Purpose: This study investigates how contracts with OHS-providers in Sweden are established and implemented to explore i) the procurement process ii) contractual terms and conditions and iii) processes for implementing and evaluating the services provided.
Methods: Review and analysis of 17 OHS contracts using both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Follow-up interviews were conducted with Human Resource managers, management, health and safety representatives and OHS professionals.
Results: Contracts with OHS providers were mainly drawn up by HR departments. First-line managers or health and safety representatives were not involved. The contracts were not integrated with the companies’ occupational health and safety management. The organisations lacked knowledge on when or why to use services from their OHS provider, which promoted reactive rather than preventive interventions. Terms and conditions of contracts were found to be quite irrelevant to what services that were actually utilised.
Conclusions: Important factors in creating conditions for a more preventive and group-oriented use of OHS expertise could be 1) the inclusion of first-line managers and health and safety representatives in needs analysis and implementation processes, 2) the definition of relevant, achievable and measurable goals regarding the collaboration and 3) the arrangement of regularly meetings with the OHS-provider.