Abstract
We attempted to introduce occupational safety and health management systems (OSHMS) into a local government office, at which many different types of jobs are performed, and discuss the process and outcomes. The introduction of the program was based on risk assessment and participatory activities leading to continuous improvements at workplaces. This intervention study was conducted at a local government office, comprising about 2,000 workers and 10 occupational safety and health committees (OSH committees, 14 departments). We conducted an OSHMS introduction program four times between June 2007 and June 2008, a baseline self-reported questionnaire survey was conducted in August 2008, a risk assessment training program was held for the ten OSH committees, and simultaneously an occupational stress reduction training program was held twice between August 2008 and May 2009. The questionnaire survey showed that hazardous working environments were significantly related to higher psychological and physical stress levels at workplaces. These results may indicate that plotting working environments vs. psychological and physical [stress][distress] is a useful tool in risk assessment training programs. According to the results of the questionnaire survey, blue-collar workers proposed improvements for working environments more frequently compared to clerical workers, while clerical workers submitted a number of reports on good practices and proposals on how to improve working environments after participating in the occupational stress reduction training program. These results may indicate that the worker's attitude to and actions for occupational safety and health was activated by a series of risk assessment training programs. Therefore, a training program with a risk assessment approach is effective in advancing practical OSH activities. Furthermore, the incidence of occupational accidents has decreased about 50 % within two years.
