K Frick, P L Jensen, M Quinlan, et al. ($105) 2000. Amsterdam: Pergamon, ISBN 0080434134

This book provides a mine of information on the development of formalised health and safety management systems across the developed world. Such systems provide a comprehensive framework for policy development, risk assessment, risk management, and evaluation of effectiveness for an organisation. The text includes historical insights into their genesis as well as geographical perspectives on the ways in which such systems align themselves with the sociopolitical climates of each country. The quality of this analysis is high and, on the topics with which the reviewer is familiar, perceptive. Two areas of weakness in what is otherwise a deep and thoughtful book are the ways in which systems are tailored to risks and the …