Kirsten Olsen

How to use programme theory to evaluate the effectiveness of schemes designed to improve the work environment in small businesses

Due to the many constraints that small businesses (SBs) face in meeting legislative requirements, occupational health and safety (OHS) regulatory authorities and other OSH actors have developed programmes which can reach out to SBs and motivate and assist them in improving the work environment. A number of conceptual models help to enhance our understanding of OHS interventions in SBs and their effectiveness. However, they have mainly been evaluated on output rather than the process relating to the change theory underlying the intervention, and hence have seldom been rigorously evaluated. Thus little is known about how particular features of SBs can be taken into account when designing and implementing national programmes. This paper shows how realist analysis and programme theory may be used as a framework for evaluating, developing and improving national intervention programmes for the improvement of the work environment and reducing injuries in SBs. It illustrates this for a specific New Zealand intervention: the Workplace Safety Discount scheme and its implementation in the agriculture sector. In practice, realist analysis should be performed during the planning, implementation and management stages so that ongoing findings can be fed back to the participant social actors to help them make appropriate changes to enhance the likelihood of success.

Utilising the characteristics of small enterprises to assist in managing hazardous substances in the workplace

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to present the literature which identifies the characteristics of small enterprises and outlines the opportunities to utilise them in working with small businesses to prevent and reduce exposures to hazardous substances.Design/methodology/approach – A search of a variety of data sources, including Medline, PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, was conducted which combined the keyword search terms “small business”, “small enterprise”, “management”, “health and safety management”, “hazardous substances”, “hazardous chemicals”, “management of hazardous substances”. High quality studies were selected and combined with studies known to the authors.Findings – A strong body of evidence exists which shows that the management of OSH in small enterprises has been extensively reviewed and the most recurring theme is the identification of problems and challenges. A growing body of literature also confirms that models for chemical risk management and social responsibility issues ca...

Understanding the Programme Theories Underlying National Strategies to Improve the Working Environment in Small Businesses

Abstract Little is known about how knowledge of the particular features of small businesses can be transformed into national occupational safety and health programmes that can successfully prevent accidents and occupational diseases. This paper describes a theoretical framework for an analysis of occupational safety and health programmes aimed at small businesses, based on ‘programme theory’ — the fundamental rationale and driver(s) underlying what makes a programme work. It describes the existing programmes in New Zealand and an in-depth analysis of three specific types of programme — general (the Workplace Safety Discount scheme), sector (FarmSafe) and local (the Waitakere City Council Cleaner Production: Boat Building Project) — each representing a particular strategy for reaching out to small businesses. In doing so, the rationales and mechanisms underlying each programme were sought and described in order to make them transparent. The programme theory for each was further examined through analysis of nine illustrative cases, involving interviews with owner-managers so as to examine how the programmes worked in practice. This afforded the development of a model for the national effort to improve the working environment in small businesses, which will have implications for the future development of small business programmes and for research. Our programme theory analysis indicated that the general, sector and local programmes in New Zealand relied mainly on economic incentives or on the small business’s desire to create a better working environment. None of the programmes was properly integrated into the ways of running a business. They were largely ad hoc add-on programmes. Also, there was very little evidence of programme evaluations for intervention effectiveness. The implications of this for the New Zealand model, and for the introduction of the concept of programme theory in analysing national occupational safety and health programmes for small businesses, lies in the potential to facilitate a more systematic way of developing a cohesive national programme in order to reduce occupational safety and health risks in small businesses. It is concluded that programme theory can be a useful new tool in this regard.

