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• Companies adopting OHSAS 18001 have a 14% lower risk of severe work accidents at baseline compared to non-adopters. • Adopters of OHSAS 18001 were not able to further reduce the risk of severe work accidents at three years follow-up. • These results indicate that an OSH certificate primarily serves as an important signal to the institutional environment of superior workplace safety performance. • Regulatory agencies, should consider whether to reduce enforcement resources in relation to OHSAS 18001 and ISO 45001 certified workplaces. Many organizations worldwide have adopted certified occupational health and safety management systems (COHSMSs), such as OHSAS 18001. The effectiveness of COHSMSs in improving health and safety at work has become an important question for authorities, companies, and other stakeholders. This study aims to examine whether the adoption of COHSMSs leads to reduced risk of severe accidents at work. We used a register-based longitudinal design, to compare the risk of severe accidents among adopters to non-adopters of COHSMS in the period 2010 – 2018. We linked a national register of COHSMS adopters with individual-level information on reportable accidents in the Labour Market Insurance (LMI) register to compare the risk of severe accidents at work among 805 adopters of COHSMS with a matched control group of 12,297 non-adopters of COHSMS. Multivariable Poisson regression models were used to calculate rate ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). The risk of severe accidents at work was 14% lower among adopters of COHSMS compared to non-adopters already two years before the date of certification (RR 0.86, 95% CI 0.76–0.98), but no further decrease in the rate ratio could be established at three-year follow-up (RR 0.85, 95% CI 0.75–0.97). In addition, we found no decrease in the rate ratio for all reportable accidents at work at three-year follow-up. Workplaces with a lower risk of accidents are more likely to adopt COHSMS, indicating either a self-selection effect or that adopting workplaces have improved safety during the pre-certification phase for obtaining a certificate. Adopters of COHSMS did not reduce reportable severe work accidents further at three-year follow-up after the date of certification. This study did not find support for an effect of COHSMS on reportable severe accidents at work and nor all reportable accidents at work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Increased risk of occupational injury during evening compared with day shifts. • No increased risk of occupational injury during night compared with day shifts. • Increased risk of occupational injury after a quick return vs. a regular return. • No increased risk of injury during leisure-time after a shift. Shift work has been associated with sleepiness. Sleepiness from shift work may increase the risk of occupational injuries, but could also continue outside of work and increase risk of injury during commuting and leisure time. In this study, we assessed the associations between evening shifts, night shifts and quick returns, and risk of occupational, transport and leisure-time injuries. We used a case-crossover design to compare characteristics of the shift right before an injury with shifts in previous control periods (i.e. without an injury) within the same individual. Shift information was derived from the Danish Working Hour Database (DWHD) and linked to information on injuries from The National Patient Register. The study populations included a total of 13 337 occupational injuries, 2722 transport injuries and 9768 leisure-time injuries. Data were analysed by conditional logistic regression. In the adjusted analyses, the odds of an occupational injury were higher during evening compared with day shifts (OR 1.54, 95%CI 1.43–1.66) and quick returns compared with regular returns (OR 1.26, 95%CI 1.10–1.44). No higher odds of a leisure-time injury or leisure time transport injury were observed after evening shift or night shifts vs. day shifts, or quick returns vs. regular returns. Our findings support the evidence of a higher risk of occupational injuries during evening shifts and after quick returns. Findings on leisure-time transport and commuting injuries were inconclusive, while we found no support for a higher risk of injury during leisure-time after evening shifts, night shifts or quick returns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A golden standard for good and safe training companies was developed. • The intervention included active work environment factors and motivational factors. • A high level of participation and a satisfactory implementation was obtained. • The effect of the pilot test showed minor primarily non-significant improvements. • Targeting owner-managers may be a feasible approach to prevent apprentice injuries. Apprentices within construction have an increased risk of occupational injuries. In Denmark apprentices alternate between periods at school and extensive periods at training companies where they are employed during their education. Owner-managers are pivotal in securing safe working conditions for apprentices in training companies. A tailored intervention aimed at creating safe training companies by targeting owner-managers was developed through an iterative process. The intervention included both active work environment factors (a checklist approach based on a gold standard aided by specific tools) and motivational factors (assistance with mandatory systematic health and safety obligations, access to promotional materials and an option to get a free visit from a health and safety advisor) designed to motivate companies to participate. The intervention was pilot tested in a non-randomized controlled design to examine recruitment, implementation and effect. 