Health and Safety Management Systems at Work - Characteristics and Implementation Conditions

The purpose of this study, developed by a French "Management and Prevention" work group (CNAM-CRAM-INRS), was to conduct a qualitative assessment of practices deployed within Health & Safety Management Systems (SMS&ST in French). These organisational prevention approaches are implemented through standards and reference systems. The aim is to provide information on the nature and scope of these health and safety management tools in view of their widespread usage at companies. The study is based on in-depth analysis of corporate health and safety management programmes in five occupational branches and is the first comparative study of such systems undertaken at a French national level.
The final results of this study involving 6 reference systems, observation of 18 establishments and organisation of 300 interviews appear contrasted. Health and Safety Management Systems certainly contribute to structuring prevention and do effectively appear to be of help concerning organisation principles, assertion of health and safety in policies, re?positioning of health and safety functions, proposed management rules, etc. However, when used as management tools, these systems are subject to certain limits and risks of deviation: a standardised character, objectives that are sometimes simplistic, pressure on results, a safety-rather than health-based approach, etc. Observations mostly show that health and safety management is more dependent on conditions, under which policies are implemented, than on a reference system. The efficiency of such management systems is primarily based on organisation procedures applied at a company and on prevention strategies. Beyond specific work contexts (culture, structure, order-givers, etc.), both health and safety outcomes and conditions prompting sustainable risk prevention are determined by the solutions adopted for integrating prevention into management policies and risk management procedures.
This study details Health & Safety Management System characteristics and implementation conditions, typical model health and safety approaches and recommendations for adapting in-company prevention.