According to the GDA guideline and the applicable German Occupational Safety and Health Act, seven steps are required to carry out a risk assessment. These are the same as those used for a physical risk assessment, although they are implemented differently in both theory and practice.
Table of Contents
1. Define the area to be analysed
To organise the risk assessment, it is advisable to divide the company according to its size and the requirements of its activities, distribute the assessment work among several people and complete it within the specified period. Dividing the organisation into work areas is a useful approach.
The activities are then assigned to the relevant work areas. Similar activities may be grouped together, but each group is assessed separately.
- workplaces where all employees are exposed to the same psychological workload,
- groups of activities where different or additional psychological demands occur in the workplace (e.g. savings banks or prisons),
- organisational units and work areas (e.g. highways departments, administrative departments or agricultural offices),
- employees requiring particular protection and specific occupational groups (e.g. apprentices, pregnant employees or workplaces where there is a risk of physical or verbal assault, such as job centres).
Beforehand, a decision must be made as to whether the psychological risk assessment will cover the entire company or initially be conducted as a pilot project in a selected area with a particularly high psychological workload.
2. Identifying the workload
The systematic assessment of psychological workload records all work-related factors, both negative and positive. In occupational science, the term ‘workload’ is a neutral concept.
Five categories of characteristics are distinguished, with the relevant workload factors assigned to each. Depending on their nature and extent, these factors are either demands that employees must cope with or supportive resources. The five categories are:
- work organisation,
- work tasks,
- social relationships,
- new forms of work,
- work equipment and the working environment.
3. Assessing the workload
Once the psychological workload factors have been identified, the next step is to assess them. The central questions are whether positive characteristics are already present, whether a hazard requires measures to reduce it and, if so, which measures are suitable. The assessment and the chosen approach should be objectively justified and transparent.
The workload factors are examined to determine whether their duration, intensity and combined effect result in an acceptable residual risk or whether immediate action is required. The potential risk can only be estimated rather than determined precisely because of the various factors that need to be considered. Important criteria for assessing the potential risk include the current state of occupational medicine and technology, as well as established findings from occupational science.
The assessment then compares the current situation with the target situation. The target situation is described in the general principles of Section 4 of the German Occupational Safety and Health Act (ArbSchG). Accordingly, hazards must be addressed at their source, and technical and organisational measures must take priority over individual protective measures.
The assessment should follow this structure:
- assessment based on reference values,
- assessment based on requirements defined by the selected method,
- assessment in a workshop.
The questionnaire results can then be compared with reference values from across Germany.
4. Developing and implementing measures
Measures to reduce psychological workload are then derived from the results and implemented. It is advisable to involve the relevant stakeholders (‘decision-makers’) who are responsible for the measures, so that they are informed about the main problem areas and the possible consequences for employees' health.
It should also be ensured beforehand that the analysis has identified the precise causes of psychological workload and therefore provides the necessary depth of insight. Measures can only be developed once the causes of the workload factors are clear.
Measures should also be developed step by step as follows:
Define priorities
The workload factors are assessed using specific categories (e.g. feasibility, urgency and the number of people affected) and prioritised accordingly.
Describe positive and negative factors
Effective measures can only be developed by clearly defining the workload factors, their causes and their effects on health. Positive areas should also be considered and may be transferable to other departments.
Effectiveness of the measures
Measures that change working conditions (structures, processes, organisation and activities) should always take precedence over measures aimed at individuals. A stress management seminar does not change the working conditions that cause the stress.
Number of measures required
A small number of measures implemented thoroughly and consistently are often more effective than many measures carried out simultaneously. Measures that benefit as many employees as possible should always take priority.
Scheduling
Each step required to implement the measures must be scheduled, given a specific deadline and assigned to a responsible person.
5. Checking effectiveness
Managers can determine whether the measures introduced have been successful by checking their effectiveness. This check takes place in three stages:
- checking whether the measures were implemented,
- checking whether the measures had a positive effect on the workload factors and whether the intended objective was achieved,
- checking how the measures affected employees' health and safety.
Because some measures only take effect in the medium or long term, their effectiveness should only be reviewed after a specified period has elapsed. The review must be carried out by a competent person and the approach must be transparent. Effectiveness can be checked through workshops, short surveys of employees and managers, and a before-and-after analysis with an assessment.
6. Repeating the risk assessment to keep it up to date
The world of work is changing rapidly, requiring changes to workflows, activities and entire areas of organisations. It is therefore advisable to review the risk assessment regularly to ensure it remains up to date and reflects the company's current circumstances.
An update is legally required if the circumstances on which the risk assessment is based change.
The following factors may prompt an update:
- changed working conditions (reorganisation of workflows or activities, restructuring of departments, etc.),
- an unusually high incidence of illnesses, accidents and complaints indicating psychological strain at work,
- new occupational science findings relating to psychological workload at work,
- new occupational safety requirements and statutory regulations.
7. Documentation
Every employer is required to document the psychological risk assessment. The documentation must include at least the following:
- assessment of the hazards,
- definition of specific occupational safety measures, deadlines and responsibilities,
- implementation of the measures,
- review of their effectiveness,
- date of preparation.
The scope and format of the documentation are not prescribed; it may be kept on paper or stored electronically. The documents and references relevant to the documentation must be collected and compiled so that they are available for occupational safety activities within the company. The documentation serves as evidence for supervisory personnel, as the basis for an ongoing improvement process within the company and as a tool for planning and organising the risk assessment.
8. Questionnaire: Risk assessment of psychological workload
Our free questionnaire template can help you carry out a risk assessment. An employee survey can be used to identify psychological workload at work. The template can be copied to your own LamaPoll account with one click and adapted or expanded there as required to reflect the relevant activities, potential workload factors and hazards. Once the survey has been completed, the analysis can help you identify which occupational safety measures are required for the relevant activities. Online questionnaires also provide a straightforward way to deliver employee instruction and training, conduct a knowledge test and run a follow-up survey after the necessary measures have been implemented.
