Prevention of occupational psychosocial risks

The best-known manifestations of these risks are stress, burn-out, violence, moral or sexual harassment at work. These risks, whose source can be found in the work organisation, the work content, interpersonal relations at work, working conditions and working life conditions, can lead to damage to the worker's psychological health, which may be accompanied by physical damage.

The employer must integrate the prevention of these risks into his prevention policy and include them in the risk analysis carried out for (posted) workers.

The employer must take the necessary measures to prevent psychosocial risks at work or to prevent or limit the damage to the (posted) worker's health resulting from these risks.

For the prevention of these specific risks, every employer must be assisted by a prevention advisor specialised  in psychosocial aspects of work, who has competences defined in the legislation.

Implementation for the employer who employs posted workers in Belgium

In principle, the employer of the posted worker must comply with the legal provisions applicable in Belgium described above.

If the employer of the posted worker does not have a person with equivalent competences to the prevention advisor for psychosocial aspects in his company or in an external prevention service in his country who is able to apply the procedures defined in the Belgian legislation, he must join an external service authorised in Belgium.

Posted workers who believe that they are suffering damage to their health as a result of these psychosocial risks should be able to submit a request for informal or formal psychosocial intervention to this specialised  prevention advisor. The employer must take appropriate measures to stop the damage, insofar as it has an impact on the danger.

The following must be included in the work regulations available to the posted worker:

• the contact details of the prevention advisor for psychosocial aspects or of the external prevention and protection service at work for which he carries out his tasks;
• the procedures accessible to the workers.

More information

More information about Psychosocial risks at work on this website under the theme The well-being of workers.