Work improvement and occupational safety and health management systems: common features and research needs

There is a growing trend in re-orientating occupational health research towards risk management. Such a trend is accelerated by the increasing attention to occupational safety and health management systems. The trend, also seen in many Asian countries, is offering new opportunities for strengthening primary prevention. Useful examples are provided from recent work improvement projects dealing with technology transfer, small workplaces and rural areas. Common features of both these work improvement projects and accepted occupational risk management principles are reviewed based on recent experiences in Asian countries. Such features seem highly relevant in examining the occupational health research strategies. These experiences clearly show that locally adjusted procedures for risk assessment and control must be developed. There are new research needs concerning (a) the effective ways to encourage voluntary control at the workplace; (b) practical methods for local risk assessment; and (c) the types of participatory steps leading to continual improvements in the varying local context. Criteria of action-oriented research that can contribute to more effective risk control in different settings are discussed. Six relevant criteria may be mentioned: (a) adaptive risk management; (b) work/risk relationships; (c) action-oriented risk assessment; (d) use of collective expertise; (e) participation of local people; and (f) mutual learning. It appears crucial to stimulate research into the practical risk control procedures adjusted to the local situation.