Differential Intervention Strategies to Improve the Management of Hazardous Chemicals in Small Enterprises

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to investigate new ways of managing hazardous chemicals in small businesses. This purpose is pursued by examining owner-managers’ perception, knowledge and practice in relation to the management of hazardous chemicals, and the preferred information sources used in small businesses in three industry sectors. Seventy-five owner-managers of small businesses (36 hairdressers, 25 printers and 14 apple growers) in New Zealand were interviewed about their attitude towards hazardous chemicals, as well as their knowledge and management of them. The majority of the owners were not concerned about dealing with the chemicals used in their industry. In general, their knowledge about health and safety, as well as their compliance practice in relation to hazardous chemicals, was poor, although they were unaware of this fact. The apple growers stood out as having the best practical management of hazardous chemicals, and the hairdressers and printers had poorer management practices but in different respects. Suppliers and industrial associations were identified as important actors in all three industries, but the other important actors in each industry were different. The study found that there is a need to develop differential and multifaceted intervention strategies tailored to the different industries based on suppliers, industrial associations and industry-specific structures.

Role typology for health and safety representatives

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to focus on the development of a health and safety (HS) representative role typology that demonstrates how representatives enact their roles and improve occupational health and safety (OHS) under New Zealand law. It aims to consider the factors that influence the roles that HS representatives’ assume.Design/methodology/approach – This qualitative, cross‐perceptual study centres on the role enactments of eight HS representatives at two metal manufacturers. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with HS representatives, managers, workers, senior managers, OHS managers and a union convenor. “Types” were differentiated by the HS representatives’ purpose, activities and OHS impacts.Findings – In total, four HS representative role “types” were identified: administrators, workshop inspectors, problem solvers and craft experts. Administrators implemented and operated OHS management systems and improved OHS management. Workshop inspectors undertook compliance and monitorin...

Guest Editorial: Special Issue – Understanding small enterprises: Healthy lives in healthy businesses

Abstract Although much is known about small and medium enterprises (SMEs), our current knowledge and understanding of occupational health and safety (OHS) and the work environment in SMEs is limited. Far less is known about how SMEs put our knowledge of OSH into action. In short, how do we create healthy work and healthy lives as well as ‘healthy business’ in SMEs? The present paper, which also acts as an Editorial for this special issue, addresses these questions by providing a summary of current knowledge – our understanding – about how to create healthy work and healthy lives for workers and owner-managers in SMEs whilst concurrently also aiming to create a healthy business (in terms of profitability and sustainability). This paper and the special issue also emphasise the need to convert this knowledge into action – ‘from understanding to action’.

Chronicle Workshops as Data Collection Method in Evaluation of National Work Environment Intervention

When evaluating national work environment initiatives, it is important to choose methods through which it is possible to gather necessary and relevant information in a time efficient way for researchers and involved organisations. This article evaluates the usefulness of chronicle workshops as a data collection method to help assess the effectiveness of national work environment initiatives aiming to create interventions in organisations. Chronicle Workshops were used as one of three methods in case studies evaluating a national guideline on moving and handling people. Chronicle workshops were found to be an efficient method to identify specific interventions, when they occurred, who had been instrumental in implementing them, what contextual factors had influenced the intervention and factors facilitating and hindering intervention. They lacked specificity on individual strategies and why these did or did not work. Thus Chronicle workshops are good at creating an overview of implementation efforts but need to be supplemented with other methods to gain more detailed information.

Barriers and Facilitators in Implementing a Moving and Handling People Programme – An Exploratory Study

Health care workers, including nurses, have one of the highest musculoskeletal injury incidence rates of any profession, especially work-related back injuries. The majority of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) in health care are caused by moving and handling of people (MHP). In order to reduce MSDs due to MHP, some national health care sector authorities worldwide have developed intervention programmes or guidelines that can be used by their health care organisations. However, very few of the national interventions have been evaluated for their efficacy or impact. In those that have, the effort to reduce the incidence of MSDs caused by MHP has been largely unsuccessful, often because of barriers. This study aimed to identify what barriers, and facilitators, existed in health care organisations in relation to implementation of the New Zealand MHP guidelines. It was found that implementing a MHP programme especially requires sufficient resources for training and strong support based on evidence, or legislation. Management support for equipment purchase or maintenance is also essential, as is sufficient training for changing the culture of the workplace. It is also important to assess staff MHP knowledge and practices. MHP programmes need to be designed to be suitable for different sectors such as age care, and different users such as a foreign work force.