Occupational Health and Safety

LECTURE 15 – Psychological Hazards

INSTRUCTOR: ASST. PROF. DR. SEVKET C. BOSTANCI

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 PSYCHOLOGICAL HAZARDS AT WORKPLACE - DEFINITION

• A psychosocial hazard or work stressor is any occupational hazard that affects the psychological and
physical well-being of workers, including their ability to participate in a work environment among
other people.
• Psychosocial hazards are related to the way work is designed, organized and managed, as well as the
economic and social contexts of work.
• They are associated with psychiatric, psychological and/or physical injury or illness, such as;
• occupational burnout
• anxiety disorders
• depression (mood)
• hypertension
• Cardiovascular Disease

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 DEFINITION
• On the contrary mental well-being is defined by WHO (2014) as every individual’s
• Understanding of his/her potential
• Handling of normal stress of life
• Ability of being productive
• Ability to make contribution to the community

• Mental health;
• Is more than the absence of mental disorders
• Is an integral part of health; indeed, there is no health without mental health

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 DEFINITION
• According to CROSH (centre for research in occupational safety and health in
Canada):
 DEFINITION
• Mental Health Continuum Model

Source: https://amiquebec.org/what-is-recovery/
 PSYCHOLOGICAL HAZARDS AT WORKPLACE - EXPOSURE
• Psychosocial risks are linked to the organization of work as well as workplace violence (a
psychosocial hazard) and are recognized internationally as major challenges
to occupational safety and health as well as productivity.

• According to a survey by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, the most
important psychosocial hazards — work stressors — are:
• Job strain
• Effort-reward imbalance
• Lack of supervisor and co-worker support
• Long working hours
• Bullying

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 EXPOSURE
• According to a survey by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, the most
important psychosocial hazards — work stressors — are (con’t):
• Work insatisfaction
• Lean production and outsourcing
• Emotional labour
• Work – life balance
• Job insecurity
• Precarious work

• Exposure to psychosocial hazards in the workplace not only produces psychological and
physiological damage to individual employees, but also produces further repercussions
within society - reducing productivity in local/state economies, corroding
familial/interpersonal relationships, and producing negative behavioural outcomes .

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 EXPOSURE
• Sources of psychological hazards can be divided into two main branches; work-
organizational factors and personal factors.
• Work – organizational factors:
• Workplace violence and harassment
• Working alone
• Change
• Technological change
• Fatigue and long hours of work
• Personal factors:
• Substance abuse
• Depression, anxiety and other mental illness
• Age related factors and work-life conflict
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 EXPOSURE
Promoting and maintaining mental health is a priority.

• Workplace Benefits: • Employee Benefits:

– Increased productivity – Feeling of safety
– Feeling of being respected and
– Sustainability and growth valued
– Employee retention – Balance in life

– Employee engagement and – Social support and teamwork

satisfaction
– Interpersonal growth
– Lower disability rate – Happiness
 EXPOSURE - EXAMPLES
• Psychological hazards due to job content:
• Lack of variety or short work cycles
• Fragmented or meaningless work
• Repetitive work
• Under use of skills
• High uncertainity
• Continuous exposure to people through workload
• Task complexity
• Dangerous work
• Emotional and mental demands beyond the physical demands
 EXPOSURE - EXAMPLES
• Psychological hazards due to work load and pace:
• Control over work load and pace
• Work overload or underload
• Machine pacing
• High levels of time pressure
• Continually subject to deadline
• Psychological hazards due to work schedule:
• Shift working: sleep difficulties, use of alcohol to aid sleep, fatigue, agression,
sensitivity, impaired cognitive abilities, higher rate of diabetes, cardiovascular
problems, depression
• Night shift
• Unexpected shift changes
 EXPOSURE - EXAMPLES

• Psychological hazards due to work schedule (con’t):

• Rotation
• Inflexible working schedules
• Unpredictable hours, long or unsociable hours
• Psychological hazards due to control:
• Low participation in decision making
• Control over safety
• Forced vacation
• Supervisors
• Lack of control over work-load
• Complexity of the project
 EXPOSURE - EXAMPLES
• Psychological hazards due to environment and equipment:
• Inadequate availability of the equipment
• Suitability or maintanence
• Poor environmental conditions such as lack of space, heat stress (causing
caridovascular problems), dust, humidity, poor lighting etc.
• Psychological hazards due to organizational culture and function:
• Poor communication
• Low levels of support for problem solving and personal development
• Management tools and methods
• Lack of definition or agreement on organizational objectives
PSYCHOLOGICAL HAZARDS AT WORKPLACE – HAZARD PREVENTION
= RISK ASESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT
• Steps of effective risk management:
HAZARD PREVENTION = RISK ASESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT
• Steps of effective risk management:
HAZARD PREVENTION = RISK ASESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT

• Hierarchy of control in a risk management model:

HAZARD PREVENTION = RISK ASESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT -
EXAMPLES

• Violence or abuse: by clients or co-workers

• Engineering controls: Controlled access, work area design, video surveillance, lighting,
alarm systems , panic buttons

• Administrative controls: Management policies and procedures, training, escorts to and

from parking lots, liaison with police, key control, reporting procedures, nametags

• Personal controls: Assertiveness training, mediation, counselling services, ability to

request support

• Technostress: Stress related to the introduction of new technology or the

expectations surrounding the use of technology
• Engineering controls: Instrument and equipment or software design with user-friendly
features
HAZARD PREVENTION = RISK ASESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT -
EXAMPLES

• Technostress: Stress related to the introduction of new technology or the

expectations surrounding the use of technology (con’t)
• Administrative controls: Sufficient training, worker participation, problem solving
resources, back-up plans in the event of failure, change management, realistic
expectations and priorities

• Personal controls: Self-education, time management, open communication, healthy

lifestyles, limit multi-tasking, technology “time-outs
HAZARD PREVENTION = RISK ASESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT -
EXAMPLES
• Shiftwork and hours of work:
• Engineering controls: Work environment design, lighting, appropriate thermal
environment, safe, secure work environment

• Administrative controls: Management policies for shift design and working hours,
limiting overtime, training in fatigue and shift work issues, appropriate breaks

• Personal controls: Sleep schedule and environment, diet to accommodate shift schedule,
healthy lifestyle, exercise, safe commuting plan, alertness strategies used, taking breaks
HAZARD PREVENTION = RISK ASESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT -
EXAMPLES
 References
• Centre for Research in Occupational Safety and Health (2017) Psychosocial Hazards in the Workplace.
[online]. http://crosh.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/CROSH-Webinar-2017May-Psychosocial-
hazards.pdf.
• Ekinci, A. (2020) Psychological Hazards. METU: Ekinci A.
• Friend, M.A. and Kohn, J.P. (2007) Fundamentals of Occupational Safety and Health. 4th ed.,
Government Institutes. The Scarecrow Press, USA.
• International Labour Organization (no date) Psychosocial risks and work-related stress. [online].
https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/safety-and-health-at-work/areasofwork/workplace-health-
promotion-and-well-being/WCMS_108557/lang--en/index.htm.
• Reese, C.D. (2016) Occupational Health and Safety Management – A Practical Approach. 3rd ed.
Taylor and Francis Group. CRC Press, USA.
• Reese, C.D. (2017) Occupational Safety and Health – Fundamental Principles and Philosophies. Taylor
and Francis Group. CRC Press, USA.
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