029 July 2022

Workers’ participation in occupational safety and health management

Involving workers in improvement processes implies that they are provided with resources and that they feel that they not only have the responsibility to affect outcomes, but also the power to do so. The idea of empowerment is the fundamental basis of participation and is defined as the process of giving workers greater autonomy and control over factors that affect their performance at work.

By involving workers in decisions that affect them and increasing their autonomy and control over their working lives, they will be more motivated, more committed to the organisation, more productive and more satisfied with their work.

Many countries have labour laws that require companies to practice representative participation. That is, instead of workers participating directly in decision-making, they are represented by a small group of workers who participate. The purpose of representative participation is to redistribute power within an organisation so that workers are on an equal footing with the interests of shareholders and management.

Worker participation is a key factor in the success of OSH management. Management alone cannot solve all OSH problems, whereas workers and their representatives have a wealth of experience and first-hand knowledge of the work – how it is done and how it affects them. Close collaboration between workers and management is therefore necessary to find joint solutions to common problems.

The participation of workers in OSH management implies their active involvement in the planning, implementation and evaluation of all activities for the prevention of occupational risks. It is not possible to speak of participation when workers are only informed of the activities to be carried out, when they are given a medical examination, a training course or a survey.

Prevention officers or safety officers and the joint occupational safety and health committee are means under the occupational safety and health legislation of some countries to involve workers in the management of occupational safety and health. However, employers need to be convinced that they directly empower workers to participate effectively in the management of occupational safety and health.

The ways of involving workers in OSH management vary. In any case, both formal and informal mechanisms or methods can be used. In particular, direct worker participation should not be seen as an alternative to the representative form of participation (prevention delegates and committees). These are two different routes that need to be combined effectively depending on the specific characteristics of the company.

Regardless of the methods used, the requirements for effective participation include: providing timely access to information on the OSH management system; allowing sufficient time for consultation and discussion; and having the means to resolve conflicts and reach consensus.

The role of workers in the participation process

We emphasise that workers should not limit their participation to passive cooperation and compliance with safety rules. To achieve active and effective participation, workers need to take full advantage of existing participation procedures in their workplace.

Benefits of worker participation in OSH management

Worker participation contributes to the establishment of a culture of dialogue. In this respect, organisations should promote, through prevention policy, a culture in which health and safety is integrated into the daily activities of each worker. Organisations should establish mechanisms that encourage workers and their representatives to participate in OSH decision-making. The principles to be followed are encourage honest dialogue, pay attention to what everyone has to say, learn from what is heard, and act accordingly. Effective communication is essential; it involves listening to workers and acting on their opinions. This two-way process creates a culture where reciprocal relationships are based on collaboration, trust and joint problem solving.