Employee ownership and worker participation: Effects on health and safety

doi:10.1016/0165-1765(92)90269-5

Economics Letters

Volume 39, Issue 3, July 1992, Pages 323-328

https://doi.org/10.1016/0165-1765(92)90269-5 Get rights and content

Abstract

I exam empirically the effects of employee ownership and worker participation on health and safety in firms. Employee ownership and participation are found to significantly affect health and safety incidence at the firm level.

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OSHA, plant safety programs, and injury reduction
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Sherwin Rosen
The theory of equalizing differences

There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (12)

Comparative analysis of creative and classic training methods in health, safety and environment (HSE) participation improvement
2012, Journal of Loss Prevention in the Process Industries
Citation Excerpt :
Further, involving supervisors in accident prevention decisions builds trust, commitment and good will, which leads to increased job satisfaction and ultimately improved health, safety and environmental (HSE) performance (Probst & Estrada, 2010; Seppala, 1995). One of the basic principles of participation promoting is proved to be appropriate education and training conducted in different methods (Limbo, Peterson, & Pridham, 2003; Rooney, 1992; Seppala, 1995). Although several studies have confirmed the effect of training in participation improvement (Fakhrul Razi, Iyuke, Hassan, & Aini, 2003; Mohammad Fam & Moghimbeigi, 2009; Rall, Ev, & Staender, 2011), there have not been researches on comparison of different training methods as well as determining their consistency.
The increasing trend of deaths and injuries in industries has led their authorities to develop accident investigation plans. One of the underlying aspects of such plans is hazard identification and incidents reporting which can be met by an appropriate employees’ participation. So far, several studies have confirmed the effect of training in participation improvement. So the main objective of the present study was to compare two training approaches, classic and creative, in improving health, safety and environment (HSE) supervisors’ participation.
The study was carried out in an Iranian petrochemical complex where the safety supervisors had been encouraged to report incidents through the Green Card system. Classic and creative training approaches were applied to increase supervisors’ participation. To do so, the supervisors were divided into Case and Control groups. In order to determine the level of supervisors’ participation, the mean of completed green cards by each person at six month intervals was used. In this way, the level of participation in the two groups was measured before, during and after the intervention. To analyze the results, Student’s t-test, Longitudinal Data Analysis and Mixed Model were employed.
The results showed that both during and after the intervention, the effect of the creative approach was more than that of the classic approach. After twelve months of intervention stop, the participation trend in both groups was downward. However, this decrease was only significant in the control group.
To conclude, the creative approach emphasizing on the participatory training could be an effective approach in improving the safety and consequently the health of supervisors in industries.
The reality of "revitalizing Health and Safety"
2001, Journal of Safety Research
Problem: Workplace health and safety remains an important international socioeconomic issue, but the progressive declines in reported incidents may be slowing. The British Government has responded by launching a new policy initiative aimed at “Revitalizing Health and Safety” by establishing targets for improvement, strategies, and a series of action points, mainly targeting employers and organizational issues. This paper critically assesses the realities of implementing this policy with respect to the scientific base for each of the strategies. Method: Literature meta-analysis; analysis of policy. Results: Empirically proven determinants of workplace health and safety provide baselines for compensation and conditions of work, workforce characteristics, workplace characteristics, health and safety environment, political and economic factors, and industry characteristics. Support for different policy elements is varied and there are some significant gaps. Summary: An impressive body of research was found that offers a firm foundation for future developments. However, the need for work that is interdisciplinary, ordered, and collaborative is pressing. The need to move away from elegant but simplistic pictures of occupational health and safety (OHS) management practice, and to reflect true complexity is imperative. The reality of health and safety at work is that it is an issue that is taken lightly by those who do not practice or research safe and healthy working, and a serious issue for victims or relatives of victims of shoddy management. It remains one of the bastions of inequality of work worldwide. Impact on industry: The intent of governments in attempting to reinvigorate the suppression of workplace injury and illness is motivated by both social and economic imperatives. Motivation for organizations is not fully understood as there is no obvious business imperative. If organizations can further understand and provide a scientific justification for investment in OHS management, then governments' task will be made easier. By proving the value of OHS to management, we will demonstrate that organizations continue to present considerable hazards to their employees.
An employee-centered framework for healthy workplaces: implementing a critically holistic, participative, and structural model through the Equitable Food Initiative
2023, Journal of Applied Communication Research
Understanding Safety Management Practices and Safety Performance amid Coronavirus (Covid-19) Pandemic among Nurses in Public Hospitals
2023, International Journal of Public Administration
The impact of hazards control practices on injuries and accidents in textile industry
2022, Industria Textila
Impact of employee shareholding on workplace safety
2020, Sigurnost

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^∗: Thanks to Paul Carlin and Robert Sandy for helpful comments.

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Employee ownership and worker participation: Effects on health and safety

Abstract

OSHA, plant safety programs, and injury reduction

Industrial Relations

Worker participation and occupational health hazards: The economic connection

Labor Studies Journal

Effects of worker participation in the United States: Managers' perceptions, vs. empirical measures

The theory of equalizing differences