Developing the Management Standards Approach …

1 health and Safety Executive Developing the Management Standards Approach within the context of common health problems in the workplace A Delphi Study Prepared by the University of Nottingham for the health and Safety Executive 2009 RR687 Research Report health and Safety Executive Developing the Management Standards Approach within the context of common health problems in the workplace A Delphi Study Tom Cox Maria Karanika-Murray Amanda Griffiths Yee Yin Vida Wong Claire Hardy Institute of Work, health & Organisations University of Nottingham Nottingham NG7 2RD The primary objective of the research reported here is to provide evidence, arguments and recommendations in relation to the development of a more unified framework for the health & Safety Executive s programme on health , Work and Wellbeing.

2 Essentially, it is to answer the key question can the Management Standards Approach be used more widely to address the most common health problems at work? In order to answer this question, a better understanding of the current strengths and weaknesses of the Management Standards Approach and its potential had to be developed. The identified information needs have been addressed using a Delphi methodology, framed by a focussed review of the relevant scientific and professional literatures, to elicit, harvest and explore expert knowledge in this area.

3 The programme of work took six months to complete starting in March 2008 and finishing in September 2008. This report and the work it describes were funded by the health and Safety Executive (HSE). Its contents, including any opinions and/or conclusions expressed, are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect HSE policy. HSE Books Crown copyright 2009 First published 2009 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

4 Applications for reproduction should be made in writing to: Licensing Division, Her Majesty s Stationery Office, St Clements House, 2-16 Colegate, Norwich NR3 1BQ or by e-mail to ii The Institute of Work, health & Organisations, University of Nottingham This report outlines the key findings of the health & Safety Executive Contract Research No. 3859 Developing the Management Standards Approach within the Context of Common health Problems in the Workplace: A Delphi Study carried out by the Institute of Work, health & Organisations.

5 The Institute is an international postgraduate research school at the University of Nottingham. It is one of the UK s four Collaborative Centres in Occupational health of the World health Organisation, and is a leading contributor to the European Agency for Safety & health at Work s programme. The Institute specialises in organisational psychology and occupational health , and has particular expertise in risk Management for work and organisational factors. Over the last 18 years, the Institute has received substantial funding from the health & Safety Executive for research into the assessment and Management of risks to work-related health , which has substantially informed health & Safety Executive s policy and guidance in this area.

6 As internationally recognised experts in occupational health , Tom Cox and Amanda Griffiths have led this long-standing programme of work. Maria Karanika-Murray contributes to this team with her expertise in risk assessment, work-related health , and related methodological issues. Acknowledgements The authors acknowledge the support of the health & Safety Executive which commissioned and funded the research. Specifically, we are thankful for the support of Colin MacKay, Simon Armitage, Penny Barker, Simon Webster and David Palferman.

7 The authors are grateful to the experts who contributed to the study and shared their experiences and views with the researchers in an open and constructive way. In particular, the research team would like to thank Andrew Auty, George Bauer, Sebastiano Bagnara, Denise Bertuchi, Steve Boorman, Emma Donaldson-Feilder, Michael Ertel, Kaj Frick, Richard Graveling, Bill Gunnyeon, Margaret Hanson, Richard Heron, Thomas Kieselbach, Michiel Kompier, Karl Kuhn, Paul Litchfield, Michael O'Donnell, Daniel Podg rski, Jon Richards, Stephen Stansfeld, Belinda Walsh, Andrew Weyman, Maria Widerszal-Bazyl, Nerys Williams.

8 Richard Wynne and Gerard Zwetsloot for their invaluable insights and their constructive observations. We would also like to thank those who lent their views but elected not to appear in this list of acknowledgements. The team would also like to thank Helen Wheeler and Sara Cox for their support during the conduct of the research and comments in the preparation of the report. iii iv CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .. 1 1. INTRODUCTION .. 7 Background .. 7 The Management Standards Approach to Work-Related Stress .. 7 Widening the Application of the Management Standards 8 Economic Considerations.

9 8 Future Developments and Needs ..8 Policy Context ..9 Research Objectives ..9 Outline of the Report ..10 2. WHAT IS KNOWN ABOUT THE Management Standards Approach AND COMMON WORK- RELATED health PROBLEMS? ..11 Review of the Scientific and Grey Literatures ..11 The Management Standards Approach ..12 The Indicator Tool ..13 Strengths and Weaknesses ..14 The risk Management Approach ..14 The Management Standards Approach ..15 What are the Most Common health Problems at Work?..16 Musculoskeletal disorders ..16 Occupational mental Do the most common health problems at work require separate approaches to their Management ?

10 17 Summary ..19 3. THE DELPHI STUDY: METHODOLOGY ..21 The Delphi Approach ..21 Panellists ..22 Delphi Questions ..23 Procedure ..24 4. RESULTS ..25 Delphi Round Common work-related health Current use of the Management Standards Approach ..26 Using the Management Standards for other common health problems at work ..33 Other issues ..37 Summary of Delphi Round 1 findings ..41 Delphi Round Developing a more positive Approach ..44 Optimum organisational size ..46 Specific changes ..47 Integrating public and occupational health .