ESENER survey results 2009
EU-OSHA's European survey of enterprises on new and emerging risks (ESENER) explores the views of managers and workers' representatives on how health and safety risks are managed at their workplace.
From the range of workplace risks, the survey places particular focus on the growing – and relatively new – area of psychosocial risks. These risks, which are linked to the way work is designed, organised and managed, as well as to the economic and social context of work, result in an increased level of stress and can lead to serious deterioration of mental and physical health.
The survey asks respondents about the measures taken at the workplace, the main drivers for taking action and the most significant obstacles. Questions cover management of health and safety in general, management of psychosocial risks and also the participation of workers.
With separate interviews directed at managers and at health and safety representatives, ESENER involves close on 36,000 telephone interviews, covering private and public sector establishments with ten or more employees in the 27 EU Member States, as well as Croatia, Turkey, Norway and Switzerland.
About the mapping tool
By clicking on one of the links on the left you can view a list of questions from ESENER for each of the section headings (number of questions in each section is in brackets). Click on any of the questions to view a map and a chart showing the results by country – you can then choose to see the results broken down by sector or size of establishment. You can download the data from any of the charts by clicking on the Excel link that appears next to the map and you can view the results for just one country by clicking it on the map.
The mapping tool only includes questions that were asked to all respondents in the managers’ survey as these are the ones for which results can be compared directly between countries. The mapping tool does not show results from questions that require more analysis before they can be compared:
- 'Filtered questions', which are only asked if a particular answer is given in a preceding question
- Questions from the health and safety representatives' surveys, which could only be carried out in a subset of the establishments
In all, the mapping tool presents results from 29 of the 45 'content' questions in the management survey (questions that had multiple response options are listed separately in the drop-down menu). If you would like to see all of the questions that were asked in both the management and health and safety representative surveys, you can download the questionnaires. Further analyses and results are available in the reports.
- MM1501 What health and safety services do you use, be it in-house or contracted externally? An occupational health physician
- MM1502 What health and safety services do you use, be it in-house or contracted externally? A safety expert
- MM1503 What health and safety services do you use, be it in-house or contracted externally? A psychologist
- MM1504 What health and safety services do you use, be it in-house or contracted externally? An ergonomics expert, dealing with the set up of workstations
- MM1505 What health and safety services do you use, be it in-house or contracted externally? A general health and safety consultancy
- MM152 Does your establishment routinely analyse the causes of sickness absence?
- MM153 Do you take measures to support employees’ return to work following long-term sickness absence?
- MM154 Is the health of employees monitored through regular medical examinations?
- MM155 Is there a documented policy, established management system or action plan on health and safety in your establishment?
- MM158 Are health and safety issues raised in high level management meetings regularly, occasionally or practically never?
- MM159 Overall, how would you rate the degree of involvement of line managers and supervisors in the management of health and safety? Is it very high, quite high, quite low or very low?
- MM161 Are workplaces in your establishment regularly checked for health and safety as part of a risk assessment or similar measure?
- MM170 Has a Health and Safety Inspector visited this workplace in the last 3 years in order to check health and safety conditions?
