1OHSMSandSafetyCultureWhatisanoccupationalhealthandsafetymanagementsystem(OHSMS)?OnedifficultlyinevaluatingtheeffectivenessofOHSMSliesinthedifferentmeaningsgiventotheteam.Findingagreementuponcriteriaforeffectiveness,ormethodsofmeasure-mentandevaluationisespeciallyhardwherebasicdisagreementexistsuponwhatanOHSMS.1、TheGeneralCharacteristicsOfanOHSMSAllOHSMSowesomethingtothelegacyofgeneralsystemtheory.SystemstheorysuggeststhatthereshouldbefourgeneralrequirementsforanOHSMS,althoughhowthererequirementsaremetinpracticeallowsforconsiderablediversity.Thefourgeneralrequirementsareasfollows.1)Systemobjectives.2)Specificationofsystemelementsandtheirinter-relationship;notallsystemsneedhavethesameelements.3)DeterminingtherelationshipoftheOHSMStoothersystems(includingthegeneralmanagementsystem,andtheregulatorysystem,butalsotechnologyandworkorganization).4)Requirementsforsystemmaintenance(whichmaybeinternal,linkedtoareviewphase,orexternal,linkedforexampletoindustrypoliciesthatsupportOHSbestpractice;systemmaintenancemayvarybetweensystems).SeveralAustralianauthoritiesuponOHSMShavegivendefinitionsbroadlyconsistentwiththesegeneralsystemrequirements.ThusBottomleynoteswhatmakesanOHSMSasystem“isthedeliberatelinkingandsequencingofprocessestoachievespecificobjectivesandtocreatearepeatableandidentifiablewayofmanagingOHS.Correctiveactions…(arealso)centraltoasystematicapproach.”WarwickPearsealsoemphasisessystemiclinkages,defininganOHSMSas“distinctelementswhichcoverthekeyrangeofactivitiesrequiredtomanageoccupationalhealthandsafety.Theseareinter-linked,andthewholethingisdrivenbyfeedbackloops.”2Similarly,GallagherdefinesanOHSMSas“…acombinationoftheplanningandreview,themanagementorganizationarrangements,theconsultativearrangements,andthespecificprogramelementsthatworktogetherinanintegratedwaytoimprovehealthandsafetyperformance.”2、VoluntaryOrMandatoryImplementationMethodsOnewaythatOHSMSdifferarisesfromthevariousmethodsofimplementation.FrickandWrendistinguishthreetypes—voluntary,mandatoryandhybird.VoluntarysystemsexistwhereenterprisesadoptOHSMSontheirowevolition.Oftenthisistoimplementstrategicobjectivesrelatingtoemployeewelfareorgoodcorporatecitizenship,althoughtheremaybeothermotivessuchasreducinginsurancecosts.Incontrast,mandatorysystemshaveevolvedinanumberofEuropeancountrieswherelegislationrequiresadoptionofariskassessmentsystem.Quasimandatorymethodsmayalsoexistwhereexternalcommercialpressurestaketheplaceoflegislativerequirements.ThusmanybusinessesadoptOHSMStocomplywiththerequirementsofcustomersandsuppliers,principalcontractorsandothercommercialbodies.Hybridmethodsaresaidtoentailamixtureofvoluntarymotivesandlegislativerequirements.3.ManagementSystemsorSystematicManagementFollowingfromtheirdistinctionbetweenvoluntaryandmandatoryOHSMS,FrickandWrenalsoseparateoccupationalhealthandsafety“managementsystems”,andthe“managementsystems”ofoccupationalhealthandsafety.Specifically,theformerhavebeencharacterizedas:market-based,promotedtypicallybyconsultingfirms,andwithusuallyhighlyformalizedprescriptionsonhowtointegrateOHSMwithinlargeandcomplexorganizationsandalsocomprehensivedemandsondocumentation.This“managementsystems”frommustmeetstringentcriteria.Wheretheserequirementsofa“systems”arenotmet,thenthetermissaidtobeinapplicable.Ontheotherhand,“systematicmanagement”isdescribedas“…alimitednumberofmandatedprinciplesforasystematicmanagementofOHS,applicabletoalltypesofemployersincludingthesmallones”.3ThisapproachstemsfrommethodsofregulationfoundinEuropeaswellasAustralia,wherebusinesses,includingsmallerones,areencouragedorrequiredtocomplywithalessdemandingframeworkthan“managementsystems”.Oneexampleofthissimplerregulatoryframeworkmightbetheriskassessmentprincipleswithinthe1989/391EuropeanUnionFrameworkDirective.SupportforsuchalooseapproachtoOHSMalsoexistsinAustralia.OneemployerexpertonOHSdefinedsystemssimplyas“justawordforwhatyoudotomanagesafety”.ConsistentwiththisisBottomley’sall-encompassingapproachwhichallowsthat“…anOHSMScanbesimpleorcomplex,itcanbehighlydocumentedorsparinglydescribed,anditcanbehomegrownorbasedonanavailablemodel”.Anexampleofarelativelysimple“systematic”approachtothemanagementofoccupationalhealthandsafetyistobefoundin“SmallBusinessSafetySolutions”-abookletforsmallbusinesspublishedbytheAustralianChamberofCommerceandIndustry.Thisadvocatesafourstepprocessasfollows:Step1:CommitmenttoaSafeWorkplace(framingapolicybasedonconsultation).Step2:RecognisingandRemovingDangers(usingadangeridentificationlist)Step3:MaintainingaSafeWorkplace(includingsafetychecks,maintenance,reportingdangers,informationandtraining,supervision,accidentinvestigation,andemergencyplanning).Step4:SafetyRecordsandInformation(includingrecordsandstandardsrequiredtobekeptbylaw)Itisdebatablewhethersuchaframeworkfor“systematicmanagement”inasmallbusinesscanincludealltheelementsofplanningandaccountabilitythatareessentialtoa“managementsystem”inalargebusiness.4.SystemCharacteristics:managerialistandParticipativeModelsWithin“managementsystems”twodifferentmodelscanbefound.Thefirstvariantste