Developing, implementing and evaluating OSH interventions in SMEs: a pilot, exploratory study.

Area of Science:

• Occupational Safety and Health
• SME Management
• Intervention Science

Background:

• Limited research exists on the practical implementation and contextual factors of occupational safety and health (OSH) interventions.
• Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face unique challenges in OSH due to resource constraints, necessitating focused intervention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the actual process of OSH interventions within SMEs.
• To identify contextual factors influencing the implementation, development, and effectiveness of OSH interventions in SMEs.
• To compare the actual intervention process with an ideal scenario for SMEs.

Main Methods:

• Exploratory study utilizing interviews with safety officers.
• Data collection from 5 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Main Results:

• The current OSH intervention process in SMEs is largely qualitative and experience-driven.
• Contextual factors significantly shape the OSH intervention process in SMEs, deviating from ideal models.
• SMEs require interventions tailored to their specific resource limitations and operational realities.

Conclusions:

• Findings highlight the need for more applicable OSH intervention research for SMEs.
• Practitioners in SMEs can benefit from understanding these qualitative and experience-driven aspects to improve OSH intervention development, implementation, and evaluation.
• Future research should aim to bridge the gap between theoretical OSH interventions and practical SME realities.