Threefold increase in psychosocial occupational injuries
Published: 4 September 2005
In May 2005, the Danish Working Environment Authority [1] published its annual Monitoring Report for 2003. The report aims at monitoring the progress of the Action Programme for a Clean Working Environment 2005 (134Kb; pdf) [2], focusing on the ‘seven vision areas’ agreed upon in 1996. The vision areas identify risk factors in the working environment that the working environment authority tries to reduce or, if possible, eliminate. The seven areas are: fatal accidents, work-related brain damage and exposure to carcinogenic chemical substances, injuries sustained by children and adolescents due to working environment factors, heavy lifting and monotonous repetitive work, health injuries caused by psychosocial risk factors in the workplace, poor indoor climate, and hearing damage caused by noise in the workplace.[1] http://www.at.dk/sw7737.asp[2] http://www.at.dk/graphics/at/engelsk-pdf/andre-informationsmaterialer/2005-handlingsprogram-uk.pdf
Over the last 10 years, the number of reported occupational injuries caused by psychosocial factors in the workplace has increased threefold. Furthermore, these types of occupational injuries might be far more prevalent than the national statistics show. The Danish Working Environment Authority estimates the actual figures to be about 20 times as high.
In May 2005, the Danish Working Environment Authority published its annual Monitoring Report for 2003. The report aims at monitoring the progress of the Action Programme for a Clean Working Environment 2005 (134Kb; pdf), focusing on the ‘seven vision areas’ agreed upon in 1996. The vision areas identify risk factors in the working environment that the working environment authority tries to reduce or, if possible, eliminate. The seven areas are: fatal accidents, work-related brain damage and exposure to carcinogenic chemical substances, injuries sustained by children and adolescents due to working environment factors, heavy lifting and monotonous repetitive work, health injuries caused by psychosocial risk factors in the workplace, poor indoor climate, and hearing damage caused by noise in the workplace.
Each year, trend developments in the working environment are presented, according to the seven vision areas. As mentioned, one of the vision areas of the programme is psychosocial risk factors in the workplace. In respect of this factor, the latest Monitoring Report presents some surprising findings.
Occupational injuries and psychosocial risk factors
The number of occupational injuries due to psychosocial work factors, reported to the Danish Working Environment Authority , shows significant increases between 1993 and 2003.
Moreover, occupational injuries caused by psychosocial risk factors in the workplace represent a growing proportion - and since 1999, a steadily growing proportion - of all reported illnesses and symptoms. The percentage of psychosocial occupational injuries, relative to all reported illnesses and symptoms, has risen from 3.1% in 1993 to 13.6% in 2003. This is partly explained by the simultaneous decrease in the total number of reported illnesses and symptoms, and increase in reported psychological and psychosomatic reactions (see Table below).
| 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Psychosocial occupational illnesses | 481 | 738 | 711 | 697 | 725 | 636 | 665 | 841 | 1,311 | 1,486 | 1,558 |
| All occupational illnesses | 15,656 | 15,636 | 14,986 | 15,759 | 15,820 | 14,456 | 12,635 | 12,856 | 13,590 | 12,566 | 11,413 |
| Relative proportion | 3.1% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 4.4% | 4.6% | 4.4% | 5.3% | 6.5% | 9.6% | 11.8% | 13.6% |
Source: The Danish Working Environment Authority, Overvågning - Rapport 2003 (Monitoring Report 2003), Copenhagen, 2005
However, the rise in psychosocial occupational injuries is not only a relative one. A significant increase can be identified in real numbers as well.
As can be seen in the Figure above, the number of reported psychological and psychosomatic illnesses and symptoms has risen from 481 in 1993 to 1,558 in 2003. This means that, in 2003, about seven incidences of occupational injuries due to psychosocial work factors were reported each day (calculated on the basis of 220 working days a year). In the period from 1994 to 1999, the number of reports concerning psychosocial work factors seems to be relatively stable, but a steady increase occurs from 1999 onwards.
Under-reporting of psychosocial occupational injuries
The Danish Working Environment Authority estimates that the actual figures for occupational injuries caused by the psychosocial working environment are much higher than the numbers indicate. The rationale behind this assumption is that many workers suffering from psychological and psychosomatic diseases tend to withhold information about the psychosocial climate in the workplace when consulting their doctor. There may be two reasons for this:
many people tend not to speak openly about mental problems and disorders;
the patient might consider the workplace to be outside the doctor’s responsibility.
By comparing the number of reported incidences with indicators of psychosocial risk factors in the working environment - as indicated in the [Danish Work Environment Cohort Study](http://www.ami.dk/Nationale Data.aspx?lang=en) (carried out by the National Institute of Occupational Health ) - the Danish Working Environment Authority estimates that reporting ought to be approximately 20 times higher than it actually is.
Profile of workers reporting psychosocial risk factors
The reports of injuries due to psychosocial work factors primarily come from employees in the following sectors (prioritised by numbers reported):
office and administration;
institutional personal care for adults;
institutional childcare;
primary, secondary and higher education;
hospitals;
military and police;
goods transport;
passenger transport.
The most frequent cases of reported psychosocial risk factors are (prioritised by numbers reported and across sectors):
strained relationships with colleagues or superiors, including bullying;
excessive volume or pace of work;
upsetting experiences;
working time;
lack of influence on own work.
About the study
The data referred to here can be found in the Danish Working Environment Authority’s Monitoring Report 2003 (in Danish). Data are taken from the registry of occupational illnesses and symptoms, run by the Working Environment Authority. Physicians are obliged to report to the Authority any case that they might ascertain or suspect has its basis in the working environment. Thus, data are filtered and validated by physicians before they are reported to the Danish Working Environment Authority by means of standardised forms.
Eurofound recommends citing this publication in the following way.
Eurofound (2005), Threefold increase in psychosocial occupational injuries, article.
