Report highlights health and safety risks facing workers

A study of the state of occupational safety and health in the European Union was published by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work in September 2000. The report identifies construction as the most dangerous sector, while work as a labourer in mining, construction, manufacturing and transport is the most hazardous occupation. The study also highlights stress as the area where most preventive action is necessary. The report has been welcomed by the European Commission as a valuable contribution in the preparation of its occupational safety and health strategy.

The findings of a pilot study into workplace safety and health risks were published on 21 September 2000 by the EU's European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, based in Bilbao, Spain. The report, entitled The state of occupational safety and health in the European Union, was produced at the request of the European Commission as part of a strategy to establish a comprehensive monitoring system for occupational safety and health.

The study was based on national reports from the 15 Member States and was complemented by existing national and European data on workplace accidents, occupational diseases and working conditions. According to the European Commission, the study "provides the most comprehensive overview so far available of the occupational safety and health situation in the EU."

The employment and social affairs Commissioner, Anna Diamantopoulou, commented: "The European Agency's report combines valuable information on those occupations and sectors most at risk in Europe today, together with a clear indication of where Member States believe more preventive action is needed. At a time when the European Commission is about to embark on preparing a new occupational safety and health strategy for Europe, its publication could not be more timely."

Overview

The report highlights the sectors that are most at risk in terms of safety and health. Construction is the industry seen as by far the most hazardous, given that it was identified as such 112 times in the national reports on which the study is based. The sector perceived as second most dangerous is "fabricated metal products" manufacturing (excluding machinery and equipment) which was identified 63 times. Next, agriculture, hunting and related service activities was mentioned 62 times, health and social work was highlighted 57 times and the manufacture of food products and beverages was identified 52 times.

In terms of occupations, that of labourer in mining, construction, manufacturing and transport is identified as the most hazardous occupation by far, being identified 123 times. This compares with 80 mentions for the second most at risk category – workers in metal, machinery and related trades. Workers in extraction and building trades were mentioned 76 times, machine operators and assemblers were identified 73 times and "stationary-plant" and related operators were highlighted 40 times.

The most important safety and health issues that need to addressed, according to the study, are stress, vibration, lifting/moving heavy loads, handling chemicals and musculoskeletal disorders. Stress is seen as the most important issue as it is a dominant hazard in the following sectors: health and social work; education; land transport and transport via pipelines; public administration and defence; compulsory social security; and agriculture, hunting and related services.

Hazards at work

The study investigates a variety of areas to establish which sectors and occupations are most at risk in terms of: physical and chemical exposure; posture and movement exposure; psycho-social working conditions; and occupational safety and health (OSH) outcomes.

Physical and chemical exposure

The study identifies the five most highlighted physical risks as:

1. noise;

2. vibration;

3. high temperature;

4. low temperature; and

5. handling chemicals.

It finds that exposure to vibration and its subsequent ill effects is the physical risk that was reported by most national centres (nine), which recommended that further preventive actions were necessary to minimise this risk. The handling of chemicals was reported as an area of concern by eight national centres. The categories of noise and low temperature were reported by seven national centres each, while the risk of high temperature was cited by six national centres.

The above risks are seen as common hazards across the working environment and no one particular sector stands out as being most at risk. However, occupations most at risk from noise are identified as machine operators and assemblers, while labourers in mining, construction, manufacturing and transport are most at risk from vibration, high temperature, low temperature and handling chemicals.

Posture and movement exposure

The study identifies the three most reported posture and movement risks as:

1. repetitive movements;

2. strenuous working postures; and

3. lifting/moving heavy loads.

Exposure to lifting/moving heavy loads was cited by nine national centres as the area most requiring further preventive actions, while seven centres highlighted repetitive movements and six, strenuous working postures.

In terms of sectors, construction is reported as being most at risk from strenuous working postures and lifting/moving heavy loads. Manufacture of food products and beverages is seen as the sector most at risk from repetitive movements.

