Networks as a Policy Instrument for Smaller Companies

Abstract

There is a growing focus upon the application of different policy instruments to improve health and safety, and how it is possible to evaluate their effect and their limitations (Hasle et al., 2014). The Invine Project (Limborg & Groen, 2014), which is a part of the CAVI research group (CAVI, 2010), has raised the issue of the importance of networks among small businesses as means to a broader contact to this target group. We will start by picture ourselves in one of these small enterprises.The Safety Representative at the Dairy fetched the new lifting device and brought it to the conveyer, where all the large cheeses were being loaded into cardboard boxes. Let's use this, it is actually a great help, when you learn how to operate it, she said to a colleague who looked a little sceptic. I know it's still a prototype, and it looks a little strange, but we took part in the development ourselves. Give it a chance!.One and a half year earlier the Labour Inspector had issued a note to the company, ordering them to reduce heavy lifting. After an appeal they were given more time to solve the problems. The management was reluctant; they had no idea how to solve the problem, and did not want to invest too much as the competition was hard.Not long after this event however, the manager was contacted by another manager of a Dairy in the western part of the country. He knew the caller well, as he had been ingenuitive in his approach to cheese production. And he had always been very active in the network of small Dairies, set up as a subgroup of the Dairy-employers association.The caller suggested a joint application for a project to develop new lifting aids, since a new Prevention Fund enabled companies to apply for funding of development projects. They agreed to discuss it at the upcoming meeting in the network.With the help of a qualified Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) consultant, they designed a project and received funding for the technical development of lifting aids, as well as for their own time consumption. Furthermore most of the other 22 dairies in the network also agreed to take part in the project. Some had had similar experiences to the one described above, with the Labour Inspection, others were simply aware of the wear and tear caused by the lifting operations. All had argued that they could not find the necessary means to cover the costs of the technical equipment to solve their lifting problems, if their competitors did not take on the same expense.The manager from West Country Dairy was the pioneer in the process, he understood that if all agreed to participate by supporting the development project, the argument of competition would lose its power. He emphasized the need for mutual support, he even demanded that all managers in the network, one by one declared that they actively supported the project, and that they would open their plants for the networkmembers to visit for discussions and sharing of ideas related to the issue of reducing heavy lifting. This meeting was referred to as the handshake meeting, and the tense atmosphere as they spoke out one by one, was remembered long after.This historical development was documented by the Invine project (Limborg et al.), which analyzed the Dairy prevention project and two similar projects developed and executed by groups of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).It is a continuous challenge to ensure that SMEs are as healthy as any other workplace and it is well known that policy instruments directed at SMEs cannot simply be copied from policy instruments directed at large enterprises. But a more deliberate strategy toward Occupational Helath and Safety in SMEs is still in its making.The main result from our study of three networks is that when it comes to OHS, SMEs are more affected by the actions and attitudes of their competitors and collaborators within their industry than they are affected by general campaigns, regulations and even by inspections from the Labor Inspectorate. …