Design of Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems

The field of occupational health and safety management system has gained significance over the last three decades due to its potential for reducing work related injuries and illnesses, also it increases productivity by reducing direct and indirect costs associated with the accidents as evident by International Labor Organization guidelines (2001). The understanding of OHSMS concept and its applicability has to be studied for carrying out research in this domain. According to Gallagher (2000), OHSMS is defined as “A combination of planning and review, the management organizational arrangement, the consultative arrangement, and specific program elements that work together in an integrated way to improve health and safety at work.” According to ILO (2001), OHSMS is a "A set of interrelated or interacting elements to establish OHS policy and objectives, and to achieve those objectives, the elements should be assembled together.” Nevertheless, another researcher Nielsen (2000) argued that the management systems should not only include the management components but technical components as well.