Integrating safety,health and environmental management systems: A conceptual framework for achieving lean enterprise outcomes

IntroductionExpectations from external stakeholders for eco-safe products and production processes and internal stakeholders for transparent, stable, and robust environment, safety, and health operations have driven high technology organizations to adopt multipart management systems. Organizations can protect workers and the environment and simultaneously contribute to lean management principles by implementing integrated management systems. This research adds to the existing discourse and theory pertaining to the integration of environment, safety, and health management systems. Methods: The research was exploratory and inductive in nature and used mixed methods. Specifically, qualitative methods included use of an iterated Delphi method to elicit information from a panel of experts and detailed case studies conducted at four high technology performance manufacturing firms, while quantitative analysis of variance of correlated data investigated the within-firm and between-firm variability in motivating factors for adopting integrated systems and methods used for implementing integrated systems. Results: The results offer an integrated-lean management system framework and the strategies available and used by a sample of high technology performance organizations to simultaneously protect workers, the environment, and support lean enterprise outcomes. Practical applications: Organizations can protect workers, the environment, and simultaneously contribute to lean management principles by implementing integrated management systems requiring joint management that allow for the shared design, evaluation, and continuous improvement of environmental, safety, and health practices that are compatible with the lean enterprise movement in today’s high-performance driven organizations.     

Making work environment auditable – A ‘critical case’ study of certified occupational health and safety management systems in Denmark

This paper discusses the impact of certification on occupational health and safety management (OHSM) systems. Most research in the field has focused on how well such systems comply with voluntary standards such as OHSAS 18001 or with national and international legislation. However, this paper shows that even in cases of compliance, the certified systems have problems dealing with a range of contemporary complex work environment issues. Furthermore, certification also transforms the kinds of topics addressed and the procedures and activities applied in the system. Using the (in many ways successful) development of certified OHSM system in a manufacturing company in Denmark as a critical case, we demonstrate how certified OHSM systems unintentionally yet actively create an environment of ‘measurable and auditable facts’ shaped not only in response to legal and market demands for a safe work environment, but also as a consequence of the external demands for a visible and accountable work environment standard. We show how certified OHSM systems function like a hinge between internal operations and an external audience in a globalized market, thus giving priority to work environment issues that may later become demonstrable guarantees for a safe and healthy work environment. Thus the certified management system does not necessarily tackle the most urgent work environment issues and may exclude important aspects of the work environment such as psychosocial factors.     

Rail ruminations for process safety improvement

Process safety practices have undergone multiple refinements over the past few decades, but major accidents continue to occur. Most organizations strive to improve performance by strengthening existing methods or by adopting new and/or different approaches. Central to these continual improvement efforts is the practice of applying lessons learned as a means to drive out potential risk exposures. Often, lessons learned may be transferred from other industries; indeed, high-performing organizations regularly benchmark practices outside of their immediate industry.In pursuit of continual process safety improvement, this paper examines risk management practices in the Rail Industry, and explores how methods intended for managing passenger and public rail safety may be transferred to drive continual improvement of process safety. Rail safety has its roots in engineered safety solutions; modern practices have additionally embraced the human aspects of safety performance. A selection of approaches for rail safety assessment and risk management are described in three areas considered fundamental to safety management: management of systems, management of technology, and management of human elements. In light of these examples, the authors provide views regarding how the field of process safety management may leverage the rail experience.     

OHSAS 18001 certification and work accidents: Shedding light on the connection

Introduction: The implications of OHSAS 18001 for substantive Occupational Health and Safety outcomes such, as a reduction in work accidents, have been under-researched in the scholarly literature. The impact of this standard on other aspects of performance, such as profitability and productivity, has attracted more attention. Method: This article aims to fill this gap by shedding light on the relationship between OHSAS 18001 certification and the rates of minor, serious, and fatal accidents per employee at work experienced in certified and non-certified companies. Results: Based on an analysis of a sample of 5,147 Spanish firms, the findings show that OHSAS 18001 certification is only loosely related with better occupational health and safety performance measured in terms of rate of accidents at work. A propensity for OHSAS 18001 certification to be found in economic sectors of activity with worse occupational health and safety outcomes in terms of rate of work-related accidents is identified. There is evidence of a negative selection-effect of the main international management standard for occupational health and safety. Potential distortions and biases that may be related to these and other findings in the scholarly literature are analyzed. Managerial implications of the main findings, implications for policy makers, and avenues for future research are discussed.     

