Work debate spaces: A tool for developing a participatory safety management

• Studies emphasize the importance of initiating a discussion about actual work in organizations.
• There are few studies that demonstrate the practical effects of this discussion.
• We demonstrate how a structured debate can contribute to the persons and organization.
• We noted improvements not only on the safety but also the health and competences of the agents.

In recent years, various studies have shown the importance of instituting work debate space within companies in order to address constraints within the organization. However, few of these studies demonstrate the implementation methods of discussion spaces and their contributions. Based on the action research developed in an electric company, this article demonstrates how work debate space (WDS) contribute to the development of an integrated safety culture. After describing the establishment methods and function of WDS within a technical group, we will present the main benefits of these spaces for the organization and its employees, and then discuss the minimal conditions for their implementation.