The Management of Occupational Health and Safety: Managers’ Perceptions of the Challenges, Necessary Support and Organisational Measures to support Managers

The management of occupational health and safety (OHS) in the workplace imposes a regulatory, moral and economic obligation on organisations, while the successful management of OHS contributes to both employees’ well-being and organisational performance. Hence, aspects of OHS are increasingly embodied in the overall management system of organisations and included in the managerial activities. Managers at different organisational levels play a significant role in improving OHS, with their commitment to OHS being generally considered one of the most important factors that influence successful OHS management and culture. Nevertheless, the management of OHS may be very dependent on individual managers within organisations, whereas it should actually be based on regulatory requirements and organisation-specific OHS policies and procedures. There exists a need to support managers so as to achieve real advances in OHS. In order to support both organisations and managers in the continuous improvement of OHS, information regarding effective OHS management is needed. Accordingly, information is required concerning the challenges that managers face, as well as how they can best be supported in relation to OHS management.This study discusses the management of OHS as an aspect of managerial work and from managers’ point of view. The qualitative study aims to develop new knowledge regarding the challenges and necessary support associated with managing OHS, as well as to suggest organisational measures that can be applied to support managers’ OHSrelated work. The results are based on the prior OHS literature and three empirical substudies. In sub-study 1, thematic interviews (n=17) and qualitative inquiries (n=55) were carried out with top, middle and frontline managers from three public service organisations (a governmental expert organisation, a municipal social and healthcare service unit and a public vocational education organisation). In sub-study 2, thematic interviews (n=49) were carried out with middle and frontline managers from five industrial companies (a chemical processing company, an energy production company and three industrial service companies). In sub-study 3, a literature review and related categorisation were supplemented with thematic interviews (n=17) in a governmental expert organisation. The results of the sub-studies were used in the construction of a conceptual framework of organisational measures intended to support managers with regards to OHS management. The study approaches OHS management from the managers’ viewpoint, which has only rarely been studied.According to the participating managers, the most challenging OHS management situations found in public organisations are related to the psychosocial risks contained within the work environment. The managers considered their employees’ mental overload, instances of negligence and the consideration of individual needs to be difficult OHS issues to manage. Due to the current economic situation and the associated lack of resources, the managers perceived both pressure and concern in relation to their employees’ well-being. In the industrial organisations, managerial overload, production pressure and role conflicts were perceived as the main factors that hinder the managers' commitment to OHS. However, the managers did not request more resources from upper management, presumably due to the tight economic situation. In order to cope with difficult OHS situations, the managers focused on individual relations and emotional support from their immediate superior, their colleagues, and OHS and human resources (HR) professionals.The conceptual framework of organisational measures intended to support managers in OHS management includes top management support regarding OHS management, uniform and simple OHS procedures, and the systematic development of OHS management. Developing consistent OHS attitudes and commitment among all the managers requires strong support on the part of top management. An emphasis on leadership development is important for managers to be able to motivate their employees’ OHS participation and compliance and, hence, improve OHS performance. Existing management development practices, for example, management training, can provide easy ways to incorporate OHS management and leadership perspectives into general management development. Developing the support, resources and understanding of managers in relation to OHS may considerably improve both employees’ well-being and the performance of organisations.This dissertation contributes to the research by providing new knowledge regarding OHS management from the managers’ point of view, in the organisational context and in relation to organisational performance. Moreover, it provides a research-based conceptual framework for evaluating and developing OHS management within various organisations. The dissertation also provides a practical