Comprehensive analysis of WHS data by researchers at the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work confirms the COVID-19 pandemic significantly exacerbated a range of risks faced by workers in the education sector.
The study analysed results from the European Survey of Enterprises on New and Emerging Risks (ESENER), conducted every five years which includes data from thousands of public and private organisations across the continent.
Primary, secondary and tertiary educational institutions provide employment for around seven per cent of the European Union workforce with researchers focusing on key WHS risks including musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), psychosocial risks, digitalisation and the move to homeworking for the pandemic.
Among key findings of the 129-page report were that the pandemic intensified the level of risks faced by teachers, especially those associated with digitalisation and MSDs.
Researchers say the move to online lessons significantly added to workplace stress due to the greater effort required to ensure pupils were attentive and productive and achieved the progress required by the syllabus with additional stress and pressure coming from parents unsatisfied with decisions about school closures and other measures.
The researchers note that the move to online lessons required a much greater amount of time spent sitting in front of screens, exacerbating MSDs risks.
They add that WHS management systems in the education sector were generally not well positioned for the transformation of teaching during COVID.
Another factor borne out by the survey was that the limited supply of teachers and poor staff retention added to stress levels. The researchers note that one of the reasons for low staffing levels was the poor perception of teachers' working environments and of teaching as a career.
They suggest that investing in WHS management and improving conditions could make the sector more attractive to new and existing staff.
The analysis also showed that educational institutions with dedicated safety representatives were more likely to have regular beneficial WHS inspections, and include health and safety as a regular topic in senior management discussions.
Source: OHS Alert, 20 October 2022 Education - evidence from the European Survey of Enterprises on New and Emerging Risks, European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, October 2022