- MM1711 In your establishment, how important are the following reasons for addressing health and safety? For each one, please tell me whether it is a major reason, a minor reason or not a reason at all. To fulfill our legal obligations
- MM1712 In your establishment, how important are the following reasons for addressing health and safety? For each one, please tell me whether it is a major reason, a minor reason or not a reason at all. Requests from employees or their representatives
- MM1713 In your establishment, how important are the following reasons for addressing health and safety? For each one, please tell me whether it is a major reason, a minor reason or not a reason at all. Staff retention and absence management
- MM1714 In your establishment, how important are the following reasons for addressing health and safety? For each one, please tell me whether it is a major reason, a minor reason or not a reason at all. Economic or performance-related reasons
- MM1715 In your establishment, how important are the following reasons for addressing health and safety? For each one, please tell me whether it is a major reason, a minor reason or not a reason at all. Requirements from clients or concern about the organisation’s reputation
- MM1716 In your establishment, how important are the following reasons for addressing health and safety? For each one, please tell me whether it is a major reason, a minor reason or not a reason at all. Pressure from the Health and Safety Executive
- MM1721 In your establishment, what are the main difficulties in dealing with health and safety? Please tell me for each of the following whether it is a major difficulty, a minor difficulty, or not a difficulty at all. A lack of resources such as time, staff or money
- MM1722 In your establishment, what are the main difficulties in dealing with health and safety? Please tell me for each of the following whether it is a major difficulty, a minor difficulty, or not a difficulty at all. A lack of awareness
- MM1723 In your establishment, what are the main difficulties in dealing with health and safety? Please tell me for each of the following whether it is a major difficulty, a minor difficulty, or not a difficulty at all. A lack of expertise
- MM1724 In your establishment, what are the main difficulties in dealing with health and safety? Please tell me for each of the following whether it is a major difficulty, a minor difficulty, or not a difficulty at all. A lack of technical support or guidance
- MM1725 In your establishment, what are the main difficulties in dealing with health and safety? Please tell me for each of the following whether it is a major difficulty, a minor difficulty, or not a difficulty at all. The culture within the establishment
- MM1726 In your establishment, what are the main difficulties in dealing with health and safety? Please tell me for each of the following whether it is a major difficulty, a minor difficulty, or not a difficulty at all. The sensitivity of the issue
- MM1731 Has your establishment used health and safety information from any of the following bodies or institutions? Official institutes for health and safety at work
- MM1732 Has your establishment used health and safety information from any of the following bodies or institutions? The European Agency for safety and health at work
- MM1733 Has your establishment used health and safety information from any of the following bodies or institutions? In-house health and safety services
- MM1734 Has your establishment used health and safety information from any of the following bodies or institutions? The Labour Inspectorate
- MM1735 Has your establishment used health and safety information from any of the following bodies or institutions? Employers’ organisations
- MM1736 Has your establishment used health and safety information from any of the following bodies or institutions? Trade unions
- MM1737 Has your establishment used health and safety information from any of the following bodies or institutions? Contracted health and safety experts
- MM1738 Has your establishment used health and safety information from any of the following bodies or institutions? Insurance providers
- MM175 Are you aware of the European Week for safety and health at work?
- MM2001 For each of the following issues, please tell me whether it is of major concern, some concern or no concern at all in your establishment. Dangerous substances (Int.: explain if necessary: e.g. dusts, chemical, biological or radioactive)
- MM2002 For each of the following issues, please tell me whether it is of major concern, some concern or no concern at all in your establishment. Accidents
- MM2003 For each of the following issues, please tell me whether it is of major concern, some concern or no concern at all in your establishment. Noise and vibration
- MM2004 For each of the following issues, please tell me whether it is of major concern, some concern or no concern at all in your establishment. Musculoskeletal disorders such as pain in the back, neck, arms or legs
- MM2005 For each of the following issues, please tell me whether it is of major concern, some concern or no concern at all in your establishment. Work-related stress
- MM2006 For each of the following issues, please tell me whether it is of major concern, some concern or no concern at all in your establishment. Violence or threat of violence
- MM2007 For each of the following issues, please tell me whether it is of major concern, some concern or no concern at all in your establishment. Bullying or harassment, i.e. abuse, humiliation or assault by colleagues or superiors
