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The purpose of this working paper, prepared by the Topic Centre on Research - Work and Health of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, is to look at the link between a good working environment and productivity. A better understanding of positive effects of a good working environment would support the implementation of effective health and safety policy at company level. It would complement the set of rules and regulations with a significant parameter that is directly linked to the intrinsic motivation of a company. This working paper focuses on the level of the individual company. The consequences of occupational safety and health hazards will encompass individual workers/victims as well as their families and social networks. Society as a whole has to deal with these negative outcomes of the production process. The information was collected in the form of literature, on the one hand, and case studies, on the other hand. This working paper demonstrates that health and safety measures have a positive impact not only on safety and health performance but also on company productivity. However, identifying and quantifying these effects is not always straightforward.

The purpose of this working paper, prepared by the Topic Centre on Research - Work and Health of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, is to look at the link between a good working environment and productivity. A better understanding of positive effects of a good working environment would support the implementation of effective health and safety policy at company level. It would complement the set of rules and regulations with a significant parameter that is directly linked to the intrinsic motivation of a company. This working paper focuses on the level of the individual company. The consequences of occupational safety and health hazards will encompass individual workers/victims as well as their families and social networks. Society as a whole has to deal with these negative outcomes of the production process. The information was collected in the form of literature, on the one hand, and case studies, on the other hand. This working paper demonstrates that health and safety measures have a positive impact not only on safety and health performance but also on company productivity. However, identifying and quantifying these effects is not always straightforward.

The European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions has asked TNO Work & Employment to report on the quality of work and employment in the sector of Hotels & Restaurants in The Netherlands. Other research institutes were asked to do the same for the situation in the other EU-countries. The reports assess the impact of trends such as globalisation, increased competition and developments in technology, and look at the role of social dialogue in the sectors. They also feature several examples of interesting and innovative practice at local and national level aimed at improving the quality of work for workers in the sectors. The objective of the sector surveys on working conditions is to provide a cross-sectional overview of the working and employment conditions in this sector as an example of the European economy. This research project aims at collecting information on social dialogue in the hotels and restaurants sector as well. To construct the national report on the sector Hotels & Restaurants for the Netherlands, a literature review as well as both quantitative and qualitative analyses have been performed.

The European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions has asked TNO Work & Employment to report on the quality of work and employment in the sector of Hotels & Restaurants in The Netherlands. Other research institutes were asked to do the same for the situation in the other EU-countries. The reports assess the impact of trends such as globalisation, increased competition and developments in technology, and look at the role of social dialogue in the sectors. They also feature several examples of interesting and innovative practice at local and national level aimed at improving the quality of work for workers in the sectors. The objective of the sector surveys on working conditions is to provide a cross-sectional overview of the working and employment conditions in this sector as an example of the European economy. This research project aims at collecting information on social dialogue in the hotels and restaurants sector as well. To construct the national report on the sector Hotels & Restaurants for the Netherlands, a literature review as well as both quantitative and qualitative analyses have been performed.

This leaflet summarises the results of a literature review and two analyses of the findings of the Third European Survey on Working Conditions concerning the relationship between organisations, working conditions and health outcomes. According to these studies, different forms of work organisation ('old' and 'new' forms) are structured along two dimensions. This approach makes it possible to distinguish between four types of work organisation (Taylorism, Human Relations, Lean Production, Sociotechnology). For each of these forms of work organisation, the potential impact on working conditions and workers' health is assessed. Finally, moderators which have a positive impact on working conditions and health will be identified. There are only a few studies which examine the relationship between different forms of work organisation and health and they use different conceptualisations for the same topic. This leaflet presents the relationship between forms of work organisation and health in two steps: 1. What are the working conditions arising from the different forms of work organisation? 2. What are the effects on health and working conditions?

