Supply chains put pressure on health and safety

Posted: January 29, 2013

Posted in: Workplace Injuries 

A new report has analysed the impact of the use of supply chains within businesses on occupational safety and health (OSH).

The report, from the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, shows that companies are affected by many different pressures in working with their supply chains to improve OSH: as well as market-based business considerations and sustainability and corporate social responsibility agendas, there are also external pressures, such as legal demands and the concerns of stakeholders, consumer groups and other pressure groups.

Though there are considerable differences between sectors and between companies of different sizes, the report shows that successful attempts to influence businesses in promoting OSH throughout their supply chains often involve a mixture of regulation and market-based measures and initiatives.

Apart from procurement strategies and safety certification schemes, the report also looks at other approaches that can be used to diminish work accidents and ill health in the supply chain, and which could be taken up more widely in Europe. These approaches focus on issues such as clarifying contractual responsibilities, improving communication, cooperation and training, and putting in place joint control procedures.

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