Ann-Beth Antonsson
'What strategies can be used to improve the working environment in SMEs?'
Friday 23 October, time: 10.00-10.45, location: Conference hall
See PowerPoint presention
The problem with improving the working environment in SMEs can be summarised as:
▪ too many enterprises,
▪ with too little knowledge about the working environment,
▪ and too few people reaching out to and assisting SMEs in improving their working environment.
As neither of these conditions is expected to change for the better in the short term, complementary new and more effective strategies are needed to improve the working environment. Such strategies will be discussed and the following topics will be adressed:
▪ what is needed to improve SME’s knowledge on working environment and what knowledge is needed
▪ what kind of advice is effective and should be given to SMEs
▪ who has the power to decide and govern factors that are decisive for the working environment in SMEs
▪ what kind of communication with SMEs is effective
▪ how can working environment be a part of the SMEs business interests
The results from our studies point at the need for complex strategies to improve the working environment in SMEs. Researchers and practitioners have to put attention on new aspects, which we have so far left to the SMEs themselves to solve. For each sector and each problem, the strategy has to be tailored to fit the needs as well as the conditions. If this is done, far better results can be achieved in our projects in the future.
Which ones of a set of optional strategies that will be appropriate, you have to decide yourself, based on an initial analysis of the sector and the working environment problem selected.
Contact: Ann-Beth Antonsson, Swedish Environmental Research Institute, Box 210 60, S-100 31 Stockholm, Sweden, tel: +46-8 598 563 47, ann-beth.antonsson@ivl.se
CV
▪ Born 1956
▪ Director, Department for work environment and environmental management, Swedish Environmental Research Institute
▪ Ph.D. on decision-making in work environment with focus on chemical health hazards, The
Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm
Since 2001 Director, Department for work environment and environmental management, Swedish Environmental Research Institute.
1993-2000 Vice Director of Environmental Technology , Swedish Environmental Research Institute.
1983 - Section Manager. Swedish Environmental Research Institute (IVL).
Dec 1984-April 1985 Research Officer - The Swedish Work Environment Fund.
1980-1983 Project leader - IVL.
Specialization in work environment in small companies; Management systems for work environment and integrated management systems for OHS, the environment and quality; Change processes aiming at improvement of occupational health and safety and reduction in work-related accidents and diseases; Chemical health hazards; Control strategies for improving the chemical work environment; Integration of work environment and environment.
Selected publications in English
Antonsson Ann-Beth Safe work environment in small companies - needs and methods. Barents Newsletter on Occupational Helath and Safety. vol 6, nr 2, 2003, p 34-35 (in russian p 36-37)
Antonsson A-B, Birgersdotter L, Bornberger-Dankvardt S.: Small enterprises in Sweden: health and safety and the significance of intermediaries in preventive health and safety. Arbetslivsinstitutet 2002
Antonsson A-B. The workplace and external environment. P 17-27 in The Workplace Volume 1: Part 1.2. Ed D. Brune et al.1997.
Antonsson A-B. Small companies. P 466-477 in The Workplace Volume 2: Part 5.3. Ed D. Brune et al. 1997.
Nilsson M, Antonsson AB, Introduction on why and how to integrate work environment in LCA, Occupational Hygiene 4 (3-6) p 215-221.
Antonsson A-B. Substitution of Dangerous Chemicals - the Solution to Problems with Chemical Health Hazards in the Work Environment? Am Ind Hyg Ass J (56) April 1995 pp 394-397.