Assessing Differences in Attitudes toward Occupational Safety and Health Measures for Infection Control between Office and Assembly Line Employees during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Germany: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Baseline Data from a Repeated Employee Survey

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Dec 29;20(1):614. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20010614.

Abstract

In our study, we investigated possible differences across occupational groups regarding employees’ perceived work-related risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2, attitudes toward technical, organisational, and personal occupational safety