Studie zur Umsetzung und Akzeptanz des SARSCoV- 2-Arbeitsschutzstandards und der SARS-CoV-2- Arbeitsschutzregel für einen erfolgreichen Infektionsschutz im Unternehmen

Abstract

Study of the implementation and acceptance of the SARS-CoV-2 occupational safety and health standard and the SARS-CoV-2 occupational safety and health rules for successful infection control in companies Objectives: This study is intended to provide insights into the real-life implementation of SARS-CoV-2-related occupational safety and health (OSH) measures in German companies. It should also help to identify possible perspectives for further measures to improve the approach of the German accident insurance institutions in comparable situations and to reduce the burden on employees. Methods: Between December 2020 and May 2021, we conducted an online survey on the implementation of SARS-CoV-2 OSH measures. With the help of various German Social Accident Insurance Institutions, we recruited 344 OSH professionals and 92 other people with OSH responsibility from the public sector, industrial, financial, retail and local public transport sectors, and analysed their responses. Results: Most OSH professionals are familiar with SARS-CoV-2 OSH standards, SARS-CoV-2 OSH rules and sector-specific supplements. In only very rare exceptions (1 %) were the employees not informed of preventive and occupational safety measures that had been initiated. Sector-specific differences were particularly evident in contact reduction measures and the stockholding of protective equipment. The increase in mobile working and the greater use of digital communication media were cited as major longterm consequences of the pandemic on future work types. Conclusions: This study confirms that the importance of occupational and infection protection has increased in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Many companies took infection control measures early in the pandemic. Keywords: coronavirus – COVID-19 – SARS-CoV-2 pandemic – preventive measures – occupational safety and health professionals

Altered Mental Distress Among Employees From Different Occupational Groups and Industries During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Germany

“…Most employees were instructed by their employer on SARS-CoV-2–related occupational health and safety measures, and more than 70% felt protected by these measures. This is consistent with the information provided by OSH professionals, according to which employees in almost all companies (99%) were informed about prevention and occupational safety measures 16 . Furthermore, a representative survey of employees in Germany found that 79% of employees were satisfied with the protective measures against SARS-CoV-2 infection at work in April 2021 29 .…”

“…This is again consistent with a survey of OSH professionals, which found that the public sector was less likely than other sectors to have provided a pandemic plan and less likely to inform employees about it. 16 In our study, we observed more severe depressive and anxiety symptoms compared with German normative data from 2006. 30 We retrospectively found substantial (moderate to severe) symptom severity in 16% of participants for spring 2020 and in 29% at the time of the survey, which is consistent with observations in the German general population and similar to a survey of hospital staff at the beginning of the pandemic.…”

“…This is consistent with the information provided by OSH professionals, according to which employees in almost all companies (99%) were informed about prevention and occupational safety measures. 16 Furthermore, a representative survey of employees in Germany found that 79% of employees were satisfied with the protective measures against SARS-CoV-2 infection at work in April 2021. 29 Here, however, employees in the public sector felt less protected, and employees with high SARS-CoV-2 infection risk felt less safe against a SARS-CoV-2 infection at their workplace.…”

“…18 The 12 items of the subscale were rated on a five-point Likert scale from 0 (not at all) to 4 (extremely), leading to a score range from 0 to 48 points. Analogous to a previous work, the categories of no (0-12), mild (13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24), moderate (25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35)(36), and severe (37-48) COVID-19-related stress were considered. 19 These parameters were collected at the time of the survey (T2) and simultaneously queried retrospectively for the onset of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic outbreak in spring 2020 (T1).…”

“…Health care professionals were not examined. In parallel, we surveyed occupational safety and health (OSH) professionals from the same sectors on the implementation of the SARS-CoV-2–related OSH measures 16 . This showed that the vast majority of companies and institutions in Germany implemented the required occupational safety and infection control measures during the pandemic and that it is important to adapt protective measures to the respective sectors.…”