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unthreatening input to improving the safety and health of the SME. Such
organisations are already arbiters of a code of conduct such as the British
Medical Association or Law Society, by which its members should abide in
order to be protected by the organisation in the event of a claim or complaint
against them. These organisations often provide an additional link to insurers
by recommendation, which as previously indicated, may reward progress
best health and safety practice via the incentive of lower insurance premiums.
In addition to motivation, the main psychological factors of relevance may be
professional identity and the behavioural regulation required to conduct
business appropriate to the profession represented in the SME.
Trade Associations
Trade associations are networks which may shape SME business practice. On
the positive side, these may enhance safety and health through the design of
working conditions or exchange of informal advice. Negative influences may
be exerted, via obligations, deadlines and spreading of bad practice habits.
However, the positive contribution of trade associations has been encouraged
recently in initiatives subsidised by the European Health and Safety Agency,
where there have been a large number of joint ventures between associations,
health and safety organisations, and SMEs. Trade associations have also been
useful in identifying and distributing health and safety material that is
perceived to be more relevant to the nature and sector of certain SMEs. For
example, hairdressers were more likely to read material sent to them by the
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