Throughout Europe, SME are challenged with new requirements of the revised Industrial Safety Regulations, which involve an increased personnell and financial engagement. They are also challenged with the modern information and communication technologies which will have a decisive influence also on the competitivness of SME in the future.

The CoCoTel project ‘Cooperation & Communication with Teleworking and Networking‘ wants to promote the SME in both fields. CoCoTel‘s objective is to support SME in their attempts to manage the provisions of the revised Industrial Safety Standards in an efficient way by using modern information and communcation technologies.

In this context, a network ("Intranet") is established, which enables the SME to communicate among each other and provide sources of information as well as means of training in the field of Industrial Safety and Health. Within the network, the participating companies can get very fast specific informations, materials and practical solutions in the field of health and safety, but also in other subjects. The persons involved in the project can work with the computer based information system directly at their own work place. The subjects, offered in the information system, are orientated towards the needs, the interest and actual problems in the participating companies.

The branche networks are coordinated and supplied by two centres: Umweltzentrum für Handwerk und Mittelstand e.V. Freiburg (breweries) and Kraftfahrzeug-Innung, located in Freiburg (car trading and repair).

During the initial phase (December 1998 – May 1999), a network of 10 small and medium-sized breweries has build up. This network will be extended and a second will be build up with car trading and repair companies. The total number of participants shall be increased up to about 50 companies at the final stage of the project (December 2000). The contact persons in the companies are the entrepreneurs and other responsable persons for health and safety.

Many national partners are involved in the realization of the project CoCoTel:

• Berufsgenossenschaft Nahrungsmittel und Gaststätten, Mannheim
• European Telecoaching Institute e.V., Freiburg
• Fraunhofer Institut Arbeitswirtschaft und Organisation IAO, Stuttgart
• Hans-Böckler-Stiftung, Düsseldorf
• Innung für das Kraftfahrzeuggewerbe, Freiburg
• International Project Center AG, Freiburg
• Ministerium für Umwelt und Verkehr Baden-Württemberg, Stuttgart
• PAVONE Informationssysteme GmbH, Paderborn
• Süddeutsche Metall-Berufsgenossenschaft, Mainz
• Umweltzentrum für Handwerk und Mittelstand e.V., Freiburg
• Universität Paderborn, Fachbereich Wirtschaftsinformatik, Paderborn

Within the context of the transnational cooperation, the realisation of the revised European Industrial Safety Standards into national regulations and their appropriate execution in the companies shall be examined. The transnational partners are Confederazione Nazionale Artigianato (Naples/Italy), ConsorzioTecnofor (Nuoro/Italy) and Euro Info Centre Limousin (Limoges/France). In addition to an exchange of experiences and also materials the Sardinian partner has got access to the information system of the breweries via internet and interviews about the situation in safety and health at work have been made in French small and medium-sized companies

CoCoTel budget is promoted by the European Social Fund (ESF) within the Initiative ADAPT.