE STUDY
Health and safety at work in SMEs: Strategies for employee information and consultation
September 2010 [23 September 2010]
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/ewco/studies/tn0911028s/index.htm
or
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/ewco/studies/tn0911028s/tn0911028s.htm
or
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/docs/ewco/tn0911028s/tn0911028s.pdf
[full-text, 67 pages]
Small and medium-sized enterprises face a number of difficulties in complying with occupational health and safety (OSH) regulations owing to fewer resources and less awareness of the costs of non-compliance in terms of higher risks. Employee OSH representatives are frequently lacking, especially in smaller companies, making it more difficult to implement the participatory approach envisaged by the 1989 EU Framework Directive on health and safety. Consultation on changes to organisation and working conditions, workplace learning opportunities and job security all contribute positively to improving employee information on OSH risks at work. One approach that appears promising when dealing with this gap is free counselling combined with discounts on insurance premium for those achieving substantive reductions in their accident rates, and territorial employee representatives.
The study was compiled on the basis of individual national reports submitted by the EWCO correspondents. The text of each of these national reports is available below. The reports have not been edited or approved by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions. The national reports were drawn up in response to a questionnaire and should be read in conjunction with it.
CONTENTS
Introduction: the issues at stake
Regulatory context at national level
Forms of employee involvement
Trends at national level
Trends at EU level
Policies promoting OSH in SMEs through employee involvement
Commentary
Bibliography
Annex: Multinomial regression on the determinants of information
level on OSH at work
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This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
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Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
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