Stress, alcohol and drugs, violence (both physical and psychological), HIV/AIDS and tobacco all lead to health-related problems for the worker and lower productivity for the enterprise. Taken together they represent a major cause of accidents, fatal injuries, disease and absenteeism at work in both industrialized and developing countries. These problems may emerge due to the interaction between home and work, they may start at work and be carried home or outside work or vice versa.
Each of the above-mentioned psychosocial problems may be a causal factor for the others and may be an end result or find its roots among them. For example, if a worker has an inadequate knowledge of HIV/AIDS, he or she may fear being infected by casual contact. This fear may lead to stress, lead to psychological or physical violence (such as bullying or mobbing), drive a worker towards abusing drugs, alcohol or tobacco. It may also lead to stigmatization and discrimination against the HIV-positive individual and subsequently trigger aggression or actual violent behaviour.
Organizations or enterprises often develop, publish or disseminate one or more strategy documents addressing a psychosocial problem. Because these documents are written in isolation, without taking into account the negative synergy of other psychosocial factors, their effect is diminished. There is a need for a common, comprehensive policy that would enable the development and implementation of mutually reinforcing strategies. This statement must go beyond the psychosocial problems and include everyday matters affecting work. The policy statement should address issues such as prevention, empowerment, worker involvement, treatment, confidentiality, provision of information, training and education, and non-discrimination. Support from top management to signal ongoing concern and commitment is essential. Thus when the managing director, president, or chairperson supports and signs such a policy document, the strategy acquires status and becomes stronger and more firmly rooted in the organizational structure.
How does an organization or enterprise develop the knowledge and capacity to develop such a comprehensive policy document? The ILO programme working with occupational safety and health issues, SafeWork, has developed an educational methodology addressing the management of psychosocial problems at work. Known as SOLVE, the initial 40-hour (five-day) course is designed to provide participants with the necessary knowledge and skills to develop an organization-wide policy on how to manage stress, alcohol and drugs, violence, HIV-AIDS and tobacco. To date, SOLVE policy-level workshops have been carried out in Turin (Italy), Penang and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Chennai (India) and Windhoek (Namibia).
To carry out SOLVE at the national level, ILO SafeWork collaborates with designated national institutions that have the capacity to deal with psychosocial problems at work and an organizational structure to support SOLVE-related educational activities. National facilitating agencies currently include the University of Namibia, The Malaysian National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, the University Sains Malaysia (Penang), the (US) National Safety Council and the T.T. Ranganathan Clinical Research Foundation in India. An educational programme designed to equip national facilitators with the capacity to organize and implement SOLVE was held at the ILO International Training Centre in Turin, Italy in April 2002.
For more information on SOLVE, please contact Dr. David Gold at gold@ilo.org or visit the ILO website www.ilo.org/safework. A more detailed article is forthcoming in Asian-Pacific Newsletter on Occupational Health and Safety, Number 1, 2002.
Carin Håkansta,
ILO SafeWork
4, Route des Morillons
1211 Geneva 22
Switzerland
Tel: +41-22-7997910
Fax: +41-22-7996878
E-mail:hakansta@ilo.org
David Gold
ILO, SafeWork
4, Route des Morillons
1211 Geneva 22
Switzerland
Tel: +41-22-7996183
Fax:+41-22-7996878
E-mail:gold@ilo.org