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The aim of this paper is to present the literature which identifies the characteristics of small enterprises and outlines the opportunities to utilise them in working with small businesses to prevent and reduce exposures to hazardous substances.

A search of a variety of data sources, including Medline, PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, was conducted which combined the keyword search terms “small business”, “small enterprise”, “management”, “health and safety management”, “hazardous substances”, “hazardous chemicals”, “management of hazardous substances”. High quality studies were selected and combined with studies known to the authors.

A strong body of evidence exists which shows that the management of OSH in small enterprises has been extensively reviewed and the most recurring theme is the identification of problems and challenges. A growing body of literature also confirms that models for chemical risk management and social responsibility issues can play a key role in managing hazardous chemical exposures in small enterprises. Furthermore, studies have shown that there are certain characteristics of small business that potentially provide positive opportunities for the implementation of preventive interventions.

The paper identifies these characteristics and features and suggests these can be effectively utilised in the design and development of interventions to prevent and reduce exposures to hazardous substances in small enterprises. Few interventions, however, have been developed utilising these positive characteristics.

Research shows that socially responsible practices in small enterprises are mainly directed at employees, and the work environment is a target. The practices are mainly informal and non‐reported. However, studies of health and safety initiatives within a corporate social responsibility (CSR) context in small firms are absent. This paper aims to focus on the issues surrounding the debates.

Case studies of CSR and work environment in 21 small Danish firms obtained from three industries have been designed to generate insight into CSR motives and practices directed at health and safety. The investigation applied qualitative methods and theoretical approaches to CSR, small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs), and occupational health and safety.

The CSR initiatives are mainly motivated by ethical reasoning and by creating attractive workplaces to retain employees. The initiatives are particularly directed at employees' health and the psychosocial issues, and in most cases not applied strategically. External reputation outside the local community is not a motive.

Future research might expand on the influence of CSR on the work environment, from supplier demands or on quantitative designs.

CSR occurs ad hoc as a coincident of internal needs, external requirements and a committed intrapreneur. CSR initiatives seem to strengthen the business case, particularly in the service sector.

There are prospects for improved attention to health and safety through information shared in social enterprise networks or requirements from large customers.

There seems to be a potential for strengthening health and safety through a more formalised and strategic use of CSR, especially related to health and psychosocial issues.

The purpose of this paper is to identify and assess the risks and potential risks that may lead to accidents. It aims to look at how to improve risk assessment within SMEs for the benefit of all staff.

The research included results from a Dutch project which identifies accident risks and safety barriers that are presented in a huge database and risk calculator. The method was first to develop a simple way of accessing this enormous amount of data, second, to develop a tool to observe risks and safety barriers in SMEs and to investigate the usefulness of the developed tools in real life, third, to collect data on risks and safety barriers in SMEs for two occupations by following 20 people for three days each and to create a risk profile for each occupations.

The result is a simple way to go through all types of risks for accidents – a tool for risk observations for external safety experts, and useful for SMEs and for risk profiles for two occupations. Finally some experiences about the needs and difficulties in risk awareness in small enterprises as well as requirements for the employer and the employees.

The limitation of the project is that the results have not been tested in SMEs and that the number of people observed and observations days are limited mainly because there was limited time for the project.

The article considers the dilemma that although accident frequency is higher in SMEs, most small companies experience no serious accidents; thus, they are not challenged to focus on safety, neither being aware of the risk of accidents nor being able to identify risk before the accident happens with the purpose of acting and taking action to prevent accidents.

The value of the project is the observation tool and the identification of risks, and being aware of what an employer and employee can do to minimise such risks.

Starting from the question whether the globalisation process leads to a social “race to the bottom”, this paper aims to highlight the international transfer of socially responsible, employee‐oriented practices by multinational small to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) as a possible way to counter such a trend.

Based on a literature review, an exploratory framework – building on three perspectives – is proposed about the conditions in which employee‐oriented corporate social responsibility (CSR) affects long‐term firm performance positively. First, the stakeholder view on CSR entails that employees can be considered as legitimate stakeholders of the firm justifying introduction of employee‐oriented CSR. Second, the human resource management perspective matters as employee‐oriented CSR materialises in human resource management policies and practices that increase employee commitment. Finally, as regulative, normative and cognitive institutions differ across countries, the institutionalist perspective is relevant to understand diverging demands on content and form of employee‐oriented CSR practices.

It is argued that owner‐managers of (multinational) SMEs, who view their employees as legitimate stakeholders of the firm, will introduce employee‐oriented CSR out of their sense of moral responsibility towards their employees. This sense of moral responsibility is conditional on achieving sustainable mutual value creation as a result of employee‐oriented CSR. Finally, transfer of employee‐oriented CSR to foreign subsidiaries is positively mediated by the level of owner‐managers' institutional entrepreneurship.

This is one of the few studies addressing the position of employees as internal stakeholders of small and medium‐sized enterprises in an international context. It signals the relevance of institutional differences across countries to entrepreneurs who wish to improve long‐term firm performance through employee‐oriented CSR.

In large urban centres, immigrants are employed by businesses in which there is a high incidence of serious or fatal occupational injuries. This paper aims to present findings on the lack of knowledge and understanding in terms of: explanations for the implementation or lack of, procedures; technical expertise in prevention and the inability of the internal actors to implement changes.

A study design with a comparison group is used. The observation sample is comprised of 21 small businesses (SB), of which 16 meet the following criteria: the enterprise had fewer than 50 employees; and at least 25 per cent of the workers were born outside the country. The other five serve as a comparison group; the only difference in these SB is that they employ fewer (<25 per cent) immigrant workers.

The findings indicate that SB employing immigrants have totally or partially failed to implement health and safety management in area of occupational health and safety.

Implementation of safety management is impeded by numerous factors, including a partial or biased understanding, from managers and workers, on occupational health and safety rules. Democratic participation is to be encouraged so that management and workers get more involved in actual prevention strategies implementing health and safety measures.

Active participation of workers in workplace is essential in global health improvement, as related by Armataya Sen on concept of “substantial freedom”.

The paper focuses on health and safety management in SB employing immigrants