Employee-management co-operation and workplace health and safety in Europe

Abstract

In recent years legislation in various European countries has sought to encourage employee-management co-operation in order to improve workplace health and safety conditions. This paper considers the resulting growth of joint health and safety committees and the ways in which management can seek to make these effective in their operation. The importance of a strong commitment on the part of senior management to the effective working of these joint bodies is especially emphasized. Finally, we conclude by examining various dimensions of the workplace health and safety problem in a number of European countries.