UK - Safety and Health in Micro and Small Enterprises in the EU: the view from the workplace

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This report presents the findings of a study on understandings and experiences of occupational safety and health (OSH) in 162 micro and small enterprises (MSEs) selected from a range of economic sectors in nine EU Member States: Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Romania, Sweden and United Kingdom. Each case study involved a visit to the participating company and interviews with the owner-manager and a worker, as well as observations of the activities of the enterprise.

Some of the most commonly observed attitudes among the MSEs studied included having a strongly reactive approach, perceiving ‘common sense’ as a sufficient OSH measure and underestimating health risks. There are also obvious external characteristics influencing business and OSH practices in MSEs, including national regulatory and socio-economic contexts. The report discusses the implications of those attitudes and contexts.

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