Hierarchical Structure of Small–Medium Enterprise Accidents Contributing to Legal Proceedings Resulting in Judicial Verdicts Using Interpretive Structural Modeling

Abstract

Abstract Aim: The present study aims to identify and model factors influencing accidents in small–medium enterprises based on judicial orders. Methods: This study was conducted in two primary phases. The first phase involved analyzing legal documents related to work-related accidents to extract factors influencing accidents in SMEs. In the second phase, interpretive structural modeling (ISM) was employed to hierarchically model these factors and understand their relationships using ISM Excel base software. Ten experts from various Iranian universities and industrial companies participated in the study, contributing to the completion of matrices used in the ISM model. Results: In this study, 10 primary factors contributing to accident occurrences in SMEs were identified and categorized into three main groups: Individual factors related to the incident (comprising five subfactors), organizational factors (comprising three subfactors), and conditional factors (comprising two subfactors). The subsequent phase involved modeling the identified factors using the ISM technique. The results revealed that three factors – training, equipment-related factors, and hazardous processes or harsh environments – were placed at level 2, designating them as the key factors influencing accidents. Conclusion: The current research demonstrates that in SMEs, conditional and organizational factors like equipment shortcomings, hazardous processes, and insufficient training for workers are key factors in accident occurrences within these systems. Consequently, by controlling these factors, improvements in their safety conditions can be pursued.