Participative management strategy for occupational health, safety and well-being risks

The article discusses the principles that underlie a coherent and efficient prevention program for occupational health, safety and well-being: the need of a global approach of these problems not only at the workplace but for the whole of the living conditions at work; a clear understanding of the complementarity between the different partners of this prevention; the role of actor of the workers and therefore the absolute necessity of a participative approach; the real usefulness of measurements and of risk quantification in general; the differences between risk assessment and risk management and the specificities of small and medium size enterprises. On the basis of these principles, the various steps and levels of intervention are defined. The SOBANE prevention strategy is introduced and its 4 levels (Screening, Observation, Analysis and Expertise) are described as well as the consultation guide Déparis for the Screening level. The strategy proved to make it possible to approach the work situations progressively in small as well as in large companies, to coordinate the cooperation between the workers, the technical staff and the occupational health practitioners and to prevent the problems more rapidly, more efficiently and more economically. The paper describes the role of a 'facilitator' to introduce the philosophy and the tools of the SOBANE strategy in the company, to monitor its application and insure the continuity and the efficiency of the participatory approach.