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Part II: Health and safety issues

1. Introduction

The idea of this section of the survey was to get some idea of the reality on the shop floor - what do workers think are the major problems at the workplace - to give trade unions an idea of priorities and where to address their education and prevention policy efforts. Trying to put some kind of priority on osh/env issues is very important for trade unions. With limited resources, both in financial and in personnel terms, it is imperative that certain issues are tackled first rather than spreading resources thinly and achieving superficial results. How to allocate priorities? As it was not possible to go into detail, the questionnaire asked if listed issues were "no problem", a "minor problem" or a "serious problem". Although this may be a rather simplistic way around the issue at least it gives the national unions an idea of what concerns their members, and thus ensures support for their policies that are based on real issues.

Figure 11. Safety issues that were experienced as problems in the workplaces

2. Safety issues

Occupational accidents (not the causes) are discrete, visible happenings, unlike work-related illnesses which may be very subtle or confused with other symptoms such as the common cold or flu, or which may take years to develop, sometimes even after a worker has retired. For this reason, the survey asked for the number of accidents recorded in the workplace, believing that this would be a fairly easy-to-see indicator of general conditions of safety, or of the "dangerousness" of a particular workplace. Leaving aside the arguments about definitions of accidents (number of days off work, etc.) and what does or does not get recorded, it was found that 21.7% of the workplaces surveyed had no recorded accidents in 1997. However, other results for this particular question in the Czech survey cannot be used for individual workplaces as it was obvious that some respondents had used company data for accidents records.

Although the workplace accident data from the survey cannot be used, it may be interesting to consider and eventually compare local data with the following European Union statistics for different sectors:

In this survey, the three most common safety problems - whether serious or minor - were falls, lifting and transport of materials. As figure 11 shows, 75% of the respondents considered falls, 62% lifting, and 60% the transport of materials as safety problems of some degree at their workplaces. Furthermore, these three issues were more often assessed as serious problems (See figure 11).

Table 2. Accidents at work in the European Union by type of activity (1994) per 100,000 employees

Looking at which hazards were considered serious safety problems in different sectors (See table 3) the survey confirmed that the service sector is relatively "safe". It must be pointed out that all service activities were combined for this particular analysis, that is, that administration and banking, for example, were examined along with transport and communications and health service activities. The major safety concerns in the service sector seem to be lifting (in 16.1% of the workplaces in the service sector), falls (in 10%) and transport of materials (in 6.2%). All other safety issues were of relatively little concern, and in most cases were of less concern than in other sectors.

Table 3. Safety issues that were experienced as serious problems in the workplaces of different industries

Energy means energy, electricity, gas and water supply

Most of the issues were experienced as serious problems more often in primary production workplaces than in other industries. Particularly noticeable risks in primary production compared to the other sectors included falls (in 30.4% of workplaces), transport of materials, humidity, use of hand tools, and being struck by objects. Problems of concern in manufacturing included transport of materials, lifting, condition of floors and fire risks, although these were mentioned as serious in less than 20% of workplaces in this sector. According to the survey, the construction and energy industries experienced more serious problems than did the manufacturing industries, with about 20% of workplaces in this sector also citing falls and lifting as major concerns. Characteristic of construction and energy workplaces compared to other sectors were problems concerning fire risks and hot temperatures.

3. Health issues

In the Czech survey health hazards were experienced as problems more often than safety concerns. The most common problems concerning health hazards in all sectors combined were noise, dust and fumes and eye strain. Noise was experienced as a problem of some degree - minor or serious - in 71.9% of workplaces, dust and fumes in 65.1%, and eye strain in 64.9%. Taking into account only problems considered serious, however, vibration hazards take on more importance, rising from sixth to third place and displacing eye strain (See figure 12).

Figure 12. Health hazards that were experienced as problems in the workplaces

Whereas certain safety hazards were much more associated with some sectors rather than being common to all, it seems that health hazards such as noise and dust and fumes are common hazards in all sectors of activity (See table 4). Noise, for example, was experienced as a serious problem in 51.2% of primary production workplaces, in 37.8% of manufacturing workplaces, in 32.7% of workplaces in construction and energy, and in 11% of the service sector workplaces. This is not to say that the same levels of noise are experienced in all these workplaces, rather that the level of noise for the type of work required is perceived to be a problem. Thus, although it may be noisier on a construction site than in an office, the relatively low office noise may cause considerable stress for mental work and be considered a problem by office workers.

Looking at individual sectors (See table 4), primary production suffers from more serious problems overall, and far more in connection with noise (mentioned by 51.2% of respondents in this sector), dust and fumes (45%) and vibration (42.4%), reflecting conditions in the mining and quarrying industries, and which represent a large proportion of workplaces in in the survey.

