WHC4003 Tutorial Case Notes (Summary)
Academic Year 2021/22
Table of Contents
Case 1 ー Investment in health, is good business: Introduction to occupational health
management (OHM) and its stakeholders
Case 2 ー Organizational determinants of (effective) OHM implementation
Case 3 ー Settings and stakeholders of OHM: A case on sickness absence
Case 4 – Sustainable employability: managing disability, vitality and employability
Case 5 – Institutional issues: implementing OHM in various legal and welfare contexts and in
a changing world of work
Case 6 ー Who is responsible for work, health and participation?
Case 1 ー Investment in health, is good business:
Introduction to occupational health management
(OHM) and its stakeholders
Learning Goals
1. What is OHM? -> What are contextual factors that affect OHM? (sector
differences/company size)
2. What are stakeholders in general?
3. Which micro level stakeholders are involved in OHM? -> interests ->
tasks/responsibilities
4. Which macro level stakeholders are involved in OHM? -> interests ->
tasks/responsibilities
5. How is OHM implemented in the Netherlands and EU? (legislation, 89 directive)
○ What are barriers and facilitators in the implementation of OHM? Gap
between theory and practice?
○ What are various approaches to implementing OHM? (Top-down/
bottom-up)
1. What is OHM? -> What are contextual factors that affect OHM?
(sector differences/company size)
Occupational Health Management is a cross-disciplinary area concerned with protecting and
promoting the health, wellbeing and sustainable employment of people engaged in work. The
goals of occupational health programs include the fostering of a safe and healthy work
environment. Occupational health systems may also protect co-workers, family members,
employers, customers, and many others who might be affected by the workplace
environment. (EU-OSHA, pp. 15-38)
,OHM is important as work-related health problems may result in a lot of sick leave days and
can have costly consequences for the individual and the employer.
Five main categories of OSHMS:
o initiation (OSH inputs);
o formulation (OSH process);
o implementation/operations (OSH process);
o evaluation (feedback);
o improvement/integration (open system elements).
,EU-OSHA (2012). Management of occupational safety and health. An analysis of the findings
of the European Survey of Enterprises on New and Emerging Risks (ESENER). European
Risk Observatory Report (pp.14-27). Luxembourg: European Agency for Safety and Health
at Work.
, The International Labour Organisation (ILO): according to the ILO, an OSHMS is ‘a set of
interrelated or interacting elements to establish OSH policy and objectives and to achieve
those objectives’. ‘An OSHMS is an integrated set of organisational elements involved in the
continuous cycle of planning, implementation, evaluation, and continual improvement,
directed toward the abatement of occupational hazards in the workplace.’
The development of the new strategy towards OSH management across industrialised
countries can be explained by several interrelated strands:
● Voluntary OSHM systems
○ Not state-regulated
○ first promoted by commercial organisations, large corporations and
associations (e.g. industry associations)
○ more complex and more formalised in terms of specifications
○ are generally in the form of standards or guidelines
● Mandatory OSHM strategies (systematic), such as the EU 1989 Framework directive
(e.g. obligatory risk assessment and to use preventive services)
○ arise from government legislation and dictate a limited set of core principles
for the management of OSH to be implemented by employers. Their use is
then enforced through inspections, fines and other corrective measures
○ relatively simple and applicable to all types of enterprises
Although OSH management has gained considerable attention among the different
stakeholders in OSH, there is a lack of systematic reviews on their effects on worker health
and safety and associated socioeconomic and health-related outcomes. Yet, studies
regarding the effectiveness of voluntary and mandatory OSHMSs both show positive effects.
Implementation of OSHMS can be beneficial under certain circumstances.
The implementation of OSHMSs is highly constrained and determined by the enterprise’s
context (e.g. structure, size, activity, technology) and objectives.
Contextual Factors affecting OHM
Academic Year 2021/22
Table of Contents
Case 1 ー Investment in health, is good business: Introduction to occupational health
management (OHM) and its stakeholders
Case 2 ー Organizational determinants of (effective) OHM implementation
Case 3 ー Settings and stakeholders of OHM: A case on sickness absence
Case 4 – Sustainable employability: managing disability, vitality and employability
Case 5 – Institutional issues: implementing OHM in various legal and welfare contexts and in
a changing world of work
Case 6 ー Who is responsible for work, health and participation?
Case 1 ー Investment in health, is good business:
Introduction to occupational health management
(OHM) and its stakeholders
Learning Goals
1. What is OHM? -> What are contextual factors that affect OHM? (sector
differences/company size)
2. What are stakeholders in general?
3. Which micro level stakeholders are involved in OHM? -> interests ->
tasks/responsibilities
4. Which macro level stakeholders are involved in OHM? -> interests ->
tasks/responsibilities
5. How is OHM implemented in the Netherlands and EU? (legislation, 89 directive)
○ What are barriers and facilitators in the implementation of OHM? Gap
between theory and practice?
○ What are various approaches to implementing OHM? (Top-down/
bottom-up)
1. What is OHM? -> What are contextual factors that affect OHM?
(sector differences/company size)
Occupational Health Management is a cross-disciplinary area concerned with protecting and
promoting the health, wellbeing and sustainable employment of people engaged in work. The
goals of occupational health programs include the fostering of a safe and healthy work
environment. Occupational health systems may also protect co-workers, family members,
employers, customers, and many others who might be affected by the workplace
environment. (EU-OSHA, pp. 15-38)
,OHM is important as work-related health problems may result in a lot of sick leave days and
can have costly consequences for the individual and the employer.
Five main categories of OSHMS:
o initiation (OSH inputs);
o formulation (OSH process);
o implementation/operations (OSH process);
o evaluation (feedback);
o improvement/integration (open system elements).
,EU-OSHA (2012). Management of occupational safety and health. An analysis of the findings
of the European Survey of Enterprises on New and Emerging Risks (ESENER). European
Risk Observatory Report (pp.14-27). Luxembourg: European Agency for Safety and Health
at Work.
, The International Labour Organisation (ILO): according to the ILO, an OSHMS is ‘a set of
interrelated or interacting elements to establish OSH policy and objectives and to achieve
those objectives’. ‘An OSHMS is an integrated set of organisational elements involved in the
continuous cycle of planning, implementation, evaluation, and continual improvement,
directed toward the abatement of occupational hazards in the workplace.’
The development of the new strategy towards OSH management across industrialised
countries can be explained by several interrelated strands:
● Voluntary OSHM systems
○ Not state-regulated
○ first promoted by commercial organisations, large corporations and
associations (e.g. industry associations)
○ more complex and more formalised in terms of specifications
○ are generally in the form of standards or guidelines
● Mandatory OSHM strategies (systematic), such as the EU 1989 Framework directive
(e.g. obligatory risk assessment and to use preventive services)
○ arise from government legislation and dictate a limited set of core principles
for the management of OSH to be implemented by employers. Their use is
then enforced through inspections, fines and other corrective measures
○ relatively simple and applicable to all types of enterprises
Although OSH management has gained considerable attention among the different
stakeholders in OSH, there is a lack of systematic reviews on their effects on worker health
and safety and associated socioeconomic and health-related outcomes. Yet, studies
regarding the effectiveness of voluntary and mandatory OSHMSs both show positive effects.
Implementation of OSHMS can be beneficial under certain circumstances.
The implementation of OSHMSs is highly constrained and determined by the enterprise’s
context (e.g. structure, size, activity, technology) and objectives.
Contextual Factors affecting OHM