67% of the training companies that were invited to participate accepted and 58% completed the intervention. At least one tool was used by 71% of the companies and there was a significant increase in the safety level of the training companies from baseline to follow-up. The intervention group reported non-significantly fewer injuries during the intervention period than the control group. Minor improvements were measured in safety climate in the intervention group and significant differences between the intervention and control group were found for 2 out of 7 safety climate measures at follow-up. It may be feasible to prevent apprentice injuries by targeting owner-managers and the existing norms and practices in training companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Occupational safety climate is utilized as a way to measure the risk of accidents and injuries at work. This study investigates which factors are associated with safety climate and accidents at work. Methods In the 2012 round of the Danish Work Environment and Health Study, 15,144 workers from the general working population of Denmark replied to questions about safety climate and accidents at work. Mutually adjusted logistic regression analyses determined the association between variables. Results Within the last year, 5.7% had experienced an accident resulting in sickness absence. The number of safety climate problems was progressively associated with the odds ratio (OR) for accidents. For one safety climate problem the OR for accidents was 2.01 (95% CI 1.67–2.42), for four or more safety climate problems the OR was 4.57 (95% CI 3.64–5.74). Young workers (18–24 years) had higher odds of accidents (OR 1.36 [95% CI 1.02–1.81]). Using safety climate as outcome and excluding those who previously experienced an accident, the OR for experiencing safety climate problems was 1.98 (95% 1.66–2.36) among young workers. Using office and educational work as reference, transport or alone work, construction work, manufacturing work, and service and kitchen work had highest odds for experiencing safety climate problems. Conclusion A higher number of safety climate problems are progressively associated with increased odds for experiencing accidents. Young workers are more likely to experience safety climate problems and accidents at work. Especially transport, construction, manufacturing and service workers are more likely to experience safety climate problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction This article reports on a study of non-traffic related work safety among drivers of heavy goods vehicles in Denmark. In the heavy goods vehicle transport (HGV) sector only 6.4% of workplace accidents involving drivers are traffic related. HGV work is characterised by solitary work, as drivers tend to work at a physical distance from their own company and their working environment is also influenced by the working environment of other companies e.g. the places where they deliver goods. This study focuses on an analysis of HGV drivers’ and managers’ differentiated understandings of risk and safety and its management within an organisational context. The situational focus involves viewing HGV drivers’ working environment as a part of the organisational structure as well as of other social relationships. An understanding of safety culture as practice is applied with the view of identifying values and attitudes as well as organisational and technical aspects in relation to how individualist or collectivist understandings of risk and safety influence the working environment in HGVs. Method The study applied a mixed methods approach and in this article the qualitative interviews conducted with drivers and managers is the primary data source. Results This study suggests a widespread understanding of drivers as being individually oriented in their work, from drivers and management alike. However, the study also demonstrates that, in conducting their work, the drivers are actually interdependent, and share knowledge frequently, albeit informally. The organisational structure of the company shapes their individual attitudes towards safety but they also report being dependent on relationships with, and information from, their fellow colleagues, former colleagues and friends who shape their understandings and attitudes towards hazards and safety practices. The analysis points to risk-taking and unsafe practices as prevalent among HGV drivers, who often refer to risk as trivial and the management of such risks as one’s own responsibility. Knowledge of how to manage risks in everyday practice is shown to be principally related to personal experiences but also to the good advice and examples of fellow drivers. Conclusions The analysis points to interdependent and collectivist practices among HGV drivers even though they are perceived as being individualistically oriented when it comes to safety. Therefore, non-traffic related safety practices, in this case the loading and unloading of vehicles, occur in the grey zone of organisational safety management. Despite the fact that organisational safety initiatives are initiated, the management sees limited possibilities for enforcing them and hence safety practice is often left to the individual driver. Practical applications A safety culture perspective might enhance work safety among HGV drivers if we are able to understand workplace culture in a pluralistic way. Collectivist practice among the drivers can be utilised in order to improve knowledge sharing and situational safety practices. The informal communication identified among the drivers might offer a new model for safety initiatives based on more collectivist, albeit informal, safety culture practices on behalf of HGV companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Employment relations are challenged and transformed in the Platform Economy. • The placement of responsibilities for OSH in the Platform Economy is challenged. • The platforms operate in a way that makes the young workers see them as employers. • Operating in this grey zone young workers on digital platforms experience a 'protective gap' when it comes to OSH. This study explores how young workers experience employment relations and responsibility for Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) in the platform economy. The study is based on 29 qualitative interviews with young Nordic workers (age 18–30) who find work through digital labour platforms and social media platforms. The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work asserts that the placement of responsibilities for OSH in the platform economy is challenged by the unclear categorisations of employers, employees and self-employed, and that existing labour law and OSH legislation might be inapplicable. Even though most platforms position workers as self-employed, the study shows that the young workers rarely experience themselves as being self-employed and assume that the platforms take care of OSH. When operating in this grey zone, the young workers risk being left without protection and societal resources for improving their OSH. Rasmussen's model 'migration towards the boundary of unacceptable safety performance' is used to discuss how work activities in platform work is driven by strong cost and effort gradients, while, the counter gradient, in terms of OSH systems, at the same time is very weak or completely absent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comparison of Danish and Swedish national occupational injury statistics shows that the reported LTI-rate, or number of reported lost-time injuries per million working hours, for Danish construction workers is significantly higher than the reported LTI-rate for Swedish construction workers. In terms of injury prevention it is important to identify injury risk factors that contribute to the observed differences in LTI-rates. In the present Øresund Link case study Danish and Swedish workers worked in cross-national work gangs, carried out the same types of tasks and utilized the same reporting procedures for occupational injuries. Thus, factors that usually confound comparisons between countries were eliminated in this study. Furthermore, factors at company level were to a great extent excluded in the study design, which therefore provided a unique opportunity to investigate the importance of injury risk factors at group and individual level for Danish and Swedish workers. LTI-rates and injury risk factors were compared for Danish and Swedish workers during the construction of the combined rail and road link across the 16-km wide sound, Øresund, between Denmark and Sweden. The comparison showed that the LTI-rate of the Danish construction workers was approximately fourfold the LTI-rate of the Swedish construction workers. Factors at the micro-level (group and individual level) e.g. differences in education and experience, training and learning, and attitude were important for the explanation of the significant difference in LTI-rates between Danish and Swedish construction workers. The study also indicated that comparison of national data on LTI-rates should be carried out with great caution. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Certified Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems work in specific contexts. • COHSMS works through integration, learning, motivation, translation and attention. • Organizations thus must assess whether their organization will benefit from COHSMS. Certified occupational health and safety management systems (COHSMS) after Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series (OHSAS) 18001 is now widely applied and the application thereof can be expected to grow considerably, with the publication of the new International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 45001. During the last decade a growing body of research has provided results on many aspects of such management systems, though an overview of the results has so far been lacking. We address this gap in the research with a realist review of the mechanisms of OHS management systems. After a thorough literature search 18 papers with empirical studies qualified for the review. We used a realist synthesis procedure to analyze for program theories and secondly to analyze for context-mechanism-outcome (CMO) configurations. The analysis of the OHSAS 18001 standard shows three program theories: operational, institutional and compliance. Five CMO configurations confirm the program theories: integration, learning, motivation, translation and attention. The configurations emphasize that certain combinations of context and mechanisms are necessary for the successful application of OHS management systems. Therefore, we describe specific paths to the successful implementation of COHSMS as well as the internal contextual elements that must be in place in order to follow them. Our research can thus be used by organizations as the basis for thorough internal evaluations before commencing a certification scheme. More research is needed for a more fine-grained understanding of how to secure a successful outcome and for the function of the new ISO 45001. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Daily dialogue between leaders and workers on traditional construction sites is primarily focused on production, quality and time issues, and rarely involves occupational safety and health (OSH) issues. A leadership training program entitled 'Toolbox-training' was developed to improve construction foremen’s knowledge and communication skills in daily planning of work tasks and their related OSH risks on construction sites. The program builds on the popular 'toolbox meeting' concept, however there is very little research evaluating these types of meetings. This article describes the development, implementation and feasibility of the Toolbox-training program, and the results of the process evaluation and outcome evaluation. A total of 57 foremen from 12 companies participated in the training in five successive groups during 2014–2015. Following each group, the program was continuously evaluated and revised until the final version after the fifth group. The evaluation utilized an action research strategy with a mixed–methods approach of triangulating questionnaire, interview, and