This leaflet summarises the results of a literature review and two analyses of the findings of the Third European Survey on Working Conditions concerning the relationship between organisations, working conditions and health outcomes. According to these studies, different forms of work organisation ('old' and 'new' forms) are structured along two dimensions. This approach makes it possible to distinguish between four types of work organisation (Taylorism, Human Relations, Lean Production, Sociotechnology). For each of these forms of work organisation, the potential impact on working conditions and workers' health is assessed. Finally, moderators which have a positive impact on working conditions and health will be identified. There are only a few studies which examine the relationship between different forms of work organisation and health and they use different conceptualisations for the same topic. This leaflet presents the relationship between forms of work organisation and health in two steps: 1. What are the working conditions arising from the different forms of work organisation? 2. What are the effects on health and working conditions?

This leaflet summarises the results of a literature review and two analyses of the findings of the Third European Survey on Working Conditions concerning the relationship between organisations, working conditions and health outcomes. According to these studies, different forms of work organisation ('old' and 'new' forms) are structured along two dimensions. This approach makes it possible to distinguish between four types of work organisation (Taylorism, Human Relations, Lean Production, Sociotechnology). For each of these forms of work organisation, the potential impact on working conditions and workers' health is assessed. Finally, moderators which have a positive impact on working conditions and health will be identified. There are only a few studies which examine the relationship between different forms of work organisation and health and they use different conceptualisations for the same topic. This leaflet presents the relationship between forms of work organisation and health in two steps: 1. What are the working conditions arising from the different forms of work organisation? 2. What are the effects on health and working conditions?

In dit TNO-rapport staat de arbokennisinfrastructuur rond RSI-knelpunten bij beeldschermarbeid in de call centers centraal. Op basis van een literatuurverkenning, een workshop met betrokkenen uit de arbokennisinfrastructuur, telefoongesprekken voorafgaand aan deze workshop én vier ingevulde vragenlijsten van genodigden voor deze workshop wordt geprobeerd een beeld te schetsen van deze arbokennisinfrastructuur en het functioneren daarvan.

In dit TNO-rapport staat de arbokennisinfrastructuur rond RSI-knelpunten bij beeldschermarbeid in de call centers centraal. Op basis van een literatuurverkenning, een workshop met betrokkenen uit de arbokennisinfrastructuur, telefoongesprekken voorafgaand aan deze workshop én vier ingevulde vragenlijsten van genodigden voor deze workshop wordt geprobeerd een beeld te schetsen van deze arbokennisinfrastructuur en het functioneren daarvan.

In wetenschappelijk onderzoek wordt in toenemende mate aandacht besteed aan meervoudige belasting in arbeidssituaties. Het doel van dit literatuuroverzicht is te inventariseren welke combinaties van factoren onderzocht zijn, welke belasting is aangetroffen en of een aanvang genomen kan worden met de ontwikkeling van een model van arbeidsbelasting waarbinnen deze kennis plaats kan vinden. Het blijkt dat een algehele integratie nog niet is te verwachten, maar een beperkte integratie tussen verschillende onderzoeksgebieden is wel mogelijk. Conbined workload in working situations.

This is a study of the effectiveness of interventions to reduce the physical work demands associated with manual (materials) handling in the work situation and musculoskeletal symptoms in the longer term. A systematic electronic literature search between 1990 and February 2003 was performed in 5 databases: Embase, Medline, HSE-line, Nioshtic, and Nioshtic-2. 44 studies were reviewed. The interventions were divided into two categories, (ergonomic) measures and implementation strategies. One randomized controlled field study was found that established a causal effect for a combination of implementation strategies in reducing the physical work demands associated with manual handling and reducing acute musculoskeletal symptoms. All four of the controlled field studies showed a significant reduction in the physical work demands when lifting devices were part of the intervention. Two of these studies measured a significant reduction in low-back disorders in the longer term. Of the 26 implementation strategies, 21 that measured an improvement in the process variables (eg, aimed behavioral variables) used a participatory ergonomics approach, an education (or training) program or both with the direct involvement of workers. The review indicated that significant reductions in physical work demands and musculoskeletal symptoms were found when lifting devices were part of the intervention. In changing worker's behavior using facilitating and educational strategies is important.