GC201411533 ART. The obstacles to managing psychosocial risks

Abstract

Managing psychosocial risks in firms encounters several obstacles. First of all, the polymorphous, multifactorial nature of these risks does not make it easy for them to be understood in the world of work. Secondly, the fact that the related costs are not very visible for firms is not an inducement to action. Furthermore, the widely available methods and tools used to assess these risks are not well adapted to usual practices in matters of occupational health and safety — for instance, the use of a single document (DUER) for evaluating occupational risks. Finally, a major lever of action — located at the level of the organization of work — is seldom taken into account. The obstacles to this type of risk management are analyzed; and paths for action, proposed.