Abstract

Organizations are increasingly concerned with the health and safety of their employees. Several factors are contributing to this concern. First, the legal environment in many countries stipulates that employers are responsible for the safety and health of their employees, at least while at work. For example, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 mandates that employers provide a safe and healthy work environment for employees, and the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work has issued several Council Directives that protect the health and safety of workers throughout the European Union. It also has been argued that there are growing concerns and expectations by the general public over health protection from communicable diseases and noncommunicable environmental hazards in the work environment (Nicoll & Murray, 2002).