The 21st International Conference “Man and Working Environment”
SAFETY ENGINEERING & MANAGEMENT SCIENCE, INDUSTRY, EDUCATION (SEMSIE 2025)   
PROCEEDINGS OF PAPERS 
25-26 September 2025, SOKOBANJA, SERBIA  

Tamara Rađenović , Snežana Živković , Miliša Todorović 

ORIGINAL SCIENTIFIC PAPER

INVESTIGATING THE OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY PRACTICES IN SERBIA

Abstract:

Occupational health and safety (OHS) represents a key aspect of decent work, as recognized in the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly SDG 8 – decent work and economic growth, and especially set in the 8.8 target. Health and safety workplace is not only a fundamental labour right, but also a crucial factor in promoting sustainable economic growth, ensuring full employment, and supporting decent work for everyone. Although substantial advancements have been made in OHS over the years, many workers still experience work-related injuries and illnesses, and some tragically lose their lives due to exposure to various occupational hazards and risks. Therefore, the main aim of the paper is to assess the OHS practices in Serbia. For this purpose, a questionnaire was designed covering 7 aspects of OHS culture in organisations: vision, credibility, collaboration, feedback and recognition, responsibility, communication, and action orientation. The analysis of the obtained results revealed areas for improvement in the existing OHS practices, thus enabling the strengthening of OHS in organizations and enhancing the well-being of workers.

Keywords:

Occupational Health and Safety (OHS), Culture, Serbia

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

This paper is part of the research done within the Bilateral Project Slovenia-Serbia (No. 337-00-110/2023-05/52), and supported by the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia pursuant to the agreement No. 451-03-137/2025-03/200148, and contributes to SDG 8.

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