Psychosocial risk assessment

What is psychosocial risk assessment?

Law 31/1995 does not distinguish by type of risk: the duty to assess applies to all working conditions, including those related to the organization and management of work, which Article 4.7 expressly includes in the definition of working conditions. Psychosocial risks, therefore, fall within the mandatory scope of the assessment, and their omission constitutes an incomplete assessment. Royal Decree 39/1997 requires that the assessment procedure provide confidence in its outcome and, in case of doubt, that recognized methods or criteria be used, particularly the INSST guidelines.

Psychosocial assessment has unique characteristics compared to other disciplines: its focus is on work organization, not individual characteristics; information is largely obtained from the perceptions of those exposed through anonymous questionnaires, interviews, and focus groups; and the interpretation of results requires context (data on absenteeism, turnover, conflicts, recent changes) and participation. The outcome is not a mental health diagnosis but an evaluation of working conditions.

Technical Criterion 104/2021 of the Labor and Social Security Inspectorate establishes how the Inspectorate acts in this matter: it requires that the evaluation exists, that it uses an appropriate method, that it covers the entire workforce or a representative sample, that it has been consulted with the representatives and that its results translate into planned and executed measures.

Process phases

• Preparation. Formation of a working group with management, technicians and representatives; informing the staff; defining the scope and units of analysis; collection of previous data.
• Choice of method. Validated general methods such as the INSST FPSICO (version 4.1), ISTAS21 or recognized sectoral methods; specific methods for violence, harassment or specific factors where appropriate; in SMEs, justified simplified methods.
• Information gathering. Questionnaires with guarantees of anonymity and sufficient response rates, complemented by interviews, focus groups, observation and organizational data.
• Analysis and assessment. Results by unit of analysis and factor, with risk levels, and qualitative comparison with the working group to interpret causes.
• Planning of measures. Preventive measures regarding the organization (workload, times, autonomy, support, leadership, procedures) with responsible parties, deadlines and resources, included in the preventive planning.
• Monitoring and review. Verification of implementation and effectiveness, and review of the assessment in the event of organizational changes, health damage, or periodically.

Reference methods

• FPSICO of the INSST . General evaluation method with nine factors (working time, autonomy, workload, psychological demands, variety and content, participation and supervision, concern for the worker and compensation, role performance, relationships and social support), with free computer application and reference scales.
• CoPsoQ-ISTAS21 . Spanish adaptation of the Copenhagen psychosocial questionnaire, with versions according to company size and participatory approach.
• NTP 926. Psychosocial factors: evaluation methodology, with guidelines on the evaluation and intervention process.
• Specific methods. Instruments for external violence, harassment, stress in specific groups or teleworking, used in a complementary way; for psychological harassment, Leymann’s LIPT-60 inventory is a support instrument that does not replace the complete evaluation.

Organizational application: how to conduct the assessment

1. Establish a working group with management, prevention service and representatives, and agree on scope, method, units of analysis and schedule.
2. Inform the staff of the objective, anonymity, and use of the results before data collection.
3. Apply the chosen method ensuring representative response rates and complement it with qualitative techniques.
4. Analyze the results by unit and factor, interpret them with the working group, and prioritize the risks according to level and people affected.
5. Design specific organizational measures, with assigned responsibilities, deadlines and resources, and incorporate them into the preventive planning.
6. Communicate results and measures to the staff and representatives, and implement the measures with follow-up.
7. Evaluate the effectiveness of the measures and review the evaluation in the event of changes, damages, or at the agreed intervals.

Preventive management software allows planning the measures derived from the psychosocial assessment with responsible parties and deadlines, registering the consultation with the representatives and maintaining traceability of the follow-up and review.

Limits and common mistakes

1. Not assessing psychosocial risks or doing so only in part of the workforce without justification.
2. Using unvalidated questionnaires or applying the method without guarantees of anonymity, with insufficient response rates.
3. Focusing on the results report without planning or implementing organizational measures.
4. Focusing measures exclusively on the individual (stress management training) without addressing the organization of work.
5. Omitting consultation with worker safety representatives in the choice of method and in the planning.
6. Confusing the assessment of working conditions with a clinical diagnosis of people.

The selection of the method and the interpretation of the results must be carried out by technicians with the specialty of ergonomics and applied psychosociology.

Regulatory framework in Spain

• Law 31/1995, articles 4.7, 14, 15 and 16. Working conditions, duty of protection, preventive principles and risk assessment.
• Royal Decree 39/1997, articles 3 to 7. Procedure , criteria and review of the risk assessment.
• Technical Criterion 104/2021 of the Labour and Social Security Inspectorate . Actions of the Inspectorate regarding psychosocial risks.
• FPSICO 4.1 of the INSST . Method for evaluating psychosocial factors.
• NTP 926 of the INSST . Psychosocial factors: evaluation methodology.

ISO 45003 provides guidelines for managing psychosocial risks within a management system. In Colombia, Resolution 2764 of 2022 regulates the battery of instruments for evaluating psychosocial risk factors.