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The aim of this study was also to explore the interconnected frameworks of the systems thinking approach between the micro-, meso- and macro-levels within occupational safety and health (OSH). The goal of this study was to analyze different entities through different types of aggregation. The aggregated variables of micro-, meso- and macro-levels of the systems thinking approach were found to exert an effect on each other in the regression analysis. For OSH managers and workers’ OSH representatives, the Hypotheses were supported with the aggregated variables as follows: Hypothesis 1 – OSH management & collaboration was positively related to training, measuring and monitoring, quality of OHC services and quality of OSH legislation; Hypothesis 2 – technical processes were positively related to training, measuring and monitoring, OSH management & collaboration and quality of OSH legislation; Hypothesis 3 – measuring and monitoring were positively related to training, OSH management & collaboration, quality of OHC services and quality of OSH legislation; Hypothesis 4 – instructions were positively related to training, measuring and monitoring, OSH management & collaboration and quality of OHC services; and Hypothesis 5 – use of personal protective equipment was positively related to training, measuring and monitoring, OSH management & collaboration, quality of OHC services and quality of OSH legislation. The functional specification related micro-, meso- and macro-levels revealed how one can apply a system approach model to demonstrate how the human, safety management, and organizational factors fit together in the broad safety context (e.g., OSH legislation). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to explore the effects of the OSH legislation, collaboration and management. These variables had an effect on the continuous improvement of OSH, the safety training, the safe use of chemicals, the use of personal protective equipments, the monitoring of the work environment and the arrangement of occupational health care. The respondents to the questionnaire survey were OSH managers ( N = 85) and workers’ OSH representatives ( N = 120) working in the chemical industry. The present results found that workers’ OSH representatives believed more strongly than OSH managers in the effects of OSH legislation, collaboration and activities of the management with respect to their practical values for improving OSH. Safety should be considered in the organizational context in which technical controls and work processes are applied. Effects of preventive measures should be followed-up better than is nowadays done. The top-level management in the plants should also promote the activities of middle-management and encourage collaboration in order to improve managers and workers’ commitment to the goals of the organizations. Management should define the correct OSH goals and strategies signalling the importance of safety with respect to other organizational goals. With respect to OSH research design this study represents an opportunity for researchers to undertake longitudinal research in the safety in the chemical industry’s leadership and process safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] For workers, inputs of enforcement were positively related to outputs of inspections. [•] For managers, competence of inspectors was positively related to outputs of inspections. [•] OSH inspections should be modified in order to develop a systematic OSH enforcement. [•] OSH inspectors should provide advices about how to exceed the minimum level of OSH. [•] In OSH inspections managers and workers received new information on OSH obligations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The European Council Directive 89/391/EC of 12 June 1989 is concerned with the introduction of measures to encourage improvements in the occupational safety and health. For example, it deals with risk assessment and preventive measures. The Finnish legislation enacts the risk assessment and prevention measures in a similar way as the EU Directive 89/391/EC. The aim of this study was to examine: 1) the implementation of risk assessment process as a part of OSH management, and 2) the effectiveness of the OSH legislation concerned with risk assessment. The quantitative method involved an online questionnaire. The respondents were employers (N = 1478), workers (N = 1416) and occupational care (OHC) professionals’ units (N = 469). Three quarters of the employer respondents and two thirds of the workers and OHC service providers felt that the EU legislative provisions have promoted the engagement of the management. According to the study, improvement is needed in ensuring the cooperation between employers and workers. The combined variables of Risk Assessment Process revealed positive impacts both on Cooperation and Management Measures and on the Concrete Preventive Measures among the employers and the workers. The combined variables of Use of Documents of Risk Assessments highlighted positive impacts on both the Exploiting of Results of Risk Assessments in Planning and Management and on the Exploiting of Results of Risk Assessment in Cooperation and Technology. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Forklift drivers in in-house logistics are at a high risk of occupational injuries. This study piloted a video-based learning game for forklift drivers, designed to increase their safety awareness in their highly dynamic operating environment. The game consisted of video clips filmed from the driver's perspective. Each video clip was stopped and masked at a point where a safety-relevant item or hazard appeared. Two locations were marked on the screen, one with the hazard and the other with no hazard. The players had to choose the location with the hazard while the screen was masked and received feedback on their choice. Eighty-one professional forklift drivers played the game at their workplaces during the 3–4 month intervention. In addition, forklift registered hard shocks were recorded and compared to the game performance of 20 participants. Higher accuracy in the game correlated with a lower shock rate, suggesting that real-world forklift driving skills transferred to the game. However, accuracy improvement in the game did not decrease the vehicle registered hard shocks. During the intervention, 40% of the participants reported that they began to pay more attention to the hazards of their work environment. Overall, the results suggest that a gamified approach could be useful for demonstrating safety-relevant features at the workplace and supporting drivers' safety-related self-reflection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]