Factsheet 11 - Occupational Safety and Health in Marketing and Procurement
08/11/2000
Legislation and enforcement have been the traditional ways of improving levels of occupational health and safety. However, companies, governments and sector organisations have increasingly been looking at additional ways of promoting health and safety. This Agency study describes two of these ways: - the use of Occupational Safety and Health as a criteria in purchasing products and services from other companies; - the use of Occupational Safety and Health as a marketing element for promoting the sales of their products or services. In their search for quality, firms are putting increasing emphasis on the health and safety capability of their suppliers, as well as their capacity to deliver the goods. The trend of outsourcing work to contractors and suppliers has also made companies and public organisations more dependent on the safety and health performance of their contractors, especially those who are working within their own premises. In addition, consumers - individuals and companies - have become more sensitive to social and ethical values/issues related to the production process. Many firms have taken steps to improve their health and safety performance as a competitive advantage when marketing products, goods and services. The report brings together 22 case studies of voluntary initiatives taken by companies, sector organizations and governments. The case studies, based on interviews with key respondents, provide objective descriptions of the practices, their purpose and function and are grouped around six different approaches.
