Abstract
Inspection is one of the methods commonly used by public authorities to monitor compliance and goal achievement. But can inspections improve goal achievement and, if so, under what conditions? In this chapter the role of inspectors in the implementation of chemical regulation will be discussed. The theoretical focus is on three conditions that must be met if inspections are to be able to contribute to goal achievement. Since a comparison between inspection groups improves the possibility for highlighting general characteristics of inspection as well as specific characteristics of chemical inspection, the results of an interview study conducted with Swedish chemical and labour safety inspectors serve as an empirical starting point for the discussion.
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Notes
- 1.
However, the research conducted on the effects of inspections, mainly in the USA, shows that inspections positively affect compliance with regulations both within the areas of the environment and the work environment and that they have environmental impacts (Weil 1996; Gray and Deily 1996). For example, results indicate that inspections have the greatest impact on average companies, that the size of the penalties is inconsequential, that injuries among employees and pollution decline and that permitted levels are maintained to a higher degree if inspections are carried out (Gray and Scholz 1993; Magat and Viscusi 1990).
- 2.
From the answers given in the interview study, it is possible to identify selection criteria but not to rank them in relation to how often they are used or how common they are.
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Johansson, V. (2010). Implementing Chemical Regulation: The Role of Inspectors. In: Eriksson, J., Gilek, M., Rudén, C. (eds) Regulating Chemical Risks. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9428-5_18
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