observation data. Process evaluation results showed that the eight Toolbox-training topics were relevant and useful for the majority of the foremen, who experienced positive changes in their daily work methods and interactions with their crews, colleagues, leaders, customers and other construction professions. The program is a unique contribution to leadership training in the construction industry, and can potentially be applied and adapted in many other sectors. However, there is still a need for testing the long-term effects of the program on safety climate, injuries and business in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A survey of 4,202 Danish workplaces compares OHS efforts of adopters and non-adopters of Certified OHS Management Systems (COHSMSs). • Two main dimensions of the OHS efforts are evaluated: the 'systematic process-related' OHS efforts and the 'content-related' OHS efforts. • Adopters of COHSMSs have a higher overall level of both systematic process-related OHS efforts and content-related OHS efforts, compared to non-adopters. • The study therefore supports the assumption that COHSMS adopters generally perform a higher level of OHS management than non-adopters do. Certified occupational health and safety management systems (COHSMSs) continue to grow in popularity and to diffuse to new industries. This study investigated differences in occupational health and safety efforts between adopters and non-adopters of COHSMSs. We used cross-sectional survey data from 4,202 Danish workplaces from all sectors to compare self-reported occupational health and safety efforts in workplaces with a COHSMS and workplaces without a COHSMS. The 'systematic process-related OHS efforts' and 'content-related OHS efforts' were scored on five and seven scales, respectively, for both adopters and non-adopters. The results of linear regression analysis revealed significantly lower score values for non-adopters than for adopters of COHSMSs, which means certified workplaces perform better than non-certified workplaces in both process-related and content-related OHS activities. We conclude that COHSMSs workplaces have a higher overall level of efforts for both process and content OHS activities. The study therefore supports the assumption that COHSMS adopters provide a higher level of OHS management than non-adopters, and that using the company's OHS performance as merely 'window dressing' is not a general feature of adopters. However, the results also indicate that a small group of COHSMS adopters has a considerably lower level of OHS effort than non-adopters, which implies that the certification system does not necessarily secure a high level of OHS management for all adopters. Furthermore, a small group of adopters have high process activities and low content activities, suggesting a decoupling between the systematic OHS processes and the specific preventive activities in the workplace, which could be a sign of window dressing. Further research is needed to establish the possible effects on health and safety outcomes, such as lost-time injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Problem: This study estimated the hazard ratio for disability pension retirement (DPR) for persons who have experienced a work injury causing absence lasting at least one day after the accidental injury occurred and to estimate the fraction of DPR attributable to work injuries. Methods: : A total of 4,217 male and 4,105 female employees from a national survey were followed up for subsequent DPR. Results and impact on industry and government: : Having had a work injury was a strong predictor of DPR among men. After control for age, smoking, body mass index, body postures, and physical demands, the hazard ratio (HR) among those employees who had ever experienced a work injury was 1.80 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.20-2.68). No association was found among women. Summary: : Having had a reportable work injury is a strong predictor of subsequent DPR for men. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• There is a need for new ways of learning how to work safe for young workers. • Especially for the unskilled it is difficult to balance safety with other norms. • Safety learning concerns not only young workers but the workplace culture as a whole. Despite efforts to reduce risk by providing young workers with safety knowledge and direct them to ways of working safe, injury rates are still relatively high in this group, which point to shortcomings in the understanding of the mechanisms that are important for safety learning. Therefore, in this article we will explore the mechanisms that are involved in safety learning of young newly employed workers. We draw on data from (participant) observation with 33 young workers during their first three months at work in the metal work sector, in elderly care, and in the retail sector. The analysis point to safety learning among young newly employed workers as more than a question about giving them information about safety issues. Through experiential learning, the formal safety information they are given is at times overturned, filtered through the everyday dilemmas of the work and through normalisations of risky practices at the workplace. The results point to safety learning as an integral part of the way that these workers are inducted to and engaged in the everyday dilemmas and handling of tasks at the workplace, such as helping colleagues or debating the correct ways of doing the job. Without being trained through debating and discussing the canons and practical application of correct practice, further reduction of risks and thereby injuries at work will potentially be difficult to achieve. Following this, reducing the risk of injury among young workers must largely be based on improvements targeted not only new young workers, but in the organisational safety practice as such. This will potentially improve the safety of new workers as well as senior employees in the workplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]