Prävention in kleinen Unternehmen: Potenziale des Kammerwesens für die Etablierung eines pragmatischen kleinbetrieblichen Gesundheitsmanagements / Health prevention in small firms: How can chambers of commerce assist the implementation of a basic management of health and safety?

Since more than fifteen years public accident assurances in Germany have great problems to implement management systems which combine training of the owner with support by external experts for health and safety. These problems mainly correspond to a lack in compatibility between the system’s aim and the social reality of small firms and therefore lead to an over-estimation of the capability. Obviously the preventive outcomes of such measures depend mainly on the (ex ante) business strategies and professional concepts of the firm owners. Therefore the subjects health and safety in small firms should especially be communicated to those fields where entrepreneurial and professional standards are made. This strategic approach has been elaborated in a recent project of action research which was used by the chambers of commerce in Germany who organize all kinds of self-employed persons and provide elaborated potentials of communication and service for their members. Empirically identified potentials were tested in a variety of integral agenda settings for preventive issues.