In manufacturing, although noise, dust and fumes and vibration were the most often-cited serious concerns, these were much less prevalent than in primary production workplaces. Repetitive movements (cited by 18.2% of manufacturing workplaces) and exposure to chemicals (13.7%) are what distinguish this sector from others. Similar hazards were cited in construction and energy-related workplaces - noise in 32.7%, dust and fumes in 25.5%, and vibration in 16.4%. In addition, burns, irritants, bad smells take on prominence in this sector. Health issues were of less concern in the services sector. However, priority concerns are different than in the other sectors, with eye strain taking on importance in over 12% of the workplaces surveyed in this sector, followed by noise (11%), uncomfortable work position (6.6%) and biological hazards (6.1%).

Table 4. Health hazards that were experienced as serious problems in different industries

Energy means energy, electricity, gas and water supply

Although exposure to tobacco smoke was consistently low on the list of concerns - only 18.3% of the respondents considered tobacco smoke as a minor or serious cause of workplace health problems - 51.6% of the respondents considered tobacco smoking as a problem in the workplace. Although this difference can only be speculated on it may be that workers consider tobacco smoke as a nuisance, or that the act of smoking could give rise to safety problems, rather than actually causing health problems. Alcohol consumption was experienced as a workplace problem by 12.5% of the respondents. Taking of medication or illegal drugs was hardly ever considered as a problem.

Figure 13. Organisational hazards that were experienced as problems in the workplaces

4. Organisational issues

Organisational issues can have an effect on safety, health and well-being - through stress from job insecurity, job dissatisfaction, style of supervision, or through fatigue from long work hours, shiftwork, etc. Work design, sanitary and eating facilities, housekeeping, storage, etc. can all have direct consequences on safety and health at work.

Over all sectors combined the most common organisational problems cited in the survey were, in decreasing order, job security, work overload, workplace design, storage, housekeeping, speed of work and shiftwork, all cited by over 40% of respondents (See figure 13). 71.8% of the respondents considered job security as at least a minor problem, and 38.8% considered it a serious problem. Considering that 80% of the workplaces surveyed had reduced their number of workers over the last three years, it is most understandable that workers are seriously concerned about job security. Work overload was the second most commonly cited problem in the workplaces - the results of a reduced workforce?

Job security was by far the most important concern across all industries (See table 5), but it was most common in primary production, where 54.7% of the workplaces considered it a serious problem. In these industries, work overload was clearly the second most important concern, as well as being considered as a serious problem much more often than in other industries.

The manufacturing industry workplaces were characterized by the concern given to workplace design and monotonous work compared with workplaces in other sectors. In construction and energy, after job security, which is common to other areas, housekeeping, lack of sanitary and eating facilities, and style of supervision were major concerns which characterized this sector. Once again, there are relatively few complaints from the service sector, although 26.4% of these respondents cite job security as a major concern.

Table 5. Organisational hazards that were experienced as serious problems in the workplaces of different industries

Energy means energy, electricity, gas and water supply

Figure 14. Impact on the general environment that was experienced as a problem in the workplaces

5. Environmental issues

The most common workplace issues considered as problems in relation to their impact on the general environment were, all sectors combined and in decreasing order, noise, dust, air pollution, solid waste and water pollution (See figure 14). Usually the impact was considered as a minor rather than a serious problem, but still 50% of respondents considered that environmental noise caused by work activities was a problem in their workplaces, and 16.9% considered it a serious problem. Apart from noise and dust, other environmental issues were considered as serious problems in less than 15% of workplaces. Interestingly, over-exploitation of the environment, which is of relatively low ranking overall, takes on importance as the third most serious concern.

Serious problems were much more common in primary production (mainly mining and quarrying in this survey) than in other sectors of industry (See table 6). Over-exploitation of the environment, for example, was considered as a serious problem in 44.9% of the primary production units and more than 30% counted dust and noise as serious problems. In no other sector was over-exploitation of the environment considered a serious problem.

In manufacturing, noise was the most common serious work-related environmental problem, but it must be pointed out that this was cited by only 13.4% of respondents in this sector. All other issues fell below the 10% mark. In the construction and energy, electricity, gas and water supply sector, the most common serious environmental problems were noise, dust and air pollution.

