This document discusses improving risk prevention in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). It notes that SMEs employ 50-67% of the private sector workforce in Europe but often lack resources and expertise for effective risk prevention. One challenge identified by the EU is enhancing SMEs' capacity for risk prevention. SMEs are less likely to conduct risk assessments due to lack of concern, competence and time. The document proposes sector-specific action plans, tools like the Online Interactive Risk Assessment tool to aid SMEs, and indicators to monitor effectiveness.

1. Improving risk prevention in SMEs:
a major challenge for OSH organisations
25 september 2015
Marc Malenfer, INRS, Paris
marc.malenfer@inrs.fr
@INRSfrance
02/10/2015 1

2. 2
 France: 2 millions SMEs employ 50% of the workforce
in the private sector
EU: 20.7 million SMEs employ 67% of the workforce
in the private sector
 Need to improve prevention in SMEs commonly agreed on
 One of the three major challenges identified by the
European Commission in its EU Strategic Framework on
Health and Safety at Work 2014-2020: “Enhancing the
capacity of micro and small enterprises to put in place
effective and efficient risk prevention measures”
HEALTH AND SAFETY IN SMEs
02/10/2015 Improving risk prevention in SMEs

3. Breakdown of establishments and employees by company size
Improving risk prevention in SMEs02/10/2015 3
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
nombre
d'établissements
nombre de salariés
50 salariés et
plus
20 à 49 salariés
10 à 19 salariés
5 à 9 salariés
1 à 4 salariés
In France:
• 98% of private companies employ fewer than 50 people
• 50% of the employees work in those companies

4. Breakdown of occupational accidents and employees by company size
(in 2011) and frequency indices (2010)
Improving risk prevention in SMEs02/10/2015 4

5. Breakdown of accidents and employees by company size
for the car repair industry (2012 data)
Improving risk prevention in SMEs02/10/2015 5

6. Lack of concern for health & safety
Improving risk prevention in SMEs02/10/2015 6
 The owner employer feels alone
 A lot of concerns but not about health & safety
 A lack of competence in health & safety issues
 A lack of time
 He’s responsible for the safety
of his employees
 He has to comply with the rules
and regulations

7. Lack of concern about OSH in SMEs
 Reasons why risk assessments are not carried out (ESENER)
Improving risk prevention in SMEs02/10/2015 7

8. What incentives?
 Main reasons for addressing health and safety at work
(ESENER)
Improving risk prevention in SMEs02/10/2015 8

9. One indicator: Risk Assessment
 One of the main legal obligations for all companies is to
perform a risk assessment (Directive 89/391/EEC)
Example: RA in car repair sector
Improving risk prevention in SMEs02/10/2015 9

10. 10
 OSH: a challenge for SMEs
 Worrying approach at EU level
 2011 EC Report “Minimizing regulatory burden for SMEs: Adapting
EU regulation to the needs of micro-enterprises”
Possibility of replacing the systematic documentation of risk assessment
for micro-enterprises dealing with low-risk activities by a proportionate
risk-based approach
 COM(2013) 122 final “Smart Regulation – Responding to the needs
of small and medium-sized enterprises”
The EC launched a comprehensive policy evaluation in 2012 to assess the
relevance, effectiveness and coherence of the main Directive 89/391/EEC and
more than 20 daughter Directives.
Health and Safety in SMEs
02/10/2015 Improving risk prevention in SMEs

11. 11
 Do we still want a high level of health and safety protection for
all workers?
 Or do we accept a two-tier system and different protection of
workers based on the size of the company?
 INRS approach: provide support to SMEs to meet the
requirement of protecting the health and safety of all workers
Health and Safety in SMEs
02/10/2015 Improving risk prevention in SMEs

12. How to do it?
 No concern about OSH
 Talk about their activity => sectoral approach
 Talk about their “real concerns” => economic / human resources
arguments
 First concern, fulfill the legal obligation on RA => have an offer
 No competences
 Answer to the need for assistance
> Direct support in the workplaces => need for partners
> Give them the opportunity to manage OSH on their own => need for tools
 A huge number of companies
 Focus on priority targets
 Develop partnerships
 Devote resources to promotional actions
Improving risk prevention in SMEs02/10/2015 12

13.  National framework for 2014- 2017: experiment new
approaches to reach SMEs
 4 priority sectors:
 Construction
 Road transport
 Catering
 Car repair
 A specific action plan for each sector
Improving risk prevention in SMEs02/10/2015 13
Choice of priority sectors

14. Choice of priority sectors
Improving risk prevention in SMEs02/10/2015 14
Maçons
Mécanique
générale,
garagistes
Peintres en bâtiment
Restaurateurs,
hôtels/restaurants
, traiteurs
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
0 50000 100000 150000 200000 250000 300000 350000 400000 450000 500000 550000
nombred'accidentsdetravail
nombre de salariés
Plombiers-chauffagistes
Transporteurs routiers de marchandises
Couvreurs-
étancheurs-
charpentiers
Menuisiers

15. Example: Road transport programme
 Main message:
 90% of accidents happen when the truck is stationary
 Many technical solutions are available
 Partner: the sectoral professional training
organisation
 Train their consultants on OSH issues
 They reach a large number of small companies and can promote
H&S
 Multimedia information
 Link between print / web / e-tool
Improving risk prevention in SMEs02/10/2015 15

16. Example : Road transport programme
Improving risk prevention in SMEs02/10/2015 16
Short document
sent to 15,000
companies
Web page with all
sectoral, technical
guides
Online tool to help
them to conduct
their risk
assessment

17. 17
 To assist SMEs in their risk assessment and
prevention approach
 Interactive generic tool deployed by the European
Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA)
 European Commission: “The Online interactive risk
assessment tool (OiRA) developed by EU-OSHA is a
major contribution to facilitating SMEs’ compliance
with OSH requirements”
OIRA : Online interactive assessment tool
02/10/2015 Improving risk prevention in SMEs

18. 18
 INRS: French OIRA partner of the European Agency for
Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA)
 3 tools developed in cooperation with professional
organisations: road transport, car repair and catering sectors
 Easy-to-use software
 More than 10,000 sessions opened in France
http://www.oiraproject.eu
OIRA: Online interactive assessment tool
02/10/2015 Improving risk prevention in SMEs

19. Monitor the action with indicators
 Benefits of the Web => it provides data
> Example: number of new sessions in OiRA tools
Improving risk prevention in SMEs02/10/2015 19
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
Road transport
Catering
ERA

20.  Example: OiRA catering
 Online since January 2014
 27 risk situations identified
 60 prevention measures proposed
 5,900 sessions opened
 75% of users didn’t have a risk assessment document previously
 98% of users are in companies with fewer than 20 employees
 83% conduct their risk assessment themselves
 62% invited workers to contribute
 95% say that the tool met their needs and would recommend it.
Improving risk prevention in SMEs02/10/2015 20
Monitor the action with indicators

21. Improving risk prevention in SMEs02/10/2015 21
Follow us:
marc.malenfer@inrs.fr
@INRSfrance
@MarcMalenf