建筑施工企业建立OSHMS安全管理绩效分析

在对24家建筑施工企业安全管理绩效的系统调查的基础上,从通过职业安全健康管理体系认证企业建立之前与之后的纵向对比以及未建立、正在建立及已通过认证企业之间的横向对比,分析探讨了其差异产生的原因,表明建立职业安全健康管理体系有利于提高建筑施工企业安全管理绩效及管理水平     

Relation between occupational safety management and firm performance

Occupational accidents severely deteriorate human capital, and hence negatively affect the productivity and competitiveness of countries. But despite this, we still observe a scarcity of preventive practices, an unsatisfactory management commitment and an absence of safety culture among Spanish firms. The result is evident in firms’ high accident rates. This situation is a consequence of the general belief among firms that investing in safety is a cost, and hence has negative repercussions for their competitiveness. The current work aims to identify good practices in safety management, and analyse the effect of these practices on a set of indicators of organisational performance. For this, we first carry out an exhaustive literature review, and then formulate a series of hypotheses. We then test the proposed model on a sample of 455 Spanish firms. Our findings show that safety management has a positive influence on safety performance, competitiveness performance, and economic-financial performance. Hence they provide evidence of the compatibility between worker protection and corporate competitiveness.     

企业系统化安全管理的主要问题及成因分析

针对系统化安全管理实践中存在着安全管理体系建立的模板化、安全管理体系运行的形式化、安全管理体系持续改进的无效化等问题,提出要提高安全管理绩效,首先纠正企业对系统化安全管理的认知偏差,统一企业不同管理层次的认识;其次是用正确的安全管理方法论作指导,开展系统化安全管理实践;三是匹配企业安全管理实践与系统化要求,发挥和协调不同管理主体的参与,对危险源进行动态化管理,有效实施绩效监测与改进。总之,企业系统化安全管理不能作为单纯的一项工作或任务来完成,必须以解决企业的具体安全生产问题为目标;系统化安全管理是一个持续优化的动态过程,既要把握安全管理系统化的要求,也要有效开展安全管理系统化实践。     

A method for assessing health and safety management systems from the resilience engineering perspective

This article introduces a method for assessing health and safety management systems (MAHS) that has two innovative characteristics: (a) it brings together the three main auditing approaches to health and safety (HS) – the structural approach (which assesses the system prescribed), the operational approach (which assesses what is really happening on the shop-floor) and the performance approach (which assesses the results of performance indicators); (b) it emphasizes the resilience engineering perspective on HS, which takes into consideration four major principles (flexibility, learning, awareness, and top management commitment). Such principles underlie seven major assessment criteria, which in turn are divided into items (e.g. hazard identification from a resilience perspective is an item that belongs to the criteria of production processes). The items are sub-divided into statements, which are the requirements that should be assessed based on interviews, analysis of documents and direct observations. Within the 112 requirements proposed, 38 of them have clear links with at least one out of the four resilience engineering principles adopted. The remaining requirements are based on traditional assumptions underlying the so-called best practices of HS management. The results of the assessment for each item are expressed by a score on a scale of compliance with the established requirements, ranging from 0% to 100%. The specific score within that scale is obtained from tables used to assess applications for the Brazilian national quality award. The MAHS was tested in a case study that was carried out in a factory that manufactures automobile exhaust systems, located in Brazil.     

EMS与OSHMS的整合研究

近年来 ,在环境管理体系和职业安全健康管理体系的建立、认证和持续改进的实践中 ,企业、咨询与认证机构都发现 ,两体系独立建立、完善和持续改进 ,不断提升中 ,仍存在一些问题 ,人们提出 ,实现两大管理体系的整合 ,不仅有利于企业对环境管理和职业安全健康管理的资源共享 ,而且也是顺应国际认证发展的潮流。为此 ,笔者论述了两大管理体系整合的原因 ;讨论了整合的基本原则和难点 ;分析了两大管理体系整合的基本思路 ;研究了ESH整合型管理体系的实现过程。     

Mechanical Equipment Injuries in Small Manufacturing Businesses. Knowledge,Behavioral, and Management Issues

This paper presents findings from an extensive study intofactors that impact upon the high rate of injuries due to mechanical equipment, especially in small manufacturing firms. Issues relating to knowledge of health and safety issues and to management practices have been shown to be extremely important with regards to safety in smaii businesses. Knowledge and awareness of hazards were found to be relatively low and few respondents, especially managers, had received adequate safety training. Managers did not regard the identification and control of risks as a priority. Workplaces generally lacked effective safety management procedures such as safety rules and regulations, procedures for recording and learning from accidents, and clearly defined responsibilities for safety. Some issues requiring further investigation, and some recommendations for improving safety in small businesses, are presented.     

