Redesigning Workplaces by Bridging the Gap Between Analysis and Action

Abstract

Abstract. The step from hazard analysis to developing risk-mitigating measures is crucial to improving working conditions but has been scarcely researched to date. We qualitatively investigated protocols of analytical workshops in 33 organizational units that followed a prior hazard analysis with the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ, N = 7,257 employees). There was a high degree of agreement between the COPSOQ results and those of the workshops. However, no measures were developed for approximately one-third of the identified work-design problems. A content analysis of the measures revealed the complex interrelationship between the work characteristics, as minimizing one risk factor seems to go hand in hand with the need to redesign others as well. The measures were often simple, indicating either that minimizing psychosocial risks is rather easy, or that the participants within the workshops did not have the authority to develop more complex measures. We discuss the implications to support future psychosocial risk management.

Applying risk matrices for assessing the risk of psychosocial hazards at work

“…Based on screening results, it has to be decided whether the manifestation of a certain work characteristic causes a health-risk and therefore appropriate measures have to be derived. But how to assess the likelihood of a health-risk occurring from psychosocial work hazards and how results can be translated into actionable information is still scarcely researched (15,24,25).…”

“…Before addressing the potential benefits of RMA for psychosocial risk assessment in more detail, we first consider the advantages and disadvantages of existing approaches. The studies (15,24,29) examined the following approaches, which we will look at in more detail in the next section:…”

“…While numerous tools for hazard identification have been published in recent years, research has shown that different methods for risk evaluation produce differing results in risk assessment ( 15 ). It is surprising that this crucial fact has not been addressed more intensively by applied science, because it implies that following measures of risk-mitigation and work re-design could fail at promoting health and well-being of the workforce to an unknown extent ( 16 ) which is a core principle of OSH.…”

“…Although there is robust empirical evidence that specific psychosocial work characteristics, such as low social support or high job demands, can impair the mental and physical health of employees (9)(10)(11)(12), the question of how psychosocial hazards should be evaluated in the context of risk assessment is still under debate and the systematic assessment of psychosocial risks has so far been insufficiently implemented (13,14). While numerous tools for hazard identification have been published in recent years, research has shown that different methods for risk evaluation produce differing results in risk assessment (15). It is surprising that this crucial fact has not been addressed more intensively by applied science, because it implies that following measures of risk-mitigation and work re-design could fail at promoting health and well-being of the workforce to an unknown extent (16) which is a core principle of OSH.…”