Vol. 9, No 1, 2012 pp. 53 - 59
UDC 614.256:159.944.4:331.45

PSYCHOSOCIAL RISKS AT WORK
Ioanna Papaioannou1, Demetrios Billias2
1Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Welfare, Labour Inspectorate, Piraeus, Greece
ioapapai@otenet.gr
2Medical Doctor, Piraeus, Greece


Abstract. European Organizations and Committees for Occupational Health and Safety, researchers and labour inspectorates have demonstrated their interest in the investigation of issues related to psychosocial occupational risks. Psychosocial risks have potentially harmful effects on the physical, mental and social well-being of workers and are related to indicators such as increased absenteeism, reduced productivity, absence of job satisfaction, the intention to resign. The legislative framework on occupational health and safety includes indirect references to issues related to psychosocial risks. The management of such issues should be within the framework of a thorough process of risk assessment. However, traditional methods and practices of conducting a risk assessment may present difficulties when applied in the case of psychosocial risks due to particular characteristics of the latter which differentiate them from traditional occupational risks. As far as management of psychosocial risks is concerned, the interventions which are adopted can be divided into individual and organizational or, according to the level of prevention, they can be divided into primary, secondary and tertiary. In order to raise the awareness of all parties involved (employers, employees, occupational safety and health professionals), several actions are required relevant for the development of the appropriate policy and legislation in the field of psychosocial risks including the encouragement of social dialogue and corporate social responsibility. This paper reviews psychosocial factors at work, the relevant references in the legislative framework on occupational health and safety, the theoretical models and tools that are used for the evaluation of psychosocial factors, the various risk assessment and management strategies, and initiatives undertaken by labour inspectorates.
Key Words: psychosocial factors; labour inspectors; work-related stress; occupational health; occupational risk

PSIHO-SOCIOLOŠKI RIZIK NA RADNOM MESTU
Evropske organizacije i komisije za zdravstvenu zaštitu i bezbednost na radnom mestu, istraživači i inspektorati rada su iskazali svoje interesovanje za istraživanje pitanja vezanih za psiho-sociološki rizik na radnom mestu. Psiho-sociološki rizik može potencijalno imati posledice na fizičko, psihološko i socijalno stanje radnika i vezuje se za indikatore kao što je povećano odsustvo sa posla, umanjenu produktivnost, nedostatak zadovoljstva poslom, i namerom da se posao napusti. Zakonski okvir koji se tiče bezbednosti na poslu uključuje i pitanja koja se tiču psiho-sociološkog rizika. Upravljanje ovakvim pitanjima bi trebalo da se nađe u okviru jednog detaljnog procesa procene rizika. Ipak, tradicionalne metode i prakse koje se tiču procene rizika mogu naići na poteškoće kada se primene na primer psiho-sociološkog rizika s obzirom na određene odlike koje ga čine različitim od tradicionalnih rizika na radnom mestu. Što se upravljanja psiho-sociološkim rizikom tiče, intervencije koje su prihvaćene se mogu podeliti na pojedinačne i grupne, ili na osnovu nivoa prevencije, na podeliti primarne, sekundarne i tercijarne. Kako bi se povećala svest svih strana uključenih u ovo pitanje (poslodavaca, zaposlenih, ljudi koji se profesionalno bave pitanjem zdravstvene zaštite i bezbednosti na poslu), neophodne su aktivnosti koje su bitne za razvoj odgovarajućih stavova i zakona o psiho-sociološkom riziku, uključujući i pospešivanje društvenog dijaloga i razvoj društvne odgovornosti. Ovaj rad daje pregled psiho-socioloških faktora na radnom mestu, relevantne reference u zakonskom okviru o zdravstvenoj zaštiti i bezbednosti na poslu, teorijskih modela i sredstava koja se koriste za procenu psiho-socioloških faktora, različite procene rizika i strategija upravljanja, i inicijativa koje su preduzeli inspektorati za rad.
Ključne reči: psiho-sociološki faktori; inspektorati za rad; stress na poslu; zdravlje na radnom mestu; rizik na radnom mestu