Components of an Occupational Safety and Health Communication Research Strategy for Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises

Details

• Personal Author:
  Cunningham, Thomas R. ; Guerin, Rebecca J. ; Hennigan B ; Jacklitsch, Brenda L. ; Schulte, Paul A.
• Description:
  The majority of the global labor force works in firms with fewer than 50 employees; firms with fewer than 250 employees make up 99% of workplaces. Even so, the lack of extensive or comprehensive research has failed to focus on occupational safety and health communication to these small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Given that the magnitude of all occupational safety and health (OSH) morbidity, mortality, and injury disproportionately occurs in businesses with fewer than 250 employees, efforts to communicate with employers to engage in preventative occupational safety and health efforts merit attention. This article provides an overview of important components that should be considered in developing an occupational safety and health (OSH) communication research strategy targeting SMEs. Such a strategy should raise awareness about the diversity and complexity of SMEs and the challenges of targeting OSH communication toward this diverse group. Companies of differing sizes (e.g. 5, 50, 500 employees) likely require differing communication approaches. Communication strategies will benefit from deconstructing the term 'small business' into smaller, more homogenous categories that might require approaches. Theory-based research assessing barriers, message content, channels, reach, reception, motivation, and intention to act serve as the foundation for developing a comprehensive research framework. Attention to this type of research by investigators is warranted and should be encouraged and supported. There would also be value in developing national and international strategies for research on communication with small businesses. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Agriculture Construction Industry Fires Forestry Health Promotion Morbidity Mortality Occupational Health Preventive Medicine Safety Small Business

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• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Communication Communication Systems Construction Fatalities Health Programs Injuries Intervention Morbidity Rates Mortality Rates Motivation Occupational Safety And Health Preventive Medicine Reception Safety Programs Service Industries Small Businesses Statistical Analysis Theory Total Worker Health TWH Wholesale And Retail Trade Worker Health Workers Worker Safety

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• ISSN:
  2398-7308
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  EID - Education and Information Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  62
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20052833
• Citation:
  Ann Work Expo Health 2018 Sep; 62(Suppl 1):S12-S24
• Contact Point Address:
  Paul A. Schulte, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1090 Tusculum Avenue, Mailstop C-14, Cincinnati, OH 45226
• Email:
  pas4@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2018
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Annals of Work Exposures and Health
• Supplement:
  1
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:4a0892450d25434d8370eee46754dc95bd0997f877211f50e3af98f5aea1859c2cd3eb6f6accfed6445bc6b65a7cfb4d219fc4a43d597b371f5b61810e1a2fb8
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/212299/cdc_212299_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 380.60 KB ]