ILO Report Ties Workplace Psychosocial Hazards to Over 840,000 Annual Deaths

Geneva — Cardiovascular disease and mental health disorders stemming from on-the-job psychosocial risk factors may contribute to hundreds of thousands of worker deaths each year, according to recent International Labor Organization research reported by Safety+Health Magazine. A team examined work design, organization and management, and the policies and procedures that govern work for the report titled The psychosocial working environment: Global developments and pathways for action.

Identified Psychosocial Hazards

The researchers identified several psychosocial hazards, including job strain, an imbalance between effort and reward, job insecurity, long working hours, and bullying and harassment. Adverse health conditions related to these hazards were responsible for over 840,000 worker deaths annually, according to Safety+Health Magazine.

Manal Azzi, team lead on OSH policy and systems at ILO, stated in a video associated with the report that the deaths resulted from pressures at work rather than physical accidents such as falls from height. Long working hours were specifically associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. ILO reports that 35% of employees work more than 48 hours a week.

Prevalence of Workplace Violence and Harassment

The team found that 23% of workers have experienced at least one form of workplace violence or harassment in their careers. Assessing risks and preventing them from growing is the central objective for employers, the researchers said.

They recommend prioritizing organizational interventions such as workload management and immediate intervention for cases of harassment and violence. Although not all psychosocial hazards can be fully eliminated, the associated risks can often be reduced by improving work design, organization and management, the report states.

Recommendations and Broader Impacts

This includes reviewing workload, task allocation, supervision and other elements of the working environment while strengthening workers’ capacity to recognize and respond to risks. In a press release, Azzi added that psychosocial risks are becoming one of the most significant challenges for occupational safety and health in the modern world of work, according to Safety+Health Magazine.

Improving the psychosocial working environment is essential not only for protecting workers’ mental and physical health, but also for strengthening productivity, organizational performance and sustainable economic development, Azzi stated.