A systems thinking approach of occupational safety and health applied in the micro-, meso- and macro-levels: A Finnish survey

Abstract The aim of this study was also to explore the interconnected frameworks of the systems thinking approach between the micro-, meso- and macro-levels within occupational safety and health (OSH). The goal of this study was to analyze different entities through different types of aggregation. The aggregated variables of micro-, meso- and macro-levels of the systems thinking approach were found to exert an effect on each other in the regression analysis. For OSH managers and workers’ OSH representatives, the Hypotheses were supported with the aggregated variables as follows: Hypothesis 1 – OSH management & collaboration was positively related to training, measuring and monitoring, quality of OHC services and quality of OSH legislation; Hypothesis 2 – technical processes were positively related to training, measuring and monitoring, OSH management & collaboration and quality of OSH legislation; Hypothesis 3 – measuring and monitoring were positively related to training, OSH management & collaboration, quality of OHC services and quality of OSH legislation; Hypothesis 4 – instructions were positively related to training, measuring and monitoring, OSH management & collaboration and quality of OHC services; and Hypothesis 5 – use of personal protective equipment was positively related to training, measuring and monitoring, OSH management & collaboration, quality of OHC services and quality of OSH legislation. The functional specification related micro-, meso- and macro-levels revealed how one can apply a system approach model to demonstrate how the human, safety management, and organizational factors fit together in the broad safety context (e.g., OSH legislation).