contribution by discussing OHS management as an integral part of general management and by pointing out the managers’ central role in improving OHS. Moreover, it suggests practical organisational measures to support managers and promote their consistent commitment to OHS.Työterveyden ja -turvallisuuden (TTT) johtamiselle on organisaatioissa lainsäädännön asettamia, moraalisia ja taloudellisia velvoitteita, ja onnistunut TTT-johtaminen tukee työntekijöiden hyvinvointia ja organisaatioiden suorituskykyä. TTT-näkökohdat sisältyvät yhä enenevissä määrin organisaatioiden johtamisjärjestelmiin ja esimiesten tehtäviin. Eri organisaatiotasojen esimiehillä on merkittävä rooli TTT:n edistämisessä, ja heidän sitoutumisensa työterveyden ja turvallisuuden kehittämiseen on yksi tärkeimmistä tekijöistä TTT-johtamisen onnistumisessa. Kuitenkin joissain organisaatioissa TTTjohtaminen on hyvin henkilösidonnaista, kun sen pitäisi perustus lainsäädännön vaatimuksiin ja organisaation TTT-politiikkaan ja menettelytapoihin. Esimiehiä on tarpeen tukea, jotta TTT:ssä voidaan saavuttaa aitoa kehitystä. Jotta organisaatioita ja esimiehiä voidaan tukea TTT:n jatkuvassa kehittämisessä, tarvitaan tietoa tehokkaasta TTT-johtamisesta. Lisäksi tietoa tarvitaan niistä vaikeuksista, joita esimiehet kokevat ja niistä keinoista, joilla esimiehiä voidaan tukea TTT-johtamisessa.Tämä tutkimus tarkastelee TTT-johtamista osana esimiestyötä esimiesten näkökulmasta. Tämän laadullisen tutkimuksen tavoitteena on tuottaa uutta tietoa niistä vaikeuksista ja tuen tarpeista, joita esimiehet kokevat TTT-johtamisessa. Lisäksi tutkimuksessa esitetään organisatorisia keinoja, joilla esimiehiä voidaan tukea TTTjohtamisessa. Tulokset perustuvat TTT-johtamisen aiempaan tutkimukseen ja kolmeen empiiriseen osatutkimukseen. Osatutkimuksen 1 aineistona olivat eri organisaatiotasojen esimiesten teemahaastattelut (n=17) ja laadulliset kyselyt (n=55) kolmessa julkisessa organisaatiossa (valtion asiantuntijaorganisaatio, kunnallinen sosiaali- ja terveyspalvelujen yksikkö sekä ammatillinen oppilaitos). Osatutkimuksen 2 aineistona olivat keskijohdon ja lähiesimiesten teemahaastattelut (n=49) viidessä teollisessa organisaatiossa (kemianteollisuus, energiantuotanto sekä kolme teollisten palvelujen tarjoajaa). Osatutkimuksessa 3 kirjallisuuden perusteella laadittua luokittelua täydennettiin teemahaastatteluilla (n=17) valtion asiantuntijaorganisaatiossa. Näiden osatutkimusten tulosten perustella rakennettiin viitekehys niistä organisatorisista keinoista, joilla esimiehiä voidaan tukea TTT-johtamisessa. Tässä tutkimuksessa TTTjohtamista tarkastellaan esimiesten omien kokemusten ja tuen tarpeen näkökulmista, joita on aiemmin tutkittu varsin vähän.Esimiesten kokemat vaikeat tilanteet TTT-johtamisessa liittyivät julkisella sektorilla tyypillisesti työympäristön psykososiaalisiin riskeihin. Esimiehet pitivät vaikeina johtamistilanteina erityisesti työntekijöiden henkistä ylikuormittumista, laiminlyöntejä ja yksilöllisten tarpeiden huomioimista. Nykyisestä taloustilanteesta ja resurssien niukkuudesta johtuen esimiehet kokivat painetta ja kantoivat huolta työntekijöiden hyvinvoinnista. Teollisissa organisaatioissa esimiesten oma ylikuormittuminen, tuotannolliset paineet sekä rooliristiriidat olivat tekijöitä, jotka vaikeuttivat esimiesten sitoutumista TTT-johtamiseen. Esimiehet eivät kuitenkaan vaatineet lisää resursseja ylemmiltä esimiehiltä oletettavasti kireästä taloustilanteesta johtuen. Selviytyäkseen vaikeissa tilanteissa esimiehet keskittyivät henkilösuhteisiin ja hakivat emotionaalista tukea omalta esimieheltään, työtovereiltaan sekä TTT- ja henkilöstöasiantuntijoilta.Viitekehys organisatorisista keinoista esimiesten tukemiseksi TTT-johtamisessa sisältää ylimmän johdon tuen TTT-johtamiseen, yhtenäiset ja yksinkertaiset TTT-toimintatavat sekä suunnitelmallisen TTT-johtamisen kehittämisen. Esimiesten yhtenäisten TTTasenteiden ja sitoutumisen kehittäminen edellyttää ylimmän johdon vahvaa tukea. Johtajuuden korostaminen on tärkeää, jotta esimiehet osaavat motivoida työntekijöitä noudattamaan turvallisuusohjeita ja osallistumaan turvallisuuden kehittämiseen ja siten parantamaan TTT-tasoa. Olemassaolevat johtamisen kehittämisen käytännöt, kuten johtamiskoulutus, voivat tarjota luontevan keinon sisällyttää TTT-johtamisen ja – johtajuuden näkökulmat yleiseen johtamisen kehittämiseen. Kehittämällä esimiesten tukea, resursseja ja ymmärrystä liittyen TTT-johtamiseen voidaan organisaatioissa parantaa merkittävästi työntekijöiden hyvinvointia ja suorituskykyä.Tämä tutkimus tuottaa uutta tietoa TTT-johtamisesta esimiesten näkökulmasta organisaatiokontekstissa ja suhteessa organisaation suorituskykyyn. Lisäksi tutkimus tarjoaa käytäntöön perustuvan viitekehyksen TTT-johtamisen arvioimiseen ja kehittämiseen erilaisissa organisaatioissa. Tutkimus tarkastelee TTT-johtamista olennaisena osana muuta johtamista ja korostaa esimiesten keskeistä roolia TTT-tason parantamisessa. Lisäksi tutkimus esittää käytäntöön perustuvia organisatorisia keinoja esimiesten tukemiseen ja heidän sitoutumisensa edistämiseen

