Reports of work-related health problems increase

An EU-wide survey has found that back pain, neck and shoulder pain, stress and burnout are the most common work-related health complaints.

The Third European Survey on Working Conditions by the Dublin-based European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions found that these complaints, which are "correlated to more difficult working conditions", are increasing.

The first findings of the survey were publicised last Monday in Dublin. The two previous surveys were carried out in 1990 and 1995.

Workers continue to be exposed to stressful workplace environments involving noise, vibrations, dangerous substances, heat or cold. Poor design of workstations and tasks "remains prevalent", with workers expected to carry heavy loads or work in painful positions.

There is a continuing intensification of work. While the control workers have over their work increased significantly in the early 1990s, the increase slowed down from 1995. As many as a third of workers "report little or no control over their work".

There is still a lot of repetitive and monotonous work in the EU. And flexibility at work "is not always conducive to good working conditions".

The survey found "gender segregation and gender discrimination remain highly prevalent and detrimental to women", while temporary workers continued to report more exposure to risks than permanent workers.

There were 159 million people in employment in the EU last year, of which 83 per cent were employees and 17 per cent self-employed.

An increasing proportion of workers report work-related health problems. Back, neck and shoulder pain is increasing, as is fatigue. Stress is reported at 28 per cent of the EU workforce, with Ireland, at 12 per cent, again reporting less workplace stress than any other EU state.

Stressful physical environments (for instance those involving noise, polluted air, heat, cold or vibrations), carrying heavy loads and working in painful or tiring positions are "just as prevalent in 2000 as they were in 1990 and in 1995", says the foundation.

Men are "more exposed than female workers to all of these issues except for painful and tiring positions, where the rates are identical", a finding in accordance with previous surveys.

Repetitive work remains a widespread problem in the EU. Some 57 per cent of workers reported repetitive movements - 31 per cent of whom were required to make repetitive movements on a permanent basis.

Intensity of work increased in the past decade, albeit more sharply between 1990 and 1995 than between 1995 and 2000. "In 2000, more than half of the workers report working at high speed and to tight deadlines during at least one quarter of their working time." The survey notes that intensity of work is strongly correlated to health problems and accidents at work.

Some 64 per cent of workers in the EU are able to choose the order in which they do tasks. However, fewer workers were free to choose when to take a break or holidays last year (61 per cent and 56 per cent) than in 1995 (63 per cent and 57 per cent).

As for working time, 44 per cent of workers have an influence on their working hours. The self-employed (84 per cent) have greater control than employees (36 per cent), while men (47 per cent) tend to have greater control over their working hours than women (41 per cent).

European Foundation website: www.eurofound.ie

jmarms@irish-times.ie