Key innovations for prevention services of the future in OH&S "Prävention 2000+

Status:

completed 12/1998

Aims:

Far-reaching changes in business and in society as a whole present prevention services with new challenges. At the same time, information and communication technologies, in particular, present opportunities for the improvement of prevention services. The means offered by modern media for generating and distributing information more simply and effectively can be exploited for improvements in prevention services, for example in research, consulting and training. The objective of this research project is to structure and assess the principles, problem areas and fields of activity of prevention services in the area of occupational health and safety, in order for principles to be identified for the planning of research, development, testing and implementation. This entails an integrated approach in which the key innovations of co-operation management, knowledge integration, communication and use of media are identified, in order to assure consistent application and inclusion of content in all subsequent project phases.

Activities/Methods:

A growing requirement upon prevention services in the area of occupational health and safety is that they be even more closely customer- and results-focussed. Enhanced prevention services must therefore also be exploited productively for the structured training and qualification of personnel, and for integration into the various sectors of industry and commerce. The key innovations stated above are to be monitored and detailed by means of discussion fora in an ongoing joint project involving 49 companies and institutions in total. The suitability for implementation in individual companies and across sectors is thus continually reviewed and assured.

Results:

The approaches which have been followed for prevention services with a direct effect upon the providers concerned include the following in particular: preventive rehabilitation, networks of competence for integrated support of small and medium-sized enterprises, and the "Prevention Online" Internet marketplace. Requirements analyses have been performed for these prevention services which begin by demonstrating a need for services, and continue by describing customer requirements upon the services in greater detail. These specific developments of prevention services enabled the key innovations of co-operation management, knowledge integration, communication and use of media to be realized. A considerable number of companies and managers emphasize the importance of occupational health and safety for the working climate. Objectives which must be pursued in order for a company to exploit occupational health and safety to increase its competitiveness are the assurance of undisturbed company operations, improvement of the production and service process, motivation of employees, and minimization of failure costs. In order to attain these objectives, OH&S experts and company physicians must possess not only detailed subject knowledge, but also commercial know-how, a motivating management style, good interpersonal skills, and teaching ability. In order to survive in the marketplace of the future, providers of prevention services must focus upon these objectives and be capable of delivering the above knowledge skills.

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