Challenges and Needs for Support in Managing Occupational Health and Safety from Managers’ Viewpoints

Proper working conditions and successful occupational health and safety (OHS) management help organizations achieve their targets and support the quality of working life and performance. Work-related stress, conflicts, work ability issues, ill health, and other challenging OHS situations in the workplace may impede the well-being and productivity of employees. According to OHS legislation, employers are responsible for managing risks and solving problems in the work community. Challenging situations can be viewed from the perspective of efficiency, since their economic effects may be remarkable. The objective of this study is to describe the challenging OHS situations managers encounter and the support they require in these situations. The results are based on thematic interviews and inquiries with top, middle, and front-line managers in three Finnish public sector service organizations. The most challenging OHS management situations are related to the administration of work under high economic pressure and constant changes in the work community, managing employee workload and time pressures, providing feedback, facilitating collaboration, and managing conflict. The managers’ own understandings, competences, and resources, as well as organizational supports, have an effect on successful resolutions of challenging OHS management situations

Designing a map for measuring and managing safety performance

Objectives. The purpose of this study is to present a model-the safety performance map-that specifies the key factors influencing organizations' safety performance and suggests the relationships between the identified factors. There is a need for an exhaustive illustration of the path leading to occupational health and safety (OHS) supporting in measuring, managing, and developing OHS proactively. Methods. A qualitative multiple-case study consisted of three stages: design, iteration and testing of the created model. An interview study was conducted in four companies from different industries, and later the model was tested in three complementary companies. The companies involved represented the metal, food, forest, and chemical industries; industrial services; and infrastructure and house construction. Results. The study identified a total of 42 individual factors that fall under the following seven main perspectives on OHS: OHS management, OHS leadership, structure, processes, culture, individual behavior, and performance. Conclusions. The study suggested the safety performance map to illustrate the path leading to OHS and indicative causal relationships between the factors affecting it. The same factors affecting OHS recur in all the included industrial contexts. The study answers the call for proactive performance measurement and more balanced measurement systems for safety.publishedVersionPeer reviewe

