This paper presents a conceptual model for increasing acceptable working environments for SMEs. It also
acts as an editorial for the special issue of Safety Science on ‘Managing safety in small and medium enterprises
(SMEs)’. It describes how seven of the ten papers in the special issue originate from an international
conference in 2013 on Understanding Small Enterprises. It includes a commentary on the papers
in the special issue as well as directing the reader to all of the current state-of-the-science sources known
to the authors. The paper provides a background to previous research on safety in SMEs, showing how
most current policy and legislation on occupational health and safety (OSH) and the work environment
is based on large enterprises and that there is a relative paucity of research on OSH in SMEs. In a summary
of current knowledge, it is argued that modern OHS legislation and interventions to help improve work
environments need to increasingly take account of the specific characteristics of SMEs. The conceptual
model for increasing acceptable working environments for SMEs takes its onset in a legislative standard
that is built into intervention programmes and includes three instrument pillars: inspection to enhance
compliance, recognition of the standard by the stakeholders in the industry sector and dissemination of
information to small enterprises.