Working conditions in Europe: Work, health, MSDs

1
Working conditions in Europe Work, health, MSDs
Findings of the Fourth European Working
Conditions survey EWCO Comparative analytical
report on MSD
2
The varieties of sources on MSDs reporting

• Both registers and employees surveys standard
  case of continental and Nordic MS CZ BG EE
• Only registers most Southern and Eastern
  countries
• Administrative sources and surveys both to
  employers and workers NL ES
• Differentiated sets of sources (registers
  bilateral surveys doctors/epidemiological
  surveys) FR, UK
• Epidemiological studies and labour inspectorates
  LU

3
Costs monitoring Drawing some typology
Diff
erentiated

FR

UK, NL


sets of sources

Other

LU





Note jointly
with occupational accidents, planned
, informal estimate.

Source EWCO correspondents 2005

2006


4
15 years of working conditions surveys

• More women in the workforce but gender
  segregation remains (23 of occupations are
  gender mixed), more women managers but the
  majority of women remain in lowest levels of
  earnings (part time etc.)
• Temporary employment on the increase (14 )
• The move to the service economy is increasing but
  manufacturing and agriculture still account for
  more than a third of employment
• The majority of households (55) are dual earners
  households, 30 of households have one earner
  only
• Reduction of weekly working hours due to a
  combination of
• - increase in part time work 33 of women
  and 4 of men
• - decrease of long hours 14 of employed
  and 44 of the self employed work 48/w
• Regular fixed hours of work remain the norm
• 55 of workers work the same number of house
  every day, 70 the same number of days per week,
  60 have fixed working hours
• Hours of work are determined by employers in 56
  of instances with no possibility for change
• higher level of work life balance for those
  having regular and fixed hours of work
• Work intensity is on the increase but autonomy
  increase and social support does not compensate
  for it
• Higher use of ICT technology at work
• No improvement in access to training by employees
  over the last 15 years in Europe

5
Slightly less cognitive demands
6
Job autonomy
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Health and work

• 15 of workers are not well informed about risks
  linked to their work
• 28 report that their health and safety is at
  risk because of their work
• Exposure to physical risks have remain stable at
  the best. New indicators contribute to assessing
  psychosocial risks
• 35 report that their work affects their health
• MSDs, stress, fatigue are the most reported
  health problems

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Heath and work
9
Exposure to physical risks stable or on the
increase
10
The 2 most frequent risks are gender neutral
11
Male higher risks
12
Female higher risks
13
Combined working hours women work the longest
14
Subjective evaluations of work / psychosocial
conditions
15
Health and safety at risk because of work
16
My work affect my health by sectors and status of
employment
17
Impact of work on health
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Reported backache and muscular pain, by country
()
New member states over the EU average
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
EL
SI
PL
LV
RO
EE
SK
LT
CY
HU
PT
BG
ES
MT
SE
FI
LU
EU
IT
AT
DK
CZ
FR
BE
DE
IE
NL
UK
27
Source 4th EWCS (2005)
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Factor analysis health
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Repetitive movements and health outcomes
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Health and work organisation an example
22
Merci,

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