Current Status of Occupational Health Activities and the Way That Occupational Health Services Should Be Offered to Small- and Medium-scale Enterprises

Abstract

Activating occupational safety and health activities among Small- and Medium-scale Enterprises (SMEs) is a major issue because more than 80% of Japanese workers belong to these enterprises, in which the number of workers are less than 300 people. However, as the size of the enterprise decreases, the occurrence of problems of safety and health management systems and safety and health activities increases. Reasons for this include both the limitations of investments shortages of human resources. Occupational health services in SMEs has been provided by the cooperation of the following institutions: public associations (such as Regional Occupational Health Centers, Occupational Health Promotion Centers, Japan Industrial Safety and Health Association (JISHA)), occupational health agencies which provide checkup services, health insurance associations, and regional medical services. In contrast to the low coverage of occupational health services among SMEs in Japan, there are some countries in Europe in which this coverage is almost 100%. This is because of the development of occupational health services outside the company. To show the benefits of the safety and health activities to managers of SMEs, and to motivate them to take advantage of the services, it is important to consider measurements. Also, establishing systems that provide those services, improving the quality of specialists such as occupational physicians, and educating human resources, are all necessary.

Size of company of the longest-held job and mortality in older Japanese adults: A 6-year follow-up study from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study

“…In a study on a group of companies that carried out roughly the same activities for occupational safety and employed roughly the same labor regulations, no consistent associations were found in the relationship between size of company and health check‐ups items (eg, blood pressure and alanine aminotransferase) . While that study points to the importance of industrial health and safety activities, one challenge that has been recognized in Japan is the lack of industrial health and safety activities at small‐ and medium‐sized companies . The extent of differences in the impact on future health for small‐ and medium‐sized companies compared to large companies had not previously been sufficiently clarified.…”

“…29 While that study points to the importance of industrial health and safety activities, one challenge that has been recognized in Japan is the lack of industrial health and safety activities at small-and medium-sized companies. 5 The extent of differences in the impact on future health for small-and medium-sized companies compared to large companies had not previously been sufficiently clarified. The results of our study suggest that differences in company size affect mortality in old age.…”

“…3 As a result, smaller workplaces have lower quality industrial health and safety activities. 4,5 They may also offer lower salaries on average. 6 Considering life course, 7 these differences due to company size may lead to health inequalities in the future.…”

“…In Japan, the Industrial Safety and Health Act requires health supervisors and occupational health physicians to be appointed to workplaces with 50 employees or more but not to workplaces with less than 50 employees . As a result, smaller workplaces have lower quality industrial health and safety activities . They may also offer lower salaries on average .…”

Social participation and mortality according to company size of the longest-held job among older men in Japan: A 6-year follow-up study from the JAGES

“…4 Company size can be linked to health inequalities attributable to the differences in health services and social protections across companies. 5 In Japan, there are structural differences in the access stemming from the Industrial Safety and Health Act 6 ; for large companies, the Act mandates to have industrial physicians, but it is not so for the smallest: workplaces with less than 50 employees. In addition, smaller companies have less health and safety activities, 6 lower average salaries, 7 poorer lifestyles, 8 and various health checkup results.…”