Risk assessment of psychological stress in the workplace
Risk assessment of psychological stress in the workplace
In the area of so-called "psychological hazards", we also support companies in identifying the causes of possible psychological stress in the workplace using structured surveys.
The psychological risk assessment according to the Occupational Safety and Health Act § 5
Since January 1, 2014, it has been mandatory for companies – regardless of the number of employees – to carry out an assessment of psychological risks in the workplace.
The legal requirements are based on the Occupational Safety and Health Act §5.6 (Link to the Federal MinistryImplementation thus guarantees legal certainty and reduces risks.
The contents of the implementation are defined by the Trade Inspectorate. The recommendations of the GDA (Joint German occupational health and safety strategy), the BAUA (Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) as well as the individual professional associations and social insurance providers, which are increasingly demanding proof.
Process of risk assessment
Companies are regularly inspected by both trade supervisory authorities and accident insurance providers. Failure to comply with the requirements currently carries the threat of monetary penalties in Germany, and repeated failure to comply is considered a criminal offense. If an employee falls ill or takes early retirement, the insurance provider may make claims for compensation. In this case, not only the employer is liable, but also the direct supervisor!
On the one hand, the external framework conditions such as the entire business model, guidelines, employee management, physical influences (noise, light, etc.) and, on the other hand, internal framework conditions such as communication, (intrinsic) motivation, corporate values or appreciation are analyzed.
Contents & Objectives the risk assessment
People as the driving force of the company
In addition to the analysis of risk factors, the PGB focuses on improving psychosocial conditions in the workplace.
The aim is to identify hazards in the workplace at an early stage and to counteract them preventively, i.e. before health problems or accidents occur. Both the external working conditions and the individual behavior of employees are analyzed.
Since the psychological willingness of employees to perform – regardless of the industry – plays just as important a role as their physical constitution, the success of further developments or restructuring of a company as well as the further training of employees is only successful if they are optimally tailored to the skills and needs of the individual teams.
Sustainable measures can not only reduce the number of sick days, but also increase the profitability and attractiveness of the company and thus the motivation and creativity of the employees as well as their loyalty to the company and thus contribute to the success of the company.
Process of psychological risk assessment
- Preparation: Conception and planning: Recording the current situation, formal project preparation, definition of workplace categories, analysis of individual characteristics and their relevance
- Analysis:
- Investigation of psychological stress within the individual job categories according to specifications
- Evaluation of the results
- Development of measures
- Ensuring sustainability
- Review of measures
- Setting for updates
- Summary and evaluation
The risk assessment of psychological stress in the workplace is to be understood as a process. The scope of the implementation includes not only the analysis, but also measures and their consistent implementation to improve the psychosocial stress and avoid risks. A new review is particularly useful when new activities are started, significant changes occur, incidents occur or legal regulations are changed.
After completing all sub-steps, it is therefore advisable to repeat the entire process at regular intervals to ensure that the measures are adapted to the current changes in the company and are also installed and implemented sustainably.
Costs for a psychological risk assessment
The costs for the psychological risk assessment in a company depend on the following factors:
- Do you carry out the audit internally with one or more employees or with an external service provider?
- If you want to carry out the PGB internally, employees must be trained on this topic. How high are the start-up costs for the qualification and exemption?
- If you want to conduct the PGB with an external service provider, do you need a consultant, a moderator or a full-service provider? What daily rate do your external service providers charge?
- Do you need software for documentation?
- How many job categories need to be analyzed and evaluated?
We would be happy to support you in the conception, calculation and implementation of an analysis as well as subsequent, targeted measures.