ABSTRACT
The responsibility of organizations to protect their workforce from injuries and ill-health has long been enshrined in the health and safety legislation of many countries; for example, in the UK the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) and in the US, the Occupational Safety and Health Act (1970). There is little doubt that the effective management of health and safety has significant financial benefits for organizations, in terms of avoiding the substantial costs associated with occupational injuries and ill-health. In 2008/09, workplace injuries in the UK led to 4.7 million lost work days, with considerable financial cost to employers and the economy (Health and Safety Executive, 2010). Furthermore, there is growing evidence that effective management of health and safety is positively associated with the bottom-line profitability of organizations (for example, Fernández-Muñiz, Montes-Peón & Vázquez-Ordás, 2009; Huang, Leamon, Courtney, Chen & DeArmond, 2007; Kaminski, 2001; Maudgalya, Genaidy & Shell, 2008). Given the increased emphasis on organizations to integrate social responsibility into their corporate mission, the provision of positive and healthy working conditions may be viewed as a competitive advantage, as well as a moral and legal obligation. In relation to corporate social responsibility, organizations should understand that poor workplace health and safety will have repercussions for corporate reputation, as well as causing financial and human losses (Hart, 2010). These are significant issues, especially in hard economic times, when there is often a tendency to see a squeeze on organizations’ investment in health and safety.