Assessing the Success of Risk Assessment and Factors Affecting Its Success

Even though risk assessment is an important factor in occupational health and safety (OHS) promotion and accident prevention, there are no clear definition of when the risk assessment is successful nor instructions on how to evaluate it. Inadequate risk assessments lead to ineffective safety prevention programs, inefficient use of resources, and criticism towards risk assessment. If decisions are based on misleading results, significant sources of risks are failed to eliminate or reduce.Certain factors have been recognized in the literature to affect the quality of a risk assessment, including initial assumptions, chosen method, risk assessment team, resources, and consultation and collaboration of relevant stakeholders. In evaluating the quality of risk assessment, it is suggested to examine the completeness, accuracy, fidelity, and fitness of the risk assessment results. Different approaches have been identified to be used in the evaluation, such as carrying out a parallel analysis of the system, comparing the results with occurring accidents in corresponding systems, and examining the process. This study aims to add knowledge of when a risk assessment is successful and which factors influence the success. The data was collected from OHS specialists and managers (n = 10) by interviewing them. In addition, the Delphi survey was emailed to 17 OHS specialists and managers resulting in 8, 12, and 13 responses in three rounds. The respondents represented four large companies (manufacturing, transportation and storage, and other technical testing and analysis), one medium-sized company (electrical power generation, transmission, and distribution), consulting business companies, and public authority. The interviews and the Delphi survey focused on when a risk assessment can be said to be successful and which individual and organizational features affect its success. According to the interviews, companies do not systematically evaluate the quality of the risk assessment or its success but rather control if the risk assessments are completed. However, they did acknowledge the importance and need for evaluating the risk assessment processes and results. Based on the Delphi survey, individual features affecting the risk assessment are, for example, understanding of the entity, communication and interaction skills, and understanding of the interdependencies. Organizational features influencing risk assessment include organization’s commitment to safety and safety management, risk assessment being a part of the safety management system, and line organization understanding its responsibilities and operating accordingly. Finally, a successful risk assessment fulfills, among others, the following points; the risk assessment represents reality, the results are utilized in planning and developing work tools, instructions and operations, the employees are aware of the residual risks and able to acknowledge them while working, the risk assessment is utilized in educational and orientation material, and that the measures have been focused and carried out so that the risk is removed or reduced. Further research is needed to formulate a model guiding the evaluation of the quality and success of risk assessment.publishedVersionPeer reviewe

Development needs for risk assessment – A case study of five Finnish companies

To reach the zero accident goal and prevent accidents and injuries, and to fulfill regulatory requirements, risk assessment at work needs to be improved. If risk assessment is conducted with an unfit method or otherwise inadequately, it may lead to ineffective safety prevention programs, the inefficient use of resources and criticism towards risk assessment. In addition to the chosen method, initial assumptions, risk assessment team, resources, and consultation and collaboration of relevant stakeholders, among others, affect the quality of a risk assessment. If decisions are based on incomplete or false results, significant sources of risks are failed to eliminate or reduce which in turn leads to unsatisfactory safety levels. Previous studies have shown that certain hazards have been identified and managed less well than others.This study aims to add knowledge of factors affecting risk assessment and which aspects of the risk assessment need to be focused on in five Finnish companies. The companies represent industries from manufacturing, transportation and storage, electrical power generation, transmission and distribution, and other technical testing and analysis. Four of the companies are large and one is medium-sized, employing about 200 people. The data was gathered with semi-structured interviews (n = 41). The interviewees (n = 53) were a part of a risk assessment team or managers. In this study, the focus is on interview questions “What factors contribute to and weaken the implementation of the risk assessment?”, “What works or does not work in hazard and risk assessment?”, “How should risk assessment be developed?”, and “What is the next step in risk assessment development?”. The answers revealed that composition and activities of the team, resources and preparation to risk assessment, individual's attitude, and experience and knowledge were four most often mentioned themes both contributing and weakening the implementation of the risk assessment. The interviewees thought that plans and models for risk assessment, composition and activities of the team, daily activities, and preventing unsafe activity were currently working well in hazard and risk assessment while individual’s attitude, communication, risk assessment guidance, documentation and reporting, and resourcing were seen as not working properly. Developing the concerted way to act, developing the OHS software, training and guidance, communication, and comparing own’s risk assessment with others’ risk assessments were named as development targets. When asked about the next step in risk assessment development, the interviewees chose developing and improving competence and knowledge, resources, and communication as the first targets. The results indicate that certain themes such as the risk assessment team, individual’s attitude, experience and knowledge, resources, and communication emerged as themes affecting the risk assessment and needed development, regardless of the topic discussed. Further research is needed to specifically focus on these themes, to study their relations with risk assessment more deeply and to develop effective intervention programs.publishedVersionPeer reviewe

