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Health and Safety Risks in Britain's Workplaces: Where are They and Who Controls Them?

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  • Alex Bryson

    (University College London, National Institute of Social and Economic Research and Institute for the Study of Labor)

Abstract

This is the first paper to identify the correlates of workplace managers' perceptions of the health and safety risks faced by workers and the degree to which workers have control over those risks. The risks workers face and the control they have over those risks are weakly negatively correlated. Managerial risk ratings are positively associated with both injury and illness rates, but not with absence rates. The control rating is also positively associated with injury and illness rates, but it is negatively correlated with absence rates. Workers are more likely to be exposed to health and safety risks when their workplace is performing poorly and where it has been adversely affected by the recession. Union density is positively associated with risks but is not associated with worker control over risks. Having on-site worker representatives dealing with health and safety is linked to lower risks than direct consultation between management and employees over health and safety. However, there is no evidence that particular types of health and safety arrangement are related to worker control over health and safety risks.

Suggested Citation

  • Alex Bryson, 2016. "Health and Safety Risks in Britain's Workplaces: Where are They and Who Controls Them?," DoQSS Working Papers 16-05, Quantitative Social Science - UCL Social Research Institute, University College London.
    • Handle: RePEc:qss:dqsswp:1605
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    File URL: https://repec.ucl.ac.uk/REPEc/pdf/qsswp1605.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Grazier, S. & Sloane, P.J., 2008. "Accident risk, gender, family status and occupational choice in the UK," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 15(5), pages 938-957, October.
    2. Andrew M. Robinson & Clive Smallman, 2006. "The contemporary British workplace: a safer and healthier place?," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 20(1), pages 87-107, March.
    3. Paul Fenn & Simon Ashby, 2004. "Workplace Risk, Establishment Size and Union Density," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 42(3), pages 461-480, September.
    4. Andrew M Robinson & Clive Smallman, 2013. "Workplace injury and voice: a comparison of management and union perceptions," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 27(4), pages 674-693, August.
    5. Konstantinos, Pouliakas & Ioannis, Theodossiou, 2010. "An Inquiry Into the Theory, Causes and Consequences of Monitoring Indicators of Health and Safety At Work," MPRA Paper 20336, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Alex Bryson & John Forth & Lucy Stokes, 2015. "Does Worker Wellbeing Affect Workplace Performance?," National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) Discussion Papers 447, National Institute of Economic and Social Research.
    7. Alex Bryson & Richard Freeman, 2013. "Employee Perceptions of Working Conditions and the Desire for Worker Representation in Britain and the US," Journal of Labor Research, Springer, vol. 34(1), pages 1-29, March.
    8. Alex Bryson & Erling Barth & Harald Dale-Olsen, 2013. "The Effects of Organizational Change on Worker Well-Being and the Moderating Role of Trade Unions," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 66(4), pages 989-1011, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Uwe Jirjahn & Jens Mohrenweiser & Stephen C Smith, 2022. "Works councils and workplace health promotion in Germany," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 43(3), pages 1059-1094, August.
    2. Getinet Astatike Haile, 2021. "Men, women and unions," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 52(3), pages 201-217, May.
    3. Minjie Cai & Sian Moore & Chris Ball & Matt Flynn & Ken Mulkearn, 2022. "The role of union health and safety representatives during the COVID‐19 pandemic: A case study of the UK food processing, distribution, and retail sectors," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(4), pages 390-407, July.
    4. Wels, Jacques, 2020. "The role of labour unions in explaining workers’ mental and physical health in Great Britain. A longitudinal approach," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 247(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Workplace safety; Working conditions; Unions;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J81 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Standards - - - Working Conditions

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