¹Institute of Occupational and Social Medicine and Health Services Research, University Hospital of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany

Text

Background: We are conducting a study on the implementation and realization of work-related prevention measures with a focus on UV radiation and asbestos. We use agriculture and the construction industry as examples. Both fields of work are characterized by demanding physical work and high risk for work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs). Tough physical work and WRMSDs are a work-related demand and risk that are more immediately perceived than the risk of potential work-related cancer caused by UV radiation or asbestos. They are useful indicators for the general occupational health and safety culture in agriculture and the construction industry.

Objective: We will examine the occupational health and safety culture in regards to prevention of WRMSDs in agriculture and the construction industry.

Methods: The ethnographic research project is funded by German Cancer Aid (08/2023–07/2026). The focus is on participant observation in a total of 4 workplaces in agriculture and the construction industry as well as prevention-related documents and interviews with experts in prevention and early detection of cancer inside and outside the world of work. The empirical data will be complemented by 5 workshops with key persons in order to develop potential solutions and transfers. To date, participant observations have been carried out in two workplaces in the construction industry and will be carried out in agriculture by September 2025.

Results: Time restrictions and the pressure for efficiency and performance are high in both industries. Even though demanding physical work cannot be fully replaced in both industries, technical measures exist to reduce burden for workers. In the workplaces that we have observed so far, potentially available technical measures were rather absent, meaning that employers shift the responsibility rather to organisational and personal measures. We observed a laissez-faire leadership style when it came to prevention of WRMSDs in the respective workplaces. At best, leaders addressed potential risks and gave workers instructions to improve preventive behaviour but did not follow-up. Leaders expressed the attitude that they can instruct but cannot force adults how to carry out preventive measures in the workplace. According to our observations and informal conversations, taking preventive measures were seen as more time-consuming than measures that were not prevention- and health-oriented. We observed workers weighing time against prevention due to performance pressure. This also meant that organisational measures were not taken such as providing workers with more time, mirroring the general occupational health and safety culture.

Discussion: The potentials for technical and organisational measures have not yet been fully used in agriculture and the construction industry. Health-oriented leadership has the potential to improve prevention in the respective workplaces and could be a promising starting point for further training.