Developing and testing an internal audit tool of the psychosocial work environment in the oil and gas industry

The objective of this paper is to present and discuss a pilot study for conducting internal psychosocial risk auditing in the oil and gas industry, focusing on offshore units. Psychosocial risk auditing is a proactive method for monitoring the status of psychosocial factors influencing the risk of stress and ill-health in the oil and gas industry. It is a systematic and independent assessment of the status of psychosocial factors and barriers, it reveals non-compliance with requirements and best practice within different relevant levels of the organization, and is suitable as a basis for the development of risk reduction measures. The method comprises performance standards that are linked to the company’s internal organizational requirements related to the psychosocial work environment. A range of different methods and data are used to assess and grade compliance with these standards. The aim of the auditing is to provide transfer of experience between units and the development of best practice while supporting organizational learning in offshore (and onshore) environments

Motivation for employees to participate in workplace health promotion: literature review

According to the Luxembourg Declaration, workplace health promotion (WHP) is the combined efforts of employers, workers and society to improve the health and wellbeing of people at work. This can be achieved by: improving work organisation and the work environment; promoting the active participation of all stakeholders in the process; and encouraging personal development. It is important to note that WHP aims to be a complementary support for, but not a replacement of, workplace risk management. Proper risk management is an essential foundation for a successful WHP programme. Regarding actual participation in WHP activities, the literature suggests that the number of participants often tends to be rather low once the WHP project is actually in progress. Therefore, it is pertinent to investigate how organisations are able to motivate their employees to participate in WHP activities in both the short- and long term. At the same time it should be kept in mind that employee participation in health promotion activities is totally voluntary. The aim of this report was to conduct a review of the available literature to identify the motivating factors for employees to participate in WHP. This knowledge can be used to improve WHP programmes and, consequently, the participation rates. The findings section of the report is divided into two key areas. The first section outlines and describes some of the key findings from the literature concerning workers’ motivation to participate in WHP; and the second examines the contributory role diversity may play in worker participation and recruitment

Examples of holistic good practices in promoting and protecting mental health in the workplace: current and future challenges

Background: While attention has been paid to physical risks in the work environment and the promotion of individual employee health, mental health protection and promotion have received much less focus. Psychosocial risk management has not yet been fully incorporated in such efforts. This paper presents good practices in promoting mental health in the workplace in line with World Health Organization (WHO) guidance by identifying barriers, opportunities, and the way forward in this area. Methods: Semistructured interviews were conducted with 17 experts who were selected on the basis of their knowledge and expertise in relation to good practice identified tools. Interviewees were asked to evaluate the approaches on the basis of the WHO model for healthy workplaces. Results: The examples of good practice for Workplace Mental Health Promotion (WMHP) are in line with the principles and the five keys of the WHO model. They support the third objective of the WHO comprehensive mental health action plan 2013e2020 for multisectoral implementation of WMHP strategies. Examples of good practice include the engagement of all stakeholders and representatives, science-driven practice, dissemination of good practice, continual improvement, and evaluation. Actions to inform policies/legislation, promote education on psychosocial risks, and provide better evidence were suggested for higher WMHP success. Conclusion: The study identified commonalities in good practice approaches in different countries and stressed the importance of a strong policy and enforcement framework as well as organizational responsibility for WMHP. For progress to be achieved in this area, a holistic and multidisciplinary approach was unanimously suggested as a way to successful implementation

Mental health promotion in the workplace – a good practice report

Promotion of mental health at work is one of the Community OSH Strategy’s priorities13. In 2009, a case study collection on mental health at work was conducted for the EU-OSHA. The present report is based on this collection of good practice examples. The aim of the report was to review the collatedcase studies for equipping practitioners, policy makers and employers to draw conclusions from these studies and take these into account when implementing programmes that target mental health in the workplace. Organisations involved were situated in Europe and varied across occupational sectors. Specific aspects of each organisation’s MHP programme were examined to determine and identify commonly observed success factors and practical approaches and strategies to overcome challenges across the thirteen case studies. Additionally approaches and strategies used in the case studies that were particularly innovative or original were highlighted and discussed

Motivation for employers to carry out workplace health promotion: literature review

Workplace health promotion (WHP) is the combined efforts of employers, workers and society to improve the health and wellbeing of people at work. This can be achieved by: improving the work organisation and the work environment; promoting the active participation of all stakeholders in the process, and encouraging personal development. It is important to note that WHP aims to be a complementary support for, but not a replacement of, workplace risk management. Proper risk management is an essential foundation for a successful WHP programme. Developing and sustaining a healthy work environment and workforce has clear benefits for companies and employees, but can also lead to an improvement in social and economic development at local, regional, national and European level. This report presents the findings of a literature review that aims to identify the key reasons, arguments and motivation for employers to carry out workplace health promotion initiatives, and discusses some of the associated challenges and obstacles. This knowledge can be used to encourage and motivate employers to start WHP

The financial burden of psychosocial workplace aggression: a systematic review of cost-of-illness studies

Understanding the economic impact of psychological and social forms of workplace aggression to society could yield important insights into the magnitude of this occupational phenomenon. The objective of this systematic review was to collate, summarize, review and critique, and synthesize the cost of psychosocial workplace aggression at the individual- and societal-level. A peer-reviewed research protocol detailing the search strategy, study selection procedures and data extraction process was developed a priori. Both the academic and grey literatures were examined. To allow for basic comparison, all costs were converted and adjusted to reflect 2014 US dollars. Twelve studies, from five national contexts, met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed: Australia (n=2), Italy (n=1), Spain (n=1), the United Kingdom (n=3) and the United States (n=5). The annual cost of psychosocial workplace aggression varied substantially, ranging between $114.64 million and$35.9 billion. Heterogeneity across studies was found, with noted variations in stated study aims, utilized prevalence statistics and included costs. The review concludes that existing evidence attests to the substantial cost of psychosocial workplace aggression to both the individual and society, albeit such derived estimates are likely gross underestimates. The findings highlight the importance of interpreting such figures within their conceptual and methodological contexts

Vision zero: from accident prevention to the promotion of health, safety and well-being at work

There is growing attention in industry for the Vision Zero strategy, which in terms of work-related health and safety is often labelled as Zero Accident Vision or Zero Harm. The consequences of a genuine commitment to Vision Zero for addressing health, safety and well-being and their synergies are discussed. The Vision Zero for work-related health, safety and well-being is based on the assumption that all accidents, harm and work-related diseases are preventable. Vision Zero for health, safety and well-being is then the ambition and commitment to create and ensure safe and healthy work and to prevent all accidents, harm and work-related diseases in order to achieve excellence in health, safety and well-being. Implementation of Vision Zero is a process – rather than a target, and healthy organizations make use of a wide range of options to facilitate this process. There is sufficient evidence that fatigue, stress and work organization factors are important determinants of safety behaviour and safety performance. Even with a focus on preventing accidents these additional factors should also be addressed. A relevant challenge is the integration of the Vision Zero into broader business policy and practice. There is a continued need more empirical research in this area

Organisational level interventions for reducing occupational stress in healthcare workers

This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (Intervention). The objectives are as follows: To evaluate the effectiveness of organisational level interventions aimed at reducing stress in healthcare workers compared to no intervention or alternative interventions