Fit work to people – What policy instruments work in occupational health and safety? PUBLIC AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH SEMINAR SERIES Massey University Wellington Tuesday 5th March 2013, 12.30 pm to 1.30 pm

P E T E R H AS L E , P R O F E S S O R CENTRE FOR INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT AALBORG UNIVERSITY COPENHAGEN

05.03.2013

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Challenges for contempory occupational health and safety policy • Limits for command-control enforcement ― Fast social and technological development ― U n a m b i g u o u s s t a n d a r d s d i ff i c u l t ― Complex control measures ― Limited resources for enforcement

• A m o r e c o m p l e x wo r k i n g e n v i r o n m e n t ― S a f e t y c o n c e r n e d wi t h n o t o n l y m a c h i n e g u a r d s b u t c o m p l e x i n t e r a c t i o n b e t we e n t e c h n o l o g y, o r g a n i s a t i o n a n d humans ― C h e m i c a l r i s k s m o v e s t o wa r d s e x p o s u r e s t o m a n y chemical at low levels ― P h ys i o l o g i c a l a n d p s yc h o s o c i a l r i s k s d e r i v e f r o m c o m p l e x i n t e r a c t i o n s b e t we e n p h ys i o l o g i c a l a n d p s yc h o s o c i a l s t r a i n , wo r k o r g a n i s a t i o n a n d i n d i v i d u a l f a c t o r s Peter Hasle, Centre for Industrial Production

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Searching for answers R e f l e x i ve r e g u l a t i o n • I n t r o d u c e d b y t h e R o b e n ’s r e p o r t i n 7 0 t i e s i n m o s t E u r o p e a n countries • From content to proces standards – OHS management, risk assessment, OHS representatives • To o m u c h p r o c e s c o n s i d e r e d b u r e a u c r a t i c • D i ff i c u l t t o p r o v e e ff e c t • L o w- h a n g i n g f r u i t s a r e h a r v e s t e d A n e e d t o d e ve l o p n e w s t r a t e g i e s • W i t h o u t t h r o wi n g t h e b a b y o u t wi t h t h e b a t h wa t e r • Enforcement, command-control and reflexive regulation still needed

Peter Hasle, Centre for Industrial Production

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An example: From heavy lifting to complex interactions Incidence of low back pain

More complex policy instruments needed

Total incidence

Efforts to reduce heavy lifting: • weight limits • technical aids • patient handling instructors

• higher work intensity • interaction with psychosocial factors • sedentary work • life style

Time Peter Hasle, Centre for Industrial Production

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A typology of policy instruments Sermon Stick

Carrot

Vedung, 1998 Peter Hasle, Centre for Industrial Production

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Policy instruments Regulation (stick): • G o v e r n m e n t l a ws , e n f o r c e m e n t a n d p u n i s h m e n t I n c e n t i ve s ( c a r r o t ) : • Reduced insurrance fees, certification releases from inspections, branding Information (Sermon): • Tr a i n i n g , d i s s e m i n a t i o n o f i n f o r m a t i o n

Most policy programmes include elements of all instruments

Peter Hasle, Centre for Industrial Production

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Realistic evaluation – a possibility to learn how policy programmes work External: Market, stakeholders Internally: Management and organisation

Assumption about how the policy will work

Context

Programme theory

Outcome

Mechanism

Changes in the working environment

The causal relations which create changes Peter Hasle, Centre for Industrial Production

Pawson, 1997 & 2006 8

Important characteristics for policy programmes • Based on theory • Programmes are actively transformed by stakeholders • L o n g c a u s a l c h a i n s wh e r e l i n k s h a v e c o n s e q u e n c e s f o r outcome • Mechanisms are not linear and have numerous feed feed back loops • Mechanisms are embedded in several partly overlapping s o c i a l s ys t e m s • P r o g r a m m e s a r e o p e n s s ys t e m s c h a n g i n g t h e c o n d i t i o n s they meet Conclusion:

• P r o g r a m m e s a r e c o m p l e x wh i c h m a k e t h e m d i ff i c u l t t o s t u d y P a ws o n , 2 0 0 6 Peter Hasle, Centre for Industrial Production

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Complexity of mechanisms in policy programmes

Pawson, 2006 Peter PeterHasle, Hasle Centre for Industrial Production

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The bio-medical paradigme dominate research in policy instruments • Randomizet control trials the golden standard • S ys t e m a t i c C o c h r a n e r e v i e ws wh e r e o n l y r a n d o m i z a t i o n o r similar methods count • Useful and necessary for many kinds of research – in particular in development of medicine • Policy programmes and many organisational interventions in companies cannot be randomiset • R e s e a r c h i n s u c h p r o g r a m m e s wo u l d t h e r e f o r e b e c l a s s i f i e d a s i n s u ff i c i e n t a n d t h e r e f o r e r e j e c t e d i n r e v i e ws

Peter Hasle, Centre for Industrial Production

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The need for evidence about policy instruments • Evidence about policy instruments constitute the best a v a i l a b l e k n o wl e d e a t a n y g i v e n t i m e • Recognition of social interventions complexity and non linear causal relations • Rephrase the question ― F r o m : wh e t h e r i t wo r k s ? ― To : wh y, h o w, wh e n a n d f o r wh o m i t wo r k s ? • A data collection strategy building on multiple methods and both quantitative and qualitative data • A n a n a l yt i c a l s t r a t e g y wh e r e c o n c l u s i o n s l i k e a p u z z l e a r e b u i l d o n m a n y p i e c e s wh i c h f i t t o g e t h e r ( o r t h e o p p o s i t e )

