Documents Partnership for European Research in Occupatioanl Safety and Health 3 results

"Background
The COVID-19 pandemic has placed a great strain on working life and the work environment. This report has compiled interviews and research on how different countries dealt with the challenges they faced in connection with the pandemic. How the different countries chose to act during the pandemic and the background to their decisions, what consequences the pandemic had for working life and what considerations should be made in preparing for a future crisis.

Results
Lessons and recommendations for future crises:
Workplaces as transmission environments: The pandemic showed that workplaces are not only vulnerable to the spread of infection – they can also amplify it. Therefore, contingency plans must include workplace-specific strategies.
Strengthened prevention work: There is a need to strengthen infection control systems within the framework of continuous work environment work. This means investing in preventive infrastructure, clear routines and common hygiene standards in all sectors.
Open communication: Clear and rapid information is crucial to gaining acceptance for protective measures. Trust is built through proactive dialogue, which is a key to safer and more resilient work environments.
Better data management: Improved systems for collecting, collating and analyzing work environment data are crucial. This enables knowledge-based decisions during crises and supports targeted interventions.
Collaboration between disciplines: Effective future measures require collaboration between different areas of expertise – occupational health, public health, behavioral science and communication – to ensure well-coordinated efforts.
Guidelines for remote and hybrid work: Guidelines should be developed that ensure flexible, inclusive and health-supportive forms of work in the event of disruptions.
Long-term resilience: There is a great need for investments in the long-term resilience of society and workplaces. This requires inclusive dialogue between parties, capacity development and robust crisis management structures.
PEROSH's role going forward: In future crises, PEROSH can play an important role in supporting researchers and experts in the field of work environment.
The countries that participated in the work are Austria, Germany, England, the Netherlands, Poland, France and Sweden."

"This joint scientific report presents the Algorithmic Management and AI-based systems (ALMA-AI) project results. Launched within the Partnership for European Research in Occupational Safety and Health (PEROSH), the project focused on the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) implications of using complex digital technologies for worker management.
The introductory chapter describes the comprehensive literature review methodology, but also the scientific and practical relevance of the topic, as well as the background and objective of the ALMA-AI project, a collaborative effort that involved 18 researchers from eight national OSH institutes, alongside four experts from EU institutions as project advisers.
The subsequent chapter explains the project's theoretical approach, covering both the conceptualisation of ‘Algorithmic Management' (ALMA) and the psychosocial factors approach used to understand this emerging trend in the world of work. To this end, several assumptions and definitions from well-known theoretical models on psychosocial risks (Demand-Control-Support, Effort-Reward-Imbalance, and especially Job Demands-Resources) have been explained to delve into OSH implications, particularly focusing on the negative consequences of stress or burnout, as well as its potential positive outcomes, such as engagement or well-being.
Thereafter, the chapter on OSH implications and concerns presents previous relevant findings from cutting-edge institutions on the topic (EU-OSHA, JRC, ILO, OECD), highlighting the increasing prevalence of ALMA, but also outlining the main risks sources identified in the literature, such as those psychosocial by definition (intensification of work, restriction of worker autonomy or social isolation) as well as other related to the use of great amount of data (dehumanisation and datafication, technical malfunctions, or discrimination and privacy as fundamental rights issues).
The final chapters are dedicated to presenting results, main conclusions and a discussion on new evidence from 2022 to 2024 (total of 39 selected scientific papers and reports) concerning OSH implications of ALMA. Specifically, it is emphasized that psychosocial pressures (excessive workload and time-lined efforts) are propelled by this new form of work organisation, as algorithms or AI are applied for worker management today, but also the constraints of workers' resources are underlined (control and decrease of social interactions). This OSH impairment, in which job demands surpass workers´ resources, intensifies psychosocial risks (stress, burnout, violence or harassment) as well as health issues (anxiety, depression, fatigue or accidents)."

"In line with the EU2020 Strategy for smart, inclusive and sustainable growth, one of the aims of the PEROSH research is to contribute to healthy, safe, innovative and sustainable workplaces, and in keeping people healthy and longer at work. Identification of the research needs and expected outcomes is important to keep abreast of the emerging trends and risks in this field.

The consultation of the member institutes led to the prioritisation of seven main research challenges that are significantly prevalent and innovative in terms of preventing ill health and occupational accidents.

Particular challenges are the rapid ageing of the labour market population and that workers face longer working careers. At the same time, many workers leave the labour market prematurely due to disability and ill health. The working conditions of an ageing workforce and strategies to improve and retain fitness, as well as adequate return-to-work programmes should receive greater attention. Musculoskeletal disorders are the main occupational disease category affecting the European workers, and are amongst the most significant causes of sickness absence. Moreover, psychosocial risks are on the rise throughout Europe due to rapid changes in the nature of work and organisations and the growing competition on the global market.

The emergence and development of new technologies such as information and communication technology solutions, robotics and nanotechnologies, have lots of potential for new preventive solutions, changing working conditions and the workplace environment. At the same time, they can lead to new risks to workers and overrule known solutions. As nanotechnology applications and use expand very rapidly, safety of emerging nanomaterials should be integrated as quickly as possible. A European position in these fields is required to understand these complexities, and anticipate the opportunities and consequences of implementation in a coordinated manner.

There is also a need for effective prevention of accidents at work, particularly among vulnerable groups and in small and medium-sized enterprises. The integration of a ‘safety culture' and a ‘zero accident vision' in European enterprises and organisations can have positive impacts on OSH management. Research should thus contribute to a positive safety culture in enterprises.

The PEROSH members will continue to proactively cooperate along these lines to further enhance European evidence-based research collaboration on the current and future working environment. A proactive identification of new areas of focus for research and development, and the analysis of themes in which European strategic partnerships can be enhanced, are necessary to be able to overcome future challenges. "