- MM2021 Several factors can contribute to stress, violence and harassment at work; they concern the way work is organised and are often referred to as ‘psychosocial risks’. Please tell me whether any of the following psychosocial risks are a concern in your establishment. Time pressure
- MM20210 Several factors can contribute to stress, violence and harassment at work; they concern the way work is organised and are often referred to as ‘psychosocial risks’. Please tell me whether any of the following psychosocial risks are a concern in your establishment. Discrimination (for example due to gender, age or ethnicity)
- MM2022 Several factors can contribute to stress, violence and harassment at work; they concern the way work is organised and are often referred to as ‘psychosocial risks’. Please tell me whether any of the following psychosocial risks are a concern in your establishment. Poor communication between management and employees
- MM2023 Several factors can contribute to stress, violence and harassment at work; they concern the way work is organised and are often referred to as ‘psychosocial risks’. Please tell me whether any of the following psychosocial risks are a concern in your establishment. Poor co-operation amongst colleagues
- MM2024 Several factors can contribute to stress, violence and harassment at work; they concern the way work is organised and are often referred to as ‘psychosocial risks’. Please tell me whether any of the following psychosocial risks are a concern in your establishment. Lack of control for employees about how they organise their work
- MM2025 Several factors can contribute to stress, violence and harassment at work; they concern the way work is organised and are often referred to as ‘psychosocial risks’. Please tell me whether any of the following psychosocial risks are a concern in your establishment. Job insecurity
- MM2026 Several factors can contribute to stress, violence and harassment at work; they concern the way work is organised and are often referred to as ‘psychosocial risks’. Please tell me whether any of the following psychosocial risks are a concern in your establishment. Having to deal with difficult customers, patients, pupils etc.
- MM2027 Several factors can contribute to stress, violence and harassment at work; they concern the way work is organised and are often referred to as ‘psychosocial risks’. Please tell me whether any of the following psychosocial risks are a concern in your establishment. Problems with supervisor – employee relationships
- MM2028 Several factors can contribute to stress, violence and harassment at work; they concern the way work is organised and are often referred to as ‘psychosocial risks’. Please tell me whether any of the following psychosocial risks are a concern in your establishment. Long or irregular working hours
- MM2029 Several factors can contribute to stress, violence and harassment at work; they concern the way work is organised and are often referred to as ‘psychosocial risks’. Please tell me whether any of the following psychosocial risks are a concern in your establishment. An unclear human resources policy
- MM250 Does your establishment have a procedure to deal with work-related stress?
- MM251 Is there a procedure in place to deal with bullying or harassment?
- MM252 And do you have a procedure to deal with work-related violence?
- MM2531 In the last 3 years, has your establishment used any of the following measures to deal with psychosocial risks? Changes to the way work is organised
- MM2532 In the last 3 years, has your establishment used any of the following measures to deal with psychosocial risks? A redesign of the work area
- MM2533 In the last 3 years, has your establishment used any of the following measures to deal with psychosocial risks? Confidential counselling for employees
- MM2534 In the last 3 years, has your establishment used any of the following measures to deal with psychosocial risks? Establishment of a conflict resolution procedure
- MM2535 In the last 3 years, has your establishment used any of the following measures to deal with psychosocial risks? Changes to working time arrangements
- MM2536 In the last 3 years, has your establishment used any of the following measures to deal with psychosocial risks? Provision of training
- MM256 Does your establishment take action if individual employees work excessively long or irregular hours?
- MM259 Do you inform employees about psychosocial risks and their effect on health and safety?
- MM260 Are employees informed about whom to address in case of work-related psychosocial problems?
- MM300 Compared to other health and safety issues: Is it more difficult to tackle psychosocial risks, is it less difficult, or is there no difference?
- MM302 Have you used information or support from external sources on how to deal with psychosocial risks at work?
- MM303a Do you think you would need any additional information or support on this issue?
- MM350 Do you have a Joint Consultative Committee, Employee Forum or equivalent body in this establishment?
- MM351 And is there a recognised workplace trade union representative in your establishment?
- MM355 Does your establishment have a health and safety representative?
- MM355NL Is there a member of the {health and safety representative}* in this establishment?
- MM358 Is there a health and safety committee in your establishment?
- General health and safety management in the establishment (34)
- Health and safety risks in the establishment (17)
- Management of psychosocial risks in the establishment (12)
- Barriers for psychosocial risk management and existing support (3)
- Formal employee representation in OSH issues (5)
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