Peter Hasle, Centre for Industrial Production

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An analytical model for health and safety policy programmes

External context (market, sector, stakeholders) Interpretation of policy programme

Policy programme

Health and safety activities

Outcome (working environment, health absenteism)

Internal context (ownership, social capital, primary task)

Peter Hasle, Centre for Industrial Production

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Implications for the strategy for effective OHSpolicy programmes A n e ff e c t i v e p o l i c y p r o g r a m m e m u s t b u i l d o n • A m u l t i - p r o n g e d e ff o r t wi t h c o m b i n a t i o n o f s e v e r a l instruments • Elements of both stick, carrot and sermon • Sensemaking in firms requires integration in firm strategy and operation • A certain level of patience

Peter Hasle, Centre for Industrial Production

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A holistic strategy for occupatioanal health and safety policies

Integration i strategy and operation

Incentives (carrot)

Health & well-being at work

Knowledge (sermon)

Legislation and enforcement (stick)

Peter Hasle, Centre for Industrial Production

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Implementation of policy programmes Policy development

Parliament Government

Organisational implementation

Department of Labour Social partners & stakeholders

Local implementation

Labour inspectors (Street level bureaucrats)

The target: The firm Peter Hasle, Centre for Industrial Production

The working envirionment

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How to implement an occupational health and safety standard Instruments

Mechanism

Inspection

Express societal legitimacy

Recognition by social partners

Signals social accept

Information dissemination

Knowlegde about consequence

Legislative standard

The standard pursued by firms

Context Peter Hasle, Centre for Industrial Production

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Developing a new standard for bricklaying

Peter Hasle, Centre for Industrial Production

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The road to a new standard for bricklaying

New standard widely accepted Enforcement by labour inspectors Social partners in sector OHS-council accept the need for improvement

Enforcement by labour inspectors

Enforcement moratorium

New solution recommended by social partners

Development of solutions supported by government fund Technical solutions Involvement of suppliers missing

Akward and straineous work in bricklaying Peter Hasle, Centre for Industrial Production

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The policy instruments and mechanisms in the bricklaying case A combination of policy instruments Regulation (stick): • Improvement notices from labour inspectors • Enforcement moratorium • Improvement notices based on the new solutions Incentive (carrot): • Government fund support development of new technical solution Knowledge (sermon): • A code of practice with info on technical aids and work methods • Disseminated through several platforms by all involved stakeholders

Mechanisms Coercion: • Initial improvement notices • Revnewed enforcement after solution developed Norms: • Joint message from employers and unions signals that the new solution is both ethical responsible and economically viabel Imitation: • Owner-managers and bricklayers observe still more cases with the new solutions being applied and get convinced that it is the way to do bricklaying in the sector

Establishing an effective system

Development of standards

The social partners

Outreach activities

• Involvement • Integration in legislation • Responsibility

• Intermediaries • Multiple platforms • Context • incentives

Regulation

Inspection: • Concrete • Advisory • Dialogue

Providing support

Peter Hasle, Centre for Industrial Production

Tools

• Concrete • Solutions • Integration

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Looking from outside – looking from inside

Policy instruments

How do policy makers influence companies to do what is believed to be best for society and companies

Peter Hasle, Centre for Industrial Production

How can companies avoid that occupational health and safety creates problems for the primary task

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The weak link: Integration in strategy and operation • Tr a d i t i o n a l l y o f l o w p r i o r i t y f o r p o l i c y m a k e r s

• E a c h m i n i s t r y a n d d e p a r t m e n t h a s i t s o wn s i l o From industry perspective: • Every organisation created in order to execute a primary task • O c c u p a t i o n a l h e a l t h a n d s a f e t y j u s t a p e r i p h e r i a l i s s u e wh i c h mostly is considered as hassle • OHS placed in a sidecar

• K e y q u e s t i o n : wh a t c a n h e a l t h a n d s a f e t y e ff o r t s o ff e r wh i c h contributes to our primary task?

Peter Hasle, Centre for Industrial Production

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Integration of safety and operation

Veltri et al., Safety Science, 2013 Peter Hasle, Centre for Industrial Production

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Collaboration about the primary task - a joint focal point for performance and the working environment • E m p l o ye r s h a v e a n i n t e r e s t i n p e r f o r m a n c e wh i c h i s s e c u r e d through the execution of the primary task • E m p l o ye e s h a v e a n i n t e r s t i n a m e a n i n g f u l wo r k wh i c h i s also secured through the primary task

• The primary task is the foundation for organisational social capital: ― T h e a b i l i t y o f m a n a g e m e n t a n d e m p l o ye e s t o c o l l a b o r a t e about solution of joint tasks

• A n e e d t o d e v e l o p O H S p r o g r a m m e s wh i c h c o n t r i b u t e t o execution of the primary task and to improved collaboration

Peter Hasle, Centre for Industrial Production

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Special needs for small businesses • H i g h e r r i s k s a n d f e w r e s s o u r c e s ( t i m e , a t t e n t i o n a n d m o n e y) • D o m i n a t e d b y o wn e r - m a n a g e r s f i g h t f o r s u r v i v a l • Expensive to reach Development of small business programmes:

• Practical • Positive • Personal contact • Integrate business goals • Use trusted intermediaries

Peter Hasle, Centre for Industrial Production

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Thanks for your attention Peter Hasle [email protected] Peter Hasle, Centre for Industrial Production

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