Visualizing the knowledge foundation and thematic trend on occupational health and safety (OH&S) in small-sized enterprises: a bibliometric analysis

Purpose Occupational health and safety (OH&S) in small-sized enterprises has attracted the attention of policymakers and researchers to address the ever-increasing worldwide occupational hazards. This paper makes a modest attempt to highlight research trends in OH&S, especially in the context of small-scale enterprises, and to provide a scientific mapping through bibliometric analysis. Design/methodology/approach The exploratory study was conducted on both Scopus and Web of Science e-databases during 1990–2023. The collected data were cleaned using several steps following the bibliometrix approach. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses model as the extraction criterion, the study sorted 214 studies from 1,690. For merging the Scopus and WoS e-databases, RStudio was used, while network mapping was performed using VoSviewer 1.6.18 and Biblioshiny. Findings Developed countries were more prominent than developing countries (except China, India, etc.) among the top 20 contributors, as identified by document production and citation counts. All co-occurrence clusters in the knowledge domain (“training and job design”; “ergonomics and health care”; “safety leadership and OH&S”; “employment scheme and occupational health-safety” and “mental health and work stress/distress”) were formed by documents produced by developed countries, except “ergonomics and health care”, where developing countries contributed notably. The study recommends future research avenues related to “ethics,” “corporate social responsibility and “decent work.” Originality/value It adds novelty by conducting scientific mappings of OH&S research, primarily in small-scale enterprises that employ semi- or unskilled workers to address occupational pros and cons. This ultimately helps policymakers gather knowledge on safety management.