Economic fluctuations affecting occupational safety. The Spanish case

Issue title: Occupational Safety and Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders

Guest editors: Waldemar Karwowski

Article type: Research Article

Authors: de Ercilla, Fernando Terrés^{a; *} | Mondelo, Pedro Rodríguez^a | Casado, Enrique Álvarez^a | Vilella, Emilio Castejón^b

Affiliations: [a] Universitat Politechnica de Catalunya, Avenida Diagonal, 647-10, 08028 Barcelona, Spain. E-mail: [email protected] | [b] Instituto Nacional de Seguridad e Higiene en el Trabajo (INSHT), Spain | Center for Industrial Ergonomics, University of Louisville, Lutz Hall, Room 445, Louisville, KY 40292, USA. Tel.: +1 502 852 7173; Fax: +1 502 852 7397; E-mail: [email protected]

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author

Abstract: Safety science, in its multidisciplinary approach, has been enriched by the contributions of economic science practically from the beginning of its development. In this area of knowledge, a particularly relevant subject matter is the impact of economic fluctuations or cycles over the effect indicators of safety (incidence indexes). Two theories have been put forward from the field of safety: intensification theory and vulnerability theory. In this paper, the authors propose an integrative theory and analyse the Spanish situation in the light of this new theory, validating its application.

Keywords: occupational health and safety, economic cycle, incidence indexes

DOI: 10.3233/OER-2004-4402

Journal: Occupational Ergonomics, vol. 4, no. 4, pp. 211-228, 2004