Occupational health and safety management systems (OHSMSs) have developed considerably over the last 20 years, yet little is known about their effectiveness.

The systematic review aimed to answer these questions:

1. What is the relative effectiveness of mandatory and voluntary OHSMSs on employee health and safety and on associated economic outcomes?
2. What facilitators and barriers are there to the adoption and the effectiveness of OHSMSs?
3. What is the evidence on the cost-effectiveness of OHSMSs?

The findings and recommendations will be of interest to researchers, workers, policy-makers, management, unions and others involved in workplace health and safety.

This review was published in a peer-reviewed journal:

Robson, L. S., Clarke, J. A., Cullen, K., Bielecky, A., Severin, C., Bigelow, P. L. et al. (2007). The effectiveness of occupational health and safety management system interventions: a systematic review. Safety Science, 45, 329-353.