An Assessment of the OHSAS 18001 Certification Process: Objective Drivers and Consequences on Safety Performance and Labour Productivity

In this article, the authors examine the connection between the adoption of the Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series (OHSAS) 18001 standard and performance from a comprehensive perspective. They first examine the adoption of the OHSAS 18001 as a function of objective safety metrics related to work accidents. Second, they evaluate the effect of this safety standard on safety performance and labor productivity, paying special attention to the returns to certified safety experience. For the empirical application they use a unique dataset of 149 Spanish firms for the period 2006–2009. The results reveal that objective safety variables explain the probability to adopt the OHSAS 18001; and that performance improvements follow the adoption of this safety system. In addition, the empirical findings tend to give ammunition to the argument that safety systems are worthwhile investments with strategic implications, as the experience on safety management may become a critical tool that can significantly improve safety and operating performance.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2013.06.011
• Record URL:
  http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925753513001409
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/09257535
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Abstract reprinted with permission of Elsevier.
• Authors:
  • Abad, Jesus
  • Lafuente, Esteban
  • Vilajosana, Jordi
• Publication Date: 2013-12

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 47-56
• Serial:
  • Safety Science
  • Volume: 60
  • Issue Number: 0
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0925-7535
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/09257535

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Occupational safety; Operations; Productivity; Regulations; Risk assessment
• Geographic Terms: Spain
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I10: Economics and Administration;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01496825
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 28 2013 10:04AM