Financial assistance in promoting occupational health services for small-scale enterprises in Japan

In spite of the diversified views on the governmental financial assistance in promoting occupational health services (OHS) for small-scale enterprises (SSE), the issue has not been much studied. Considering the large differences between countries in the degree of governmental financial assistance, the international comparative research will provide insight into its advantages and disadvantages. In order to conduct such comparative research, the status of each country must first be clarified. This informative piece of study aims at stimulating researchers in other countries to share their experiences and facilitate future comparative studies. This study was conducted to clarify the financial assistance of the Japanese government for SSE. Published reports on financial assistance for SSE were collected and used for the study. The Ministry of Labor initiated the policy of subsidizing OHS for SSE in the early 1960s. Activities to be subsidized through four routes included primary and secondary prevention of occupational injuries and diseases. The amount of subsidy was limited from one-third to two-thirds of costs. There was a fourteen-fold increase in the amount of subsidies for SSE from US$ 7 million in 1986 to US$ 98 million in 1998. The long history of financial assistance for SSE and the increasing amount of subsidies suggest that the Ministry of Labor recognizes the importance of financial assistance in promoting OHS in small scale enterprises.