In terms of occupations, labourers in mining, construction, manufacturing and transport are highlighted as those most at risk from strenuous working postures and lifting/moving heavy loads, while machine operators and assemblers are most at risk from repetitive movements.

Psycho-social working conditions

The report identifies the seven most often cited psycho-social working conditions as:

1. work-pace dictated by social demand;

2. high-speed work;

3. monotonous work;

4. machine-dictated work-pace;

5. bullying and victimisation;

6. physical violence; and

7. sexual harassment.

Bullying and victimisation and physical violence were highlighted by seven national reports each as requiring further preventive actions, with high-speed work and monotonous work being cited in six reports each, machine-dictated work-pace in four, work-pace dictated by social demand in three, and sexual harassment in two.

No one sector is seen as being particularly at risk from the seven psycho-social working conditions, although hotels and restaurants are most at risk from work-paces dictated by social demand, high-speed work and sexual harassment. The health and social work sector is seen as being most at risk from bullying and victimisation, physical violence and sexual harassment.

Similarly, no one occupation stands out as being particularly affected by such working conditions. However, customer service clerks are reported as being at risk from work-pace dictated by social demand, high-speed work and bullying and victimisation. Personal and protective services workers are seen as being at risk from bullying and victimisation, physical violence and sexual harassment.

OSH outcomes

OSH outcomes are defined as the result of being exposed to a workplace hazard and the study identifies the six most reported OSH outcomes as:

1. accidents causing more than three days' absence;

2. fatal accidents;

3. occupational diseases;

4. musculoskeletal disorders;

5. stress; and

6. occupational sickness absence.

The OSH outcome that was identified most (10 national centres) is stress. The study states that no other issue had as many responses identifying the need for further preventive action, which, the study underlines, should be directed at treating the causes of stress. The second most reported OSH outcome is musculoskeletal disorders, highlighted by eight national centres, while accidents causing more than three days' absence and occupational diseases were each reported by seven national centres. Fatal accidents were mentioned by six centres and occupational sickness absence by five.

In relation to sectors, construction was most frequently reported as being at risk from: accidents causing more than three days' absence; fatal accidents; occupational diseases; and musculoskeletal disorders. The health and social work sector is seen as being most at risk from stress and occupational sickness absence.

Gender

In terms of gender, male workers are seen as being most at risk from physical hazards such as noise, vibration, high temperature and low temperature. They are also more prone to accidents that necessitate three or more days' absence, fatal accidents and occupational diseases.

Female workers are found to be most frequently at risk from sexual harassment and monotonous work, physical violence and repetitive movements.

New risks

The study highlights new areas of concern for safety and health, related to new ways of working. The national reports state that self-employed people, temporary workers and workers on short-term contracts are seen as being at risk because of their limited access to safety and health training and information. Teleworkers are also seen as being in a risk category and the national reports raise concerns such as:

• social isolation;

• long working hours;

• ergonomic design of the work station;

• the burden of proof and liability in the case of an accident at home; and

• the potential risk of repetitive strain injury.

The study also identifies areas of future concern that need to be tackled in relation to: the changing organisation of work; young workers; stress; manual handling; the use of new chemicals; research need for the health and social work sector; older workers; violence; and repetitive strain.

Commentary

This study can be seen as a welcome contribution to the debate surrounding safety and health issues at the workplace in the EU. It is especially timely for the European Commission, given that it can feed the information from this study into the strategy for safety and health which it is currently developing. The Commission aims to establish a monitoring system for safety and health to help decision-makers at Member State and European levels to identify common challenges and priorities for preventive actions.

While the study draws some predictable conclusions regarding the sectors and occupations most at risk, its real value is twofold. First, it has provided policy-makers with much-needed up-to-date information and second, it has identified new risks and areas of future concern that need to be addressed, especially in relation to the changing organisation of work. (Neil Bentley, IRS)