Integrating the Circular Ecosystem Perspective into the PDCA Cycle for Enhanced Occupational Safety and Health Management

Despite the increasing relevance of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) and the growing knowledge in this field, the implementation of effective operational management of OSH remains complex due to continuous technological changes and the evolution of work contexts. To address this challenge, this study explores the introduction of an ecosystem perspective to enhance better OSH management across different – national, territorial, and local (company) – levels. Since this perspective is underexplored in the academic literature on OSH, the study examines ecosystem concepts from other fields, identifying five elements of circular ecosystems – Value, Actors, Data materials and flows, Circular activities and strategies, and Governance – that are also relevant in the OSH context. These elements have been integrated into the PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act) cycle to develop a research framework that has been corroborated by interviews with international experts to understand how an ecosystem perspective can improve the discussion on OSH prevention interventions.