A novel tool for evaluating occupational health and safety performance in small and medium-sized enterprises: The case of the Quebec forestry/pulp and paper industry.

Efforts to prevent work-related injuries have met with tangible success in industrialized countries. In Quebec, workplace accidents and occupational illness have declined sharply since the end of the 1990s. However, there is still considerable room for improvement in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Expert specialists in accident prevention in SMEs are overloaded. Their interventions are repetitive and not personalised. Few tools are available for accelerating the process of evaluating occupational health and safety (OHS) performance. The aim of this research project was to address this deficiency by proposing a novel OHS performance evaluation tool better adapted to SMEs. For this purpose, research was carried out in two distinct phases. The first phase led to the theoretical model on which the tool is based. The second phase was carried out using an action research approach. The proposed tool was designed and improved during this phase, through field-testing and the involvement of a Quebec industrial partner. In spite of the limitations of this research, we have succeeded in developing a new tool with software support adapted specifically for the evaluation of OHS performance in SMEs. Upon completion of the project, a tested and improved version of the tool was delivered to the industrial partner. Experts in accident prevention have found the tool to be reliable and helpful. It has accelerated the identification of deficiencies in OHS management in several SMEs and has helped specialists to develop personalized and better-focused plans of action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]