Rethinking occupational health and safety principles—a systems perspective

Figures & data

Table 1. Estimated numbers of work-related fatalities from injuries and ill-health: global trends.

	Year	Fatalities from injuries	Fatalities from ill-health	Total fatalities
Global*	2016	360,000	1,879,890	2,239,890
	2008	321,000	2,020,000	2,340,000
	2003✪	357,948	1,945,115	2,303,063
UK**	2016	147	22,539	22,686
	2010	147	21,758	21,905
	2003✪	224	20,778	21,002
	2000	219	20,744	20,963
USA***	2016	5,190	62,008	67,198
	2010	4,690	60,210	64,900
	2003✪	5,575	84,155	89,730
	2000	5,920	62,775	68,695
New Zealand#	2016	73	943	1016
	2010	76	975	1051
	2003✪	82	1,145	1,227
	2000	89	947	1036

*WHO/ILO (2021), ** WHO European Region (2023), *** U.S. Department of Labour (2021), # Stats NZ (2021), ✪ ILO (2023).

Figure 1. Socioecological system model (Bronfenbrenner 1979)—Influence of system context and interactions on human decisions and actions.

Figure 2. Contextual factors of OHS risks and outcomes—A conceptual model (Tappin et al. 2008).

Figure 3. The key systems that configure work system dynamics.

Figure 4. OHS risk controls and constraints—System variables.

Figure 5. Details of document review and analysis process.

Table 2. Articles and documents included in the review.

Document Type	Document themes
	Regulation	HFE	Safe design	Management (Risk-, -system)
Journal articles	1			1
Guidance		1	4	2
Reports	1		1
Standards (ISO)		2		2

Table 3. Narrative analysis—key themes emerging.

Approach/mechanism	Tool/Process	Aim/Objective	Principles of OHS
Policies and programmes at the national and enterprise level	Performance management—	Priority on prevention.	Holistic decent work, decent conditions, best fit with user, task,
Implemented, monitored, reviewed, and updated	Participation, established procedure, internal controls	Protect and promote OHS.	environment, and culture
Training, education, and information	Dissemination of training and information—Design and verification,	Improve working conditions.	Sustainable promote health and safety at the source, all users
Documented, available, appropriate, adequate	certification, authorisation, testing, technical standards	Business priority to enhance productivity.	Socially responsible Human and cultural variabilities in use.
Business leadership	Primary responsibility-	Secure compliance.	Integrated
Open, responsible, competent, committed	Organisational structures, supervision, and control	Available and accessible health services.	OHS with other acumen/ requirements
Risk management	Systematic process-		Address the full lifecycle
Dynamic, iterative, monitored, reviewed, continual improvement	Hazard identification, risk assessment, and risk control using the hierarchy of control		Life cycle stages, conception to disposal, supply chain
Design of work system			Primary prevention
Informed design decisions, shared learning	Influence and control over design decisions		Promote OHS at source, at design decisions
	Knowledge, skills, evidence, experience, multidisciplinary		User-centered User needs, variabilities, capabilities, differences, user-experience
			Inclusive Collaborative, multidisciplinary, user involvement,
			System of work Best fit to human and cultural factors, providing for human needs

Table 4. OHS principles: emergent themes and their construct.

Principles	Utilising systems approach in decisions	Holistic and people-centric work system	Integrated lifecycle coverage	Inclusive process	Sustainable design
Key constructs	Consider who it will impact	Human-centred lens to work system	address OHS needs across the lifecycle stages	Collaboration is key to informed	The work system offers decent (safe and healthy) work
	Consider how it may impact	Considering the wide community impacted		decision	and conditions by design
	Consider the variations and needs of those	The variabilities in use by different users		Everyone impacted can	Risk control targets the source
	impacted	Address socio-economic needs		participate early in the	at the point of origin
	Consider the system in which the design output operates	The social and cultural needs of all users		process	H&S needs of the current and future users

Figure 6. Outcome-oriented analysis—Emergent themes driving OHS intent and outcomes.

WHO/ILO. 2021. WHO/ILO joint estimates of the work-related burden of disease and injury, 2000-2016: global monitoring report. Retrieved from Geneva.

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World Health Organisation. 2023. Death due to work-related accidents. Retrieved from https://gateway.euro.who.int/en/indicators/hfa_457-4071-number-of-deaths-due-to-work-related-accidents/.

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United States Department of Labor. 2021. Injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/iif/fatal-injuries-tables.htm.

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Stats NZ. 2021. Serious injury outcome indicators: 2000-2020. Retrieved from https://www.stats.govt.nz/information-releases/serious-injury-outcome-indicators-2000-2020/.

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International Labour Organisation. 2023. World statistics. Retrieved from https://www.ilo.org/moscow/areas-of-work/occupational-safety-and-health/WCMS_249278/lang–en/index.htm.

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Bronfenbrenner U. 1979. The ecology of human development: experiments by nature and design. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

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Tappin DC, Bentley TA, Vitalis A. 2008. The role of contextual factors for musculoskeletal disorders in the New Zealand meat processing industry. Ergonomics. 51(10):1576–1593. doi:10.1080/00140130802238630.

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