Review The design and implementation of knowledge management systems and e-learning for improved occupational health and safety in small to medium sized enterprises A. Floyde ⇑ , G. Lawson ⇑ , S. Shalloe 1 , R. Eastgate 2 , M. D’Cruz 3 Human Factors Research Group, Faculty of Engineering, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom article info Article history: Received 8 February 2013 Accepted 29 June 2013 Available online 25 July 2013 Keywords: Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) Occupational health and safety (OSH) Knowledge management (KM) e-Learning abstract This paper presents a review of the current challenges associated with occupational safety and health (OSH) in small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). OSH knowledge management and e-learning are considered in turn in the light of current research knowledge, with examination of the challenges and requirements of small businesses. Barriers to progression and suitable solutions from the field of research are discussed. SMEs need to manage their knowledge capital to capture and retain tacit knowledge. Employees need to collaborate and interact in order to make this tacit knowledge explicit and to enhance this knowledge through learning in the context of the shop floor. Workers and managers need to share what they know and put into practice key aspects of occupational health and safety in the workplace. Ó 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Contents 1. Introduction .......................................................................................................... 69 2. Knowledge management ................................................................................................ 70 3. SME characteristics relating to OSH management ............................................................................ 70 4. The design of OSH knowledge management systems for SMEs ................................................................. 71 5. OSH training and learning in SMEs – how is it done now, how should it be done? ................................................. 72 5.1. Barriers and solutions to learning in SMEs ............................................................................ 72 5.2. Communities of Practice (CoPs) ..................................................................................... 73 5.3. E-learning for SMEs ............................................................................................... 73 5.4. Implementing e-learning in SMEs ................................................................................... 74 5.5. The e-learner .................................................................................................... 74 5.6. Where knowledge management and e-learning meet: two differing perspectives............................................. 75 6. Conclusions/further work ............................................................................................... 75 References ........................................................................................................... 75 1. Introduction Recent decades have seen an increase in the belief that the orga- nisation and management of knowledge within organisations is an important factor in business success. There is a body of literature, (e.g. Fernandez-Muniz et al., 2007a,b; Handzic, 2006; Podgorski, 2010) which subscribes to the belief that the implementation of a knowledge management base within a corporate enterprise pro- motes the elicitation and sharing of tacit knowledge. Learning in the context of the business environment is perceived to be a key activity for successful enterprises. I particular, a knowledge man- agement system which incorporates a facility for e-learning may be utilised for the promotion of improved health and safety knowl- edge and practice. However, while such systems are used effec- tively within large organisations, they are less frequently found in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) (Attwell et al., 0925-7535/$ - see front matter Ó 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2013.06.012 ⇑ Corresponding authors. Tel.: +44 0115 951 4040 (A. Floyde), tel.: +44 0115 951 4003 (G. Lawson). E-mail addresses: anne.floyde@nottingham.ac.uk (A. Floyde), glyn.lawson@not- tingham.ac.uk (G. Lawson), sally.shalloe@nottingham.ac.uk (S. Shalloe), richar- d.eastgate@nottingham.ac.uk (R. Eastgate), Mirabelle.dcruz@nottingham.ac.uk (M. D’Cruz). 1 Tel.: +44 0115 951 4039. 2 Tel.: +44 0115 951 4042. 3 Tel.: +44 0115 84 66397. Safety Science 60 (2013) 69–76 Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect Safety Science journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ssci