Workers in utilities sector more exposed to hazardous working conditions
Published: 16 February 2010
Each year, the Central Statistical Office of Poland (Główny Urząd Statystyczny, GUS [1]) conducts a standardised survey on working conditions [2] among companies employing 10 or more persons. The sample is not entirely representative of the Polish labour force since enterprises employing up to nine persons – which are not included in the survey – provide jobs for almost a quarter of the national workforce.[1] http://www.stat.gov.pl/[2] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/industrial-relations-dictionary/working-conditions
A survey of working conditions, conducted each year by the Central Statistical Office, reports on types of work-related risks and the gender dimension of working conditions. According to the findings, the proportion of employees working in hazardous conditions remained constant over a two-year period, standing at 11.2% in 2008 compared with about 11.3% in 2007. Workers in mining and quarrying appeared to be most at risk of hazardous conditions.
About the survey
Each year, the Central Statistical Office of Poland (Główny Urząd Statystyczny, GUS) conducts a standardised survey on working conditions among companies employing 10 or more persons. The sample is not entirely representative of the Polish labour force since enterprises employing up to nine persons – which are not included in the survey – provide jobs for almost a quarter of the national workforce.
In the survey, GUS focuses on five areas:
threats posed by harmful factors and health hazards in the workplace;
the number of employees exposed to risks, formulated in terms of three major risk categories;
prevention and assessment of workplace risks;
benefits granted to employees in recognition of their work in harmful and difficult conditions;
benefits relating to accidents at work and occupational illnesses.
In 2008, findings were collected from 71,600 units employing 5,358,500 people, representing about 46.2% of the employed population in the national economy – excluding individual agriculture.
Survey results
Of the surveyed employees, some 11.2% (601,100 employees) worked in hazardous conditions in 2008. Thus, over a two-year period, the situation seems to have remained stable, with close to 11.3% of employees being exposed to such conditions in 2007. Each employee was counted only once, depending on which risk factor group they worked in. Compared with previous years, working conditions have not changed for women – one in six people working in hazardous conditions is a woman.
The table below presents data, divided according to economic activities, concerning the total number of employees working in hazardous conditions, the number of women and the types of risks involved. To present the data, the index of risks to employees is shown as the number of persons working in hazardous conditions out of 1,000 employees.
Types of risks
The three types of risks defined by GUS relate to the following:
work environment – defined as factors influencing employees in the work process whose concentration or intensity levels exceed the highest levels allowed in Polish standards or other hygienic standards. It should be noted that the exact measurement of such variables often requires specialised equipment, which remains beyond the financial means of many employers, particularly the smaller ones employing fewer than 50 people;
strenuous conditions – defined as situations where work is performed, for example, in a forced, awkward position and in conditions requiring hard physical effort, or in conditions that are particularly strenuous;
mechanical factors – particularly dangerous machines.
| .Total | .Women | Risks related to: | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Work environment | Strenuous conditions | Mechanical factors | ||||
| 2007 | 2008 | 2008 | 2008 | 2008 | 2008 | |
| Industry | 168.3 | 167.8 | 27.5 | 107.7 | 38.9 | 21.2 |
| Mining and quarrying | 439.0 | 416.6 | 11.3 | 288.8 | 91.5 | 39.4 |
| Manufacturing | 149.3 | 147.0 | 29.1 | 99.2 | 28.2 | 19.6 |
| Electricity, gas and water supply | 148.9 | 173.1 | 24.2 | 45.0 | 105.4 | 22.7 |
| Construction | 136.9 | 129.6 | 2.7 | 67.5 | 46.1 | 15.9 |
| Wholesale and retail trade, and repair of goods | 25.1 | 29.1 | 8.4 | 12.2 | 9.8 | 7.1 |
| Transport, storage and communication | 93.7 | 91.6 | 15.8 | 25.8 | 61.0 | 7.0 |
| Real estate, renting and business activities | 45.0 | 50.2 | 19.0 | 17.9 | 25.7 | 1.5 |
| Higher education | 28.4 | 25.6 | 13.1 | 15.9 | 8.7 | 0.9 |
| Health and social work | 30.3 | 34.3 | 25.1 | 20.1 | 13.2 | 1.0 |
| Other community, social and personal service activities (including sewage, waste disposal and similar activities) | 130.9 | 132.6 | 11.7 | 57.2 | 51.5 | 23.9 |
Source: Working conditions in 2008, GUS, 2009
Changes in exposure to hazardous conditions
Regarding the total number of employees working in hazardous conditions – based on the data presented in the table above – it should be noted that, although this figure has remained stable since 2007, minor shifts can be noted in some sectors. The biggest improvement between 2007 and 2008 can be seen in mining and quarrying, where there has been a decline in the proportion of employees working in hazardous conditions by 2.24 percentage points. In contrast, the largest deterioration in exposure to hazardous conditions is evident in electricity, gas and water supply, where a higher share of employees (2.42 percentage points) worked in hazardous conditions in 2008 than in 2007.
Women’s exposure to risks
From a gender perspective, the highest proportions of women exposed to hazardous work factors can be found in manufacturing and industry (see table). Women were particularly at risk in the manufacture of textiles (88.9 per 1,000 employees) and the manufacture of tobacco products (69.1 per 1,000 employees).
Sectoral effects
Risks related to the work environment occur mostly in mining and quarrying and in industry (see table). Employees working in electricity, gas and water supply seem to be most frequently exposed to risks involving strenuous conditions, while those in mining and quarrying are most exposed to risks associated with mechanical factors.
Ewelina Kuźmicz, Institute of Public Affairs (ISP)
Eurofound recommends citing this publication in the following way.
Eurofound (2010), Workers in utilities sector more exposed to hazardous working conditions, article.
