Psychosocial Hazard Analysis in a Heterogeneous Workforce: Determinants of Work Stress in Blue- and White-Collar Workers of the European Steel Industry

Abstract

The European steel industry’s workforce is highly heterogeneous and consists of various occupational groups, presumably facing different psychosocial stressors. The few existing studies on the subject mainly focused on physical constraints of blue-collar workers, whereas the supposable psychosocial workload received only little research attention. This is remarkable considering the challenges associated with statutory required risk assessment of psychosocial hazards. Valid measures of hazard analysis must account for various stressors and reliably identify them, also between occupational groups. The present study, based on a sample of blue- and white-collar workers (N = 124) from the European steel industry, aims to provide a first insight into psychosocial stressors and strain at work in this rarely researched industrial sector. Furthermore, two well-known theoretical roadmaps in job analysis are examined regarding their utility for risk assessment in heterogeneous workforces: the German standard version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ) and the short version of the effort–reward imbalance questionnaire. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that the COPSOQ was better suited to predict various strain indices in the present sample. Especially stressors relating to socioemotional aspects, such as work-privacy conflict, revealed a reasonable impact, indicating the need for comprehensive solutions at the organizational level instead of solutions focusing on single workplaces. To conclude, a broadly diversified and validated approach in psychosocial risk assessment is needed to adequately assess the variety of psychosocial factors at work and in different occupational groups.

Assessment of psychosocial factors in office and operational groups of employees of a Regional Electricity Distribution Company in Iran – A case study

“…The worse social relations or social interactions among the operational employees are due to the nature of their job that makes them work outside with little opportunity to interact with colleagues. The same results were obtained from the study conducted in European steel industry [31] . However, the operational personnel were in a better state in "possibilities for development" scale, which may be due to greater diversity of work, initiative, and greater use of expertise and opportunity to learn new things, comparing to office workers.…”

“…Their study revealed that average scores of some scales such as predictability, role conflict, social relation and influence at work exceed the reference values in blue collar workers, in contrast average scores of possibility for development, meaning at work and role clarity showed slight deviation from reference values. In their study office workers had higher score in quantitative and emotional demand scales, compared to operational group and this finding is not in consistent with results of current study [31] .…”

“…We assumed that workers in two different occupational groups facing different psychosocial stressors and a wide-ranged assessment approach is needed to reveal psychosocial workload in two groups. Some previous studies used COPSOQ questionnaire to compare psychosocial factors between white and blue collar workers and concluded that this questionnaire was better suited to assess and compare the variety psychosocial factors at work in different occupational groups [ 30 , 31 ].…”

Occupational health and safety hazards faced by healthcare professionals in Taiwan: A systematic review of risk factors and control strategies

“…A wide range of OHS hazards were identified, including biological hazards 14 chemical hazards, 65 ergonomic hazards, psychosocial hazards, and physical hazards. 59,62 The review has shown that healthcare professionals are at a significantly high risk of occupational related hazards. 56 Injuries and sickness prevent healthcare workers from discharging their duties effectively, which can have negative impact on the overall healthcare system in Taiwan.…”

“…Proper working communication devices and video surveillance, as well as panic buttons and alarm systems. 62 Administrative control: management policies make unequivocal declarations of non-violence/anti-abuse. 63 Management can encourage workers to participate in the design of forwardrotating (day-evening-night) shifts and work schedules that impose gradual shift changes and ease the adaptation to nonregular work shifts to ensure that all concerned get adequate sleep.…”