The unit "Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Systems in Transformation; Coordination Occupational Safety and Health Structures" examines the effectiveness and potential areas for improvement in the organization of occupational safety and health (OSH) at the company and supra-company level.
The focus is on analyzing the adequacy and effectiveness of OSH processes and structures, as well as how they adapt to changes in the world of work.
Among other things, the unit examines how companies organise and implement prevention and occupational safety measures. It also examines which internal and external stakeholders are involved in these organisational processes. Particular emphasis is placed on workplace prevention practices and on the occupational safety and occupational health support provided to small and medium-sized companies. To enable sound and differentiated assessments of the organizational structure of occupational safety and health, the group contributes to the development of an adequate quantitative data basis.
In addition, the group explores how occupational safety and health can be ensured in increasingly interconnected work structures, such as supply chains. The focus here is on occupational safety and health practices at the interfaces between companies, which are shaped by interorganizational cooperation and communication at both the management and employee levels.
Another focus is on the supervisory staff of the state occupational safety and health administrations. These actors monitor the implementation of occupational safety and health regulations and advise companies on fulfilling their legal obligations as well as on implementing preventive measures. Specifically, the group studies the potential benefits and risks of digitalization for a health-promoting and future-oriented design of supervisory staff activities.
An overarching task of the group is to bring together various professional perspectives and expertise on the occupational safety and health system. This includes, in particular, the activities and findings of the General Office of the National OSH Conference and the Federal Office for Occupational Safety and Health. This linking of content helps to consolidate knowledge about occupational safety and health structures and instruments, thereby enabling the joint alignment and justification of research activities and recommendations for the further development of the occupational safety and health system.