Incorporating internal context into the design of occupational health and safety research and intervention programmes in SMEs

Safety interventions for small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have proliferated recently in developed economies but research highlights the limited success of these programmes. A broader approach incorporating the characteristics of SMEs is required, particularly with consideration given to their internal context, as research has generally focussed on methods and tools to control specific safety risks within SMEs without fully considering the elements and characteristics that define each SME to systematically address its needs. SMEs require something more than a readily prepared template to complete a safety management system aligned to their business. Further research incorporating the internal context of SMEs and the ways in which an SME has structured itself can address the internal context and provide congruence for the effective planning and implementation of research and safety interventions. This paper proposes what may be appropriate as a first step for SMEs to participate in such research and interventions.