An evidence based evaluation of how best to secure compliance with health and safety law.

Source: (2005) Research Report 334. Health and Safety Executive (England). Downloaded 19 October 2005.

England, as many countries, is pursuing ways to enhance health and safety in business and industry. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), a government agency, employs a strategy of encouragement, persuasion, assistance, and enforcement to assure compliance with health and safety law and policy. Research findings in the past have been mixed and incomplete in assessing the effectiveness of HSE’s use of motivational “levers” to gain compliance and improve health and safety. Therefore, this research was undertaken to understand better how the influence of various motivational factors interact with each other, and how different categories of organizations and their characteristics vary with respect to organizational attitudes to health and safety. Additionally, an aim of the research was to seek evidence substantiating the case for new motivational “levers.” In the course of their study and the presentation of their findings in this report, the authors discuss restorative justice in terms of models and evidence of organizational health and safety attitudes and behaviors. They also consider restorative justice as a possible strategy for compliance with health and safety laws.