System approach to occupational health and safety in Moldavian enterprises

Abstract

Any enterprises should provide a safe and hygienic working environment, bearing in mind the prevailing knowledge of the industry and of any specific hazards. These means that an adequate step shall be taken to prevent accidents and injury to health arising out of, associated with, or occurring in the course of work, by minimising, so far as is reasonably practicable, the causes of hazards inherent in the working environment. The system approach to occupational health and safety involves the implementation of a management system designed to ensure the protection of the workforce. Every year in the Republic of Moldova the number of accidents at work increases. This study aims to reflect the importance of the systemic approach to occupational health and safety in order to reduce the number of accidents in Moldavian enterprises. This type of research is qualitative. The research methodology was based on the analysis of the national legal framework and its correlation with the most widespread model of the occupational safety management system described in the international standard ISO 45001: 2018. The obtained results allowed to highlight the common requirements, as well as the differences that must be assimilated in order to accomplish the main seven stages in the implementation of an occupational health and safety management system. The implementation of the occupational health and safety management system will improve the competitiveness and credibility of Moldavian enterprises and will prevent accidents at the workplace.