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2011/05/04

Raising employees awareness, compliance management & risk analysis are OSH practitioners major problems says a new study

A national survey on Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) was carried out in France by the AFNOR group, in conjunction with Mines ParisTech and PREVENTEO. The aim is to have a better understanding of what it means to be an OSH practitioner in France. Download the document.

The term Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) practitioner covers a wide variety of roles and responsibilities. The title itself is wideranging, encompassing everything from the safety officer, through the health and safety manager, to the health, safety and environment (HSE) director. In a few decades the profession has seen profound evolution; in the definition of roles and responsibilities, in regulatory requirements, and in links between prevention stakeholders (personnel representatives, occupational health services, inspection agencies, advisory and control bodies, etc.). At the same time, employers and their representatives have become increasingly aware of their responsibilities with respect to risk.

This national survey was carried out in France by the AFNOR group, in conjunction with Mines ParisTech and PREVENTEO. The aim is to have a better understanding of what it means to be an OSH practitioner in France. This in-depth knowledge is achieved through the fulfilment of three objectives. The first is to use a typological approach to characterise the population of OSH practitioners, using profiling. Three profiles are identified and described in detail: the OSH “manager”, the OSH “fieldworker”, and the OSH “officer”. The second objective is to establish current practice with respect to professional requirements, particularly in relation to the ways in which safety policies are designed and implemented. The final objective is to define new and emerging needs with respect to the contribution that databases and software can make to decision-making.

This study is the result of the analysis of the responses of 803 French OSH practitioners. They were selected randomly from a list of 12,000 practitioners published by Officiel Prévention and interviewed by telephone. The sample was matched with the ASTREE database which provided further information used in the analysis (company turnover, average headcount, export ratio, etc.). Econometric modelling methods (logistical regression techniques) were used to produce the explanatory analysis. The results are organised into five sections: context and objectives, typological approaches, prevention policy, developments and resources, and lessons learned.

Read and download the study: “Occupational safety and health in France: practitioners and policy”...