基于OSHMS的煤矿模糊综合安全评价管理模型的建立

针对目前我国煤矿企业安全管理现状,以一种全新的思路结合职业安全健康管理体系(OSHMS)的系统化体系结构及其先进之处,以预防为主,持续改进为动力,建立了基于生产过程的绩效测量、人员职责分配、运行控制和风险管理为核心的4个主要因素的安全评价管理模型;并以此为指导建立安全评价指标体系框架,运用模糊综合安全评价的方法对指标体系进行合成;最后,结合矿井生产过程中的供电系统,对淮南潘三矿现场进行实例应用,证明其可行性。该管理模型对煤矿企业安全管理有推广和借鉴意义,可望为煤矿企业通过安全管理实现科技兴安提供一种更可靠,更有效的安全管理方法。     

美国职业安全健康标准体系现状研

为提高我国安全生产标准化水平,进一步发挥标准的技术支撑作用,收集了美国职业安全健康标准有关资料,对美国职业安全健康标准的分类、管理机构和管理模式、标准体系构成等进行了系统的梳理,归纳了美国金属非金属矿山（包括露天和井下）职业安全健康技术法规体系和职业安全健康技术法规体系（矿山除外）的要素构成,以及各要素规范的主要技术内容,分析了美国职业安全健康标准及标准体系的特点。为完善我国安全生产标准体系,加强标准制修订工作以及相关标准科研工作提供依据和参考     

Worker influence on voluntary OHS management systems – A review of its ends and means

Voluntary management systems (MS) might improve occupational health and safety (OHS). MSs, as with any OHS management, requires worker influence (and management commitment) to reduce risks at work. Influence through union backed safety representatives (or similar) achieves the best OHS results. However, a MS guarantees neither effective OHS management nor strong worker influence. Systematic violations of legal requirements have repeatedly caused accidents at workplaces with certified MSs. Why employers introduce MS’s can affect their implementation and outcomes. Internal objectives, of productivity and/or work-related health, require upstream prevention and a genuine influence by workers and their safety representatives. However, managers with external objectives for a MS, such as brand images or low reported accident figures, may pursue such objectives through downstream control of safe behaviour – sometimes suppressing accident reporting – and with little attention to more serious long-term diseases. Worker consultation may then be a limited means of enhancing safety, or to one-way communication on safety rules. Such consultation may even be used for union busting. Many trade unions welcome MSs as possible improvement instruments, but they are also wary of what MSs employers are actually trying to implement. Unions try to support their safety representatives’ influence in a MS by enhancing their rights and their competences. If the motives for MSs are mainly external and the opportunities for influence too limited, it may be better for unions not to cooperate with management in a MS that may lead more to manipulation than to safe and sound work.     

Triangular typology approach to studying performance management systems in high-tech firms

To reflect the needs of high-tech firms and high-tech employees a set of interrelated models (triangular typology) of performance management systems is developed. The triangular typology articulates and aligns the elements in the performance management process and it expands on traditional binary models by adding a third (high-tech) dimension for each element. It is hypothesized that high-tech employees prefer the ‘high-tech’ dimensions over the other two dimensions of each triangle. A mail questionnaire is used to collect data on the actual and desired performance management practices. All but one of the hypotheses are supported. The ‘actual’ practices are mostly in the traditional corner of the triangle. The disparity between the level of actual practices and the level of desired practices indicates that high-tech employees are not well served by current performance management systems.     

Successful health and safety management. The contribution of management audit

Auditing the health and safety performance of organisations is now recognised as an essential ingredient of successful health and safety management systems. The audit protocol — the question sets—is, however, only one of a number of factors which determine the end value of auditing. The competence of auditors, their insights into the organisations subject to scrutiny, their independence and the feedback and decision making processes that help organisations to review and change the way they operate are equally important. Much of the process of auditing needs to be systematic, methodical and scientific. However the art of the informed analysis and inspired interpretation can also add value to the total management process. Auditing alone will not prevent accidents and injuries. Health and safety management systems do that. Auditing seeks to assess the efficiency effectiveness of the systems. Informed management action must then follow, to maintain and improve them. This paper outlines five essential components of health and safety management; policy making, organising, planning, performance measurement and review which provide the environment in which effective auditing systems operate. It is derived from the work of HSE's Accident Prevention Advisory Unit and the advice published in “Successful Health and Safety Management” in 1991.     

