Psychosocial risk management, psychosocial risks and drivers and barriers: results from a multilevel joint analysis of three major European surveys: abstract

The aim of this study was to provide answers to questions concerning OSH risk management, and in particular psychosocial risk management: Is exposure to OSH risks, both in general and more specifically in relation to environmental risks, risks of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and psychosocial risks (PSRs), as reported by employees, related to risk awareness and risk management in enterprises? Are work-related health outcomes and well-being, as reported by employees, related to risk awareness and risk management in enterprises? (3) How well is risk management explained by exposure to work-related risks, both general and specific, and by work-related health outcomes, as reported by employees? Do drivers, such as management commitment and employee participation, or barriers, such as lack of resources or expertise, explain the relationship between risk management at the enterprise level and risk perception by employees? These questions are answered by a combined analysis of data from data from enterprises in the European Survey of Enterprises on New and Emerging Risks (ESENER-2), data from employees in the Labour Force Survey 2013 ad hoc module on accidents at work and other work related health problems (LFS 2013 ad hoc module) and the 6th European Working Conditions Survey (6th EWCS). For the multilevel modelling we used two common background variables ‘country’ and ‘sector (within countries)’ to combine the data sets. Risks reported by employees are positively related to risk management for all three types of risks studied (OSH/environmental risks, MSDs and PSRs), meaning that more risk exposure as reported by employees is related to more risk management in enterprises. Specific information on risks as reported by employees (EWCS) strongly increased the explained variance in risk management in enterprises. As for health problems, only the reporting of mental health problems reported by employees significantly increased the variance explained in psychosocial risk management in enterprises. For the management of psychosocial risks involvement of employees in the design and set up of measures specifically directed at psychosocial risks significantly and positively related to psychosocial risk management.