Table 6. Impact of the workplace on the general environment that was experienced as a serious problem in the workplaces of different industries

Energy means energy, electricity, gas and water supply

6. Summary on issues perceived as problems

Table 7. Most common serious problems according to sector - round-up of priorities

Energy means energy, electricity, gas and water supply

Figure 15. Symptoms or diseases from which the workers were suffering sometimes or frequently

7. Symptoms and diseases

The most common symptoms from which workers were said to be suffering sometimes or frequently were backaches, tiredness, and headaches (See figure 15). Usually, workers suffered only sometimes rather than frequently, but several symptoms and signs were mentioned as being problems in over 60% of workplaces: e.g. backache in 91.6% of workplaces surveyed, tiredness in 85.3%, headaches in 77.4%, stress in 66.1%, coughing in 65.7%, cuts or bruises in 60.6% and high blood pressure in 60.3%.

Backache was the number one complaint across all industries, being frequent in 56% of primary production workplaces, 34.5% of construction and energy, 34.1% of manufacturing and 32% of service sector workplaces. Tiredness and stress were also major complaints across all sectors, but were especially prevalent in primary production. The most common symptoms and signs of health problems mentioned are not, with the exception perhaps of high blood pressure, life-threatening ones - although they do detract from the overall quality of life and thus should not be discarded.

Of concern also are a "middle range" of symptoms that are considered as problems to some extent in 40-60% of workplaces. These are the more serious complaints of sore eyes (cited in 58.8% of all workplaces), irritability (cited in 58.4%), depression and forgetfulness (in 50.3%), skin irritation (49.7%), breathing difficulties (46.9%), pain, tingling and numbness (45.6%), allergies (43.3%) ringing in the ears and deafness (40.9%). Concerning the latter concerns of deafness and ringing in the ears, and as discussed earlier (See figure 12), noise was considered a health hazard in 71.9% of the workplaces. In 7.7% of workplaces in this survey, it was estimated that workers frequently suffered from deafness, but this figure rises to 16.7% for those workplaces where noise was considered a serious problem, found mainly in the primary production sector. Relatively "new" symptoms are also becoming increasingly important in the Czech sample, such as the irritability (particularly in services), depression and forgetfulness (more common in primary production units), commonly associated with stress. Pain, tingling and numbness is also common in primary production units, probably from vibration from tools and equipment.

Very serious issues such as reproductive problems, birth defects in offspring, cancer, asthma, etc. are fortunately on the bottom of the list of frequently reported symptoms and signs.

Looking at the individual sectors (See table 8), it can be seen that workers in the primary sector suffer much more frequently from symptoms and diseases than do workers in other sectors. As discussed earlier, health hazards are also much more common in primary production. These workers suffer frequently from, in decreasing order, backache, cuts and bruises, tiredness, breathing difficulties, coughing, pain, tingling and numbness, and stress. Several symptoms - deafness, visual changes, coughing, breathing difficulties, pain, tingling and numbness, backache, cuts and bruises - stand out as being much more common in this sector than in others, and probably reflect exposures to noise, dust and vibration associated with work in mining and quarrying.

Table 8. Symptoms or diseases from which the workers were suffering frequently in the workplaces of different industries

Energy means energy, electricity, gas and water supply

In the manufacturing sector the most frequent problems encountered after backache, tiredness and stress, common to other sectors also, were headaches, high blood pressure and allergies. These three symptoms, mentioned as frequent in 12.7%, 10.6% and 6.5% respectively of manufacturing workplaces distinguish the manufacturing sector from others.

Workers in construction and energy, electricity, gas and water supply seem to suffer less than their counterparts in primary production and, to a certain extent, to those in manufacturing. Although the prevalence of backache was similar to in other sectors, other common symptoms such as tiredness and coughing were much less prevalent in construction and energy workplaces. Even cuts and bruises, which might be expected to be frequent problems in construction were less prevalent than in primary production. Construction and energy workers were distinguished from other sector workers by their relatively low concerns for stress and stress-related symptoms such as irritability, forgetfulness, depression and high blood pressure.

The survey showed that workers in the service sector suffer frequently from several symptoms and signs - it is not the "safe" sector commonly thought. Most common complaints in this sector were backaches and tiredness, also common to other sectors, but in the latter case, second only to the primary production units surveyed. Headaches were experienced by service sector workers much more frequently than by workers in other sectors. Stress and stress-related symptoms also distinguish the service sector, coming second only to those suffered in the primary production sector, but with irritability being even more prevalent in the service sector.

In 86.4% of the workplaces, the workers consulted a doctor when they suffered from symptoms or diseases. Only in 29% of the workplaces surveyed did workers register a complaint with the union. When the trade-union membership level was below 50%, the registration of complaints with the union was rare.

Table 9. Most frequently experienced symptoms and signs according to sector - a roundup

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