Occupational Safety and Health and Temporary Agency Work in Multiemployer Restaurants

Peer reviewe

The path toward successful safety performance measurement

Introduction: Safety management is widely seen as a key contributor to occupational health and safety (OHS) performance. Performance measurement is an important tool for management in reaching its goals. Safety performance measurement has gained increasing attention in the literature. However, little is known so far of the path towards successful safety performance measurement resulting in better OHS performance. Methods: This study analyzes the maturity of safety performance measurement in relation to OHS performance and the role of employee commitment and practices of using performance information in facilitating the performance benefits. The empirical data were gathered with a survey that received 270 responses from five industrial organizations. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyze the data obtained. Results: It is found that commitment to performance measurement is the strongest explaining factor of both supervisor and employee OHS performance, while the maturity of performance measurement has a direct effect on supervisor safety performance only. Practical Applications: The results show how safety performance measurement can be implemented to derive the potential benefits. While managers may benefit directly from advanced performance measures, the wider performance benefits among employees materialize only by using performance measurement properly and committing employees to it.publishedVersionPeer reviewe

Analysis of Safety Culture Maturity in Two Finnish Companies

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze perceptions of safety culture in two Finnish industrial companies. Background: The link between safety culture and safety performance has been investigated in many studies. However, understanding of the status of safety culture and the specific needs for development is still limited. Method: A recently developed safety culture maturity model was used to analyze the level of safety culture through a survey of two Finnish companies. A questionnaire was sent to 1109 respondents, 289 of whom completed it (26% response rate). Results: The state of safety culture was rather advanced in both case companies, and the personnel in both companies were overall satisfied with it. However, the analysis indicated considerable differences in safety culture perceptions within the companies. Particularly, top management and safety experts perceived the state of safety culture as more advanced than employees did. Conclusion: There are differences in perceptions of safety culture, especially between top management and employees, which might hinder the development of safety culture in organizations. By understanding such differences within an organization, it is possible to identify appropriate managerial actions for different levels.Peer reviewe

Teachers’ perceptions of the safety competence of process operator students

In the safety-critical process industry, the safety competence of process operators is essential. Process operators are educated at vocational education and training (VET) organizations. The reform of vocational upper secondary education in Finland emphasizes the role of on-the-job learning; thus, the process operator education program has changed. Early adoption of correct safety skills enables them to be followed in the workplace. Thus, it is important to study the safety competence of process operator students and related educational requirements in the current circumstances. Seven teachers from five VET organizations were asked to estimate their students’ safety competence using a previously published framework. Overall, the interviewees considered that more safety competences were easy rather than difficult for their students. Knowledge and skills related to production processes, special and high-risk work tasks, exceptional and fault situations, general view, identification of own skills, and proactive mindset were most often viewed as difficult for students.acceptedVersionPeer reviewe

Identifying Occupational Health and Safety Risk Assessment Development Needs in Finnish Case Companies

Occupational health and safety (OHS) risk assessment is considered an important part of companies’ safety management and the fulfilment of statutory obligations. In companies, however, it is not always known what kind of expertise and views the personnel have in relation to OHS risk assessment. In this study, the aim is to identify OHS risk assessment development needs using a questionnaire in three Finnish companies. The questionnaire was aimed at the entire personnel. The results (n = 348) revealed a demand for OHS risk assessment needs development in terms of training and raising awareness, resourcing, and different types of communication, including discussions with employees about the results of risk assessments, progress measures, and the comparison of risk assessments at different locations. Future research should verify that the development targets identified through the questionnaire are relevant to companies.publishedVersionPeer reviewe