Concept and objectives

7. GPHESM in industrial and other enterprises is a multidisciplinary approach to promoting health and safety in the workplace and minimizing its harmful impacts on the environment. GPHESM also deals with the impact of the workplace on neighbourhood health, the health and environmental impact of its products, and preservation of the general environment. The integration of HESM functions into the overall management system of an enterprise should result in the effective and efficient promotion of GPHESM. It is the outcome of national and individual enterprise policies in the areas of health protection, promotion and surveillance at work, promotion of good working culture and of a work organization conducive to safety and health, and provision of a healthy and safe working and ambient environment.

8. Good practice is a process that aims at continuous improvement in HESM performance, involving all stakeholders within and outside the enterprise: working communities (employers, management, employees and their trade unions), experts in different disciplines (health promotion, occupational health, environment, safety, economics and others) and the surrounding community.

9. The main objectives of GPHESM are to provide a safe and healthy working environment, while preserving the general environment and health of people living outside the premises; to ensure an optimal balance between economic and business interests, on the one hand, and the working ability and health of the entire staff, including their families, on the other; and to provide healthy and environmentally friendly products and services. To achieve these objectives, GPHESM should be built on existing national structures and practices for health promotion at the workplace, occupational health and safety, and environmental health.