Ann-Beth Antonsson

Fatal Carbon Monoxide Intoxication After Acetylene Gas Welding of Pipes

Acetylene gas welding of district heating pipes can result in exposure to high concentrations of carbon monoxide. A fatal case due to intoxication is described. Measurements of carbon monoxide revealed high levels when gas welding a pipe with closed ends. This fatality and these measurements highlight a new hazard, which must be promptly prevented.

Is ownership the decisive factor in collaborations between occupational health services and client companies

BACKGROUND Swedish employers are required to use external resources such as Occupational Health Services (OHS providers) if their own knowledge of occupational health and safety is insufficient. Some large employers have their own in-house OHS units but it is more common to engage the services of an external provider. However, no studies have been carried out from a critical perspective regarding how ownership of the OHS provider is related to a successful collaboration with client companies. OBJECTIVES This study explores the extent to which the six key factors for a successful collaboration are related to ownership and seeks to identify the challenges that the different models of ownership pose. METHODS Interviews with 15 client companies and their OHS providers were conducted in order to identify key factors in achieving a successful collaboration with an OHS provider. This study utilizes existing data to identify challenges related to ownership. RESULTS Two key factors were identified with challenges related to ownership of the OHS provider: The importance of having a long-term perspective when building a relationship; and ensuring that collaboration extends beyond the clients HR Department to the various organisational levels of the company. CONCLUSIONS Whatever form the ownership of an OHS provider may take, each comes with its own specific set of challenges that must be managed in order to achieve a successful collaboration with the client company.

Utilizing occupational health services in small-scale enterprises: a 10-year perspective

The aim of this study was to explore how small-scale enterprises (SSEs) utilize occupational health services (OHS) and how the possibility of OHS providers to support occupational health and safety management (OHSM) has developed over a 10-year period. Qualitative interviews were carried out with four OHS providers and their SSE clients, with follow-up interviews being conducted with three of the four OHS providers and their clients after 10 years. The decade saw a change in market conditions for the OHS providers with each becoming larger and developing more effective marketing tools. Despite these changes, the OHS providers had not developed more collaborative or closer relationships with their small enterprise clients. Rather than increasing, the utilization of OHS had declined, with health examinations remaining the most purchased service. In addition, the three OHS providers had not improved their support for OHSM in small enterprises during the decade.