Improving health and safety in small businesses

Small businesses represent the majority of firms in the developed economies. Smaller firms face unique challenges to occupational health and safety. For example, small businesses are more likely to employ “vulnerable workers,” such as young people, who are more susceptible to work-related injury and illness. This review asks which OHS interventions are best at reducing health problems in small businesses.

The reviewers looked at peer-reviewed studies of businesses with 100 or fewer employees that had tried one or a combination of the following OHS interventions:

1. Training;
2. Safety audits;
3. Engineering controls;
4. Motivational component (i.e. a financial incentive as motivation).

Reviewers considered the effect of these interventions on the following:

1. Attitudes and beliefs;
2. Behaviours;
3. Health;
4. Workplace exposures (or exposure to risk).

The review team found five studies that met the quality and relevance criteria. Together, these studies showed a moderate level of evidence that OHS interventions improved safety-related attitudes, behaviours, health and workplace exposures. Two intervention types that had a positive impact on attitudes and beliefs:

1. A combination of training and safety audits;
2. A combination of engineering controls, training, safety audits, and motivational components.

This systematic review was thorough. Reviewers searched many electronic databases and reference lists of relevant studies for high quality studies. The review was restricted to studies reported in peer-reviewed publications.