Challenges in performing technical safety reviews of modifications – A case study

The aim of the present study, is to identify strengths and weaknesses of the technical safety review process at a Swedish Nuclear Power Plant (NPP). In this context, the function of safety reviews are understood as expert judgements on proposals for design modifications¹ and redesign of technical systems (i.e. commercial nuclear reactors), supported by formalised safety review processes. The chosen methodology is using two complementary methods: interviews of personnel performing safety reviews, and analysis of safety review reports from 2005 to 2009.The study shows that personal integrity is a trademark of the review staff and there are sufficient support systems to ensure high quality. The partition between primary and independent review is positive, having different focus and staff with different skills and perspectives making the reviews, which implies supplementary roles. The process contributes to “getting the right things done the right way”. The study also shows that though efficient communication, feedback, processes for continuous improvement, and “learning organizations” are well known success factors in academia, it is not that simple to implement and accomplish in real life.It is argued that future applications of safety review processes should focus more on communicating and clarifying the process and its adherent requirements, and improve the feedback system within the process.     

Development of a scale for assessing the organization's safety performance based fuzzy ANP

Traditionally, safety performance is assessed through statistical analyses of incident data, known as lagging indicators. Lagging indicators are not useful since the goal of founding safety management systems is the continuous improvement. In this study, a scale was established and validated to assess the elements that affect the organization safety. The fuzzy analytic network process (FANP) procedure was applied to weigh the elements and to reveal the influence of various structures for the proposed scales on the safety performance indicator. A 120-item scale was developed following the interview process to examine the factors that affect safety performance. Based on the face validity results, eight items were removed. The mean value of the instrument's validity index was 0.79. According to the FANP results, the organizational factor had the highest weight load of 0.465, whereas the environmental factor, with a weight of 0.209, had the least effect on the organization's safety performance index. An analysis of the study data showed that the designed scale can be used as an objective and simple tool to evaluate the factors that affect safety performance.     

Management practices as antecedents of safety culture within the trucking industry: similarities and differences by hierarchical level

PROBLEM: A homogeneous perception of safety is important for the achievement of a strong safety culture; however, employees may differ in their safety perceptions, depending on their position and/or hierarchical level within the organization. Moreover, there is limited information on the antecedents of safety culture. This study examines how safety training, driver scheduling autonomy, opportunity for safety input, and management commitment to safety influence individuals' perceptions of safety culture. METHOD: Data for this study were drawn from 116 trucking firms, stratified by three safety performance levels. The data were collected from drivers (lowest hierarchical level), dispatchers (medium hierarchical level), and safety directors (highest hierarchical level), regarding their perceptions of their respective corporate safety cultures. Perceptions of safety culture were analyzed through a linear regression using dummy variables to differentiate among the three hierarchical groups. The resulting model allowed for examination of the specific antecedents of safety culture for the three employee groups and the extent to which the hierarchical groups were in agreement with each other. RESULTS: Driver fatigue training, driver opportunity for safety input, and top management commitment to safety were perceived to be integral determinants of safety culture in all three groups. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: Trucking firms seeking to strengthen employees' perceptions of safety culture might begin by improving these safety management practices while appreciating that they may have a different impact depending on the employee's hierarchical position (e.g., drivers' perceptions of safety culture are more influenced by top management commitment and driver fatigue training). A fourth safety practice examined, driver scheduling autonomy, was not found to be instrumental in shaping safety culture for any of the three hierarchical levels. Consistent with previous research, implementation of stronger safety cultures should result in fewer accidents.     

基于信息化技术的安全生产标准化与HSE-MS集成管理

随着我国工业现代进程不断深入,安全生产、职业健康和环境保护日益受到重视,很多企业同时建立了安全生产标准化和HSE管理体系,这两种体系同时并存,在一定程度上增加了企业安全管理的复杂程度。为了提高管理效率,集成管理,通过对比分析二者的原理、方法、要素、流程和考核指标等因素,探讨了二者集成管理的可行性,并提出了一种基于信息化技术消除重复管理点,实现集成管理的方法。该方法能实现二者方法、要素和流程的有效集成,管理业务流程的“自动化”和便捷的流程优化再造,不但提高了管理效率,而且也为管理者提供了有效的决策支持。     

IBM公司的职业安全健康管理

简要介绍了国际商务机器 (IBM)公司 ,在职业健康安全管理中取得的重大成效 ,并具体介绍了IBM公司部分有特色的健康安全管理实践 ,以期能够对国内同行们起到一定的借鉴与参考作用