The institutional and regulatory settings for occupational health and safety: an international survey

Abstract This chapter presents a survey of the institutional and regulatory context of occupational health and safety (OHS) systems in several jurisdictions. The intent of the survey is to provide readers with a sense of how the OHS context can vary from one jurisdiction to another and, hence, offer an appreciation of how different systems can affect workplace parties and other stakeholders in different ways. Key factors to keep in mind are the behavioural incentives created by a system, as well as its impact on outcomes, and the distribution of costs and consequences. These factors must be borne in mind when designing a study (some effects may be of more consequence in some jurisdictions than others), when comparing the results of evaluations done in different jurisdictions, or when assessing the implications of a study done in one jurisdiction for another. There is a significant diversity of policy environments even amongst jurisdictions having close geographical and cultural proximity. Given the importance of system incentives, it is good practice in the reporting of study results to clearly outline the OHS context in which the intervention was undertaken, and to highlight those aspects most relevant to behaviour, outcomes, and the distribution of costs and consequences in the jurisdiction(s) in question.