[A review of measures taken to improve organizational wellbeing in Italy]. / Rassegna di interventi realizzati per il miglioramento del benessere organizzativo in Italia.

INTRODUCTION: The Italian Decree Law D. Lgs. no. 81 dated 9 April 2008, dealing with the implementation of Article 1 of Law No. 123 dated 3 August 2007, on the topic of health and safety in the workplace, indicated that work-related stress (art. 28, section 1) was to be assessed in accordance with the European Agreement of 8 October 2004. It recalled the employer's legal obligation to safeguard workers' health and safety, and included psychosocial risk, in order to improve their wellbeing at work. The Decree Law specified that when risks had been assessed the employer could take all necessary measures, with reference to the "good practice", defined in the Law as organizational or procedural solutions coherent with current regulations and good technical rules, adopted voluntarily with the aim of promoting safety and health in the workplace by reducing risk and improving working conditions [...]" (art. 2, section 1 v); the practical solutions identified were to aim at eliminating, or at least reducing, psychosocial risk in the enterprise. METHOD: On the basis of the studies most widely accepted in Europe and the indications issued by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, we identified the good practice measures adopted by companies in Italy and other countries. The aim was to make known some of the practical solutions regarding psychosocial risk that companies can put in place with a view to improving their workers' health and wellbeing. RESULTS: We examined measures related to the content and context of work. Measures affecting the work content mainly involved the workplace itself and equipment, work planning and working hours. For the work context the measures centered mostly on organizational function and culture, career progress, and home/work interface. CONCLUSIONS: In accordance with good safety practice, the practical measures taken by the enterprises examined cantered on some potentially stressful features of work, indicating the growing attention being paid to workers' wellbeing. However, organizational wellbeing is a multifaceted concept and the European Agency points out that measures taken must cover all the aspects of the work that appear particularly critical in risk assessment; from the primary prevention viewpoint, this means all the organizational aspects that might affect a person's wellbeing. As we become increasingly aware of the problems, and of the measures that have proved successful, it is to be hoped that further solutions will be identified and developed in organizations.

Occupational health and safety policy and psychosocial risks in Europe: the role of stakeholders' perceptions.

INTRODUCTION: Psychosocial risks are now largely acknowledged throughout Europe as important challenges in occupational health and safety. However, there appear to be wide gaps in perception between experts and the general population on the nature and the relevance of psychosocial risks that have a potential impact on policy development and implementation in this area. METHODS: This study investigated the level of knowledge among European stakeholders, of legislation on occupational safety and health, focusing particularly on psychosocial risk factors. 75 members of employers' associations, trade unions and government institutions from 21 countries in the European Union (EU) participated in the study. In addition, to further elaborate the findings of the survey, focus groups were organised during a 2-day stakeholder workshop. RESULTS: The level of application of European Directive 89/391 for the assessment and management of psychosocial risks and work-related stress was largely reported by the stakeholders as inadequate. This opinion was more marked in the new EU27 countries than the older EU15, and the difference was significant as regards the impact of the Directive on the assessment and management of psychosocial risks. Overall, psychosocial risks and work-related stress were reported to be important occupational health and safety concerns; however there were important differences among stakeholders in different countries. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the development of knowledge and activities on both the policy and practice levels in recent years, further work is still needed to harmonize stakeholder perceptions in this area in the various EU member states.

Life styles, anxiety, expertise: the perception of risk from electromagnetic fields.

INTRODUCTION: This study analyzed the effect of expertise, by comparing the opinions of groups of "experts" and "non-experts" on the so-called "classic" risks and on the risks from exposure to electromagnetic fields. METHODS: A protocol comprising personal history questionnaires, including lifestyle details, STAI-Y, and two rating scales based on the "psychometric paradigm" was administered to 48 people, 22 experts on these risks and 26 non-experts. The findings were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance, exploratory factor, correlational and bivariate regression analysis. RESULTS: Significant differences emerged between the perceptions of the two groups, though the underlying qualitative dimensions were similar. Bivariate regression analysis showed that both state and trait anxiety exert a statistically significant effect on some risks, both classic and related to electromagnetic fields exposure. CONCLUSIONS: This study displayed the role of expertise in risk perception processes, giving indications on the relationships between anxiety and risk perception. On the basis of the available data it is concluded that people prone to anxiety and individual emotional states filter the perception of risk arising from activities, technologies, substances etc. included in the present study.

[The assessment of work-related stress in micro and small enterprises: a validation study of the instrument "CSL" (checklist on job-related stress)]. / La valutazione dello Stress Lavoro-correlato nelle micro e piccole imprese: uno studio di validazione dello strumento "CSL" (checklist sullo stress Lavoro-correlato).

INTRODUCTION: Many studies investigated the importance of a correct assessment of work-related stress because of its large effects on work planning and work management. The aim of the present study is to demonstrate the psychometric validity of the CSL Checklist questionnaire for the assessment of work related stress regarding micro and small enterprises. This tool has been conceived to investigate the perception of stress in the workplace by workers. METHOD: The questionnaire has been submitted to 1033 workers belonging to 136 firms differentiated by production sectors and sizes. In order to conduct these analysis, objective data were considered too. RESULTS: The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and the Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), present three factors with a good internal consistency and reliability: "Organizational Culture" (alpha = .84), "Workload" (alpha = .76), and "Quality of relations and support" (alpha = .79). The Structural Equation Modelling confirms the goodness of the factorial solution (NNFI = 0,98; CFI = 0,99; RMSEA = 0,076). Good relations between the CSL dimensions and the organizational indicators have been observed (p < 0.01). Finally, the logistic regression shows how the Organizational Culture and Workload are good predictors of some of the organizational indicators like use of Proctective Equipment at Work and the number of work accidents. CONCLUSIONS: Psychometric qualities of the CSL questionnaire are good. The CSL is a short and simple tool, useful to assess work-related stress regarding micro and small enterprises.