improving risk prevention in smes

Improving risk prevention in SMEs: a major challenge for OSH organisations

25 september 2015

Marc Malenfer, INRS, [email protected] @INRSfrance

01/05/2023 1

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France: 2 millions SMEs employ 50% of the workforce in the private sector

EU: 20.7 million SMEs employ 67% of the workforce in the private sector

Need to improve prevention in SMEs commonly agreed on

One of the three major challenges identified by the European Commission in its EU Strategic Framework on Health and Safety at Work 2014-2020: “Enhancing the capacity of micro and small enterprises to put in place effective and efficient risk prevention measures”

HEALTH AND SAFETY IN SMEs

01/05/2023 Improving risk prevention in SMEs

Breakdown of establishments and employees by company size

Improving risk prevention in SMEs01/05/2023 3

nombre d'étab-lissements

nombre de salariés0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

50 salariés et plus

20 à 49 salariés

10 à 19 salariés

5 à 9 salariés

1 à 4 salariés

In France:• 98% of private companies employ fewer than 50 people• 50% of the employees work in those companies

Breakdown of occupational accidents and employees by company size (in 2011) and frequency indices (2010)


Breakdown of accidents and employees by company size for the car repair industry (2012 data)


Lack of concern for health & safety


The owner employer feels alone A lot of concerns but not about health & safety A lack of competence in health & safety issues A lack of time

He’s responsible for the safetyof his employees

He has to comply with the rulesand regulations

Lack of concern about OSH in SMEs

Reasons why risk assessments are not carried out (ESENER)


What incentives?

Main reasons for addressing health and safety at work (ESENER)


One indicator: Risk Assessment

One of the main legal obligations for all companies is to perform a risk assessment (Directive 89/391/EEC)

Example: RA in car repair sector


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OSH: a challenge for SMEs

Worrying approach at EU level

2011 EC Report “Minimizing regulatory burden for SMEs: Adapting EU regulation to the needs of micro-enterprises”Possibility of replacing the systematic documentation of risk assessment for micro-enterprises dealing with low-risk activities by a proportionate risk-based approach

COM(2013) 122 final “Smart Regulation – Responding to the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises”The EC launched a comprehensive policy evaluation in 2012 to assess the relevance, effectiveness and coherence of the main Directive 89/391/EEC and more than 20 daughter Directives.

Health and Safety in SMEs


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Do we still want a high level of health and safety protection for all workers?

Or do we accept a two-tier system and different protection of workers based on the size of the company?

INRS approach: provide support to SMEs to meet the requirement of protecting the health and safety of all workers

Health and Safety in SMEs


How to do it?

No concern about OSH Talk about their activity => sectoral approach Talk about their “real concerns” => economic / human resources

arguments First concern, fulfill the legal obligation on RA => have an offer

No competences Answer to the need for assistance

> Direct support in the workplaces => need for partners> Give them the opportunity to manage OSH on their own => need for tools

A huge number of companies Focus on priority targets Develop partnerships Devote resources to promotional actions


National framework for 2014- 2017: experiment new approaches to reach SMEs

4 priority sectors: Construction Road transport Catering Car repair

A specific action plan for each sector


Choice of priority sectors

Choice of priority sectors


0 50000 100000 150000 200000 250000 300000 350000 400000 450000 500000 5500000

5000

10000

15000

20000

Maçons

Mécanique gé-nérale, gara-

gistes

Peintres en bâtiment

Restaurateurs, hô-tels/restaurants,

traiteurs

nombre de salariés

nom

bre

d'ac

cide

nts

de tr

avai

l

Plombiers-chauffagistes

Transporteurs routiers de marchandises

Couvreurs-étan-cheurs-charpentiers

Menuisiers

Example: Road transport programme

Main message: 90% of accidents happen when the truck is stationary Many technical solutions are available

Partner: the sectoral professional training organisation Train their consultants on OSH issues They reach a large number of small companies and can

promote H&S

Multimedia information Link between print / web / e-tool


Example : Road transport programme


Short documentsent to 15,000 companies

Web page with all sectoral, technical guides

Online tool to help them to conduct their risk assessment

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To assist SMEs in their risk assessment and prevention approach

Interactive generic tool deployed by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA)

European Commission: “The Online interactive risk assessment tool (OiRA) developed by EU-OSHA is a major contribution to facilitating SMEs’ compliance with OSH requirements”

OIRA : Online interactive assessment tool


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INRS: French OIRA partner of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA)

3 tools developed in cooperation with professional organisations: road transport, car repair and catering sectors

Easy-to-use software

More than 10,000 sessions opened in France

http://www.oiraproject.eu

OIRA: Online interactive assessment tool


http://www.oiraproject.eu/

Monitor the action with indicators

Benefits of the Web => it provides data> Example: number of new sessions in OiRA tools


01/01/2014

01/02/2014

01/03/2014

01/04/2014

01/05/2014

01/06/2014

01/07/2014

01/08/2014

01/09/2014

01/10/2014

01/11/2014

01/12/2014

01/01/2015

01/02/2015

01/03/2015

01/04/2015

01/05/20150

100

200

300

400

500

600

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800

900

Road transportCateringERA

Example: OiRA catering Online since January 2014 27 risk situations identified 60 prevention measures proposed 5,900 sessions opened 75% of users didn’t have a risk assessment document

previously 98% of users are in companies with fewer than 20 employees 83% conduct their risk assessment themselves 62% invited workers to contribute 95% say that the tool met their needs and would recommend it.


Monitor the action with indicators


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improving risk prevention in smes

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