Prospects for effective worker participation in Occupational Health and Safety management

Proposer: Kirsten Bendix Olsen, Massey University, (NEW ZEALAND), E-mail: k.b.olsen@massey.ac.nz  

Session Type: Workshop

Chair: Kirsten Bendix Olsen

Brief Description: The purpose of the workshop is to present and discuss what we know about the factors influencing worker participation in Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) management, how effective different forms of worker participation are and how to measure the effectiveness. This will lead to identification of future research needs and ways to transfer of knowledge to practitioners. Introduction to the workshop, Kirsten Olsen (10 min.) Presentations (80 min): 1. Worker representation on health and safety in the coal mines of Queensland: A case of enhanced rights or an historical anomaly? David Walters (20 min.) 2. Regional health and safety representatives to support workers health and safety in small firms, Kaj Frick (20 min.) 3. New roles for the OHS representatives - from employee’s representation to problem solving, Peter Hasle (20 min.) 4. Worker participation in OHS Management, seen as a joint knowledge process. John Sjöström (20 min.) Discussion (30 min.): Based on the four presentations and the participants’ experiences/research the discussion will focus on the prospect of employee participation under different contextual factors such as: legislation; inspection and enforcement; senior managers' commitment to manage work environment risks; employee representatives’ rights and support; trade union presence; employees’ attitude towards the work environment and worker participation. The discussion will also address what defines effective worker participation; the effectiveness of different forms of worker participation and how worker participation can be more effective.  Conclusion (15 min.): The workshop will be concluded by summing up how the knowledge about effective worker participation can be transferred to practitioners, the need for further research and how we can contribute to this research by international co-operation?  

1. Worker representation on health and safety in the coal mines of Queensland: A case of enhanced rights or an historical anomaly?

David Walters, Cardiff Work Environment Research Centre, Cardiff University, (e-mail: waltersd@Cardiff.ac.uk)

2. Regional health and safety representatives to support workers health and safety in small firms

Kaj Frick, Work Science, Lulea Technical University, (e-mail: kaj.frick@gmail.com)

3. New roles for the OHS representatives - from employee’s representation to problem solving

Peter Hasle,Center for Industriel Produktion, Aalborg University, (e-mail: hasle@business.aau.dk)

4. Worker participation in OHS Management, seen as a joint knowledge process

John Sjöström, Hållbart Arbetsliv, IVL Swedish Environmental Insitute, (e-mail: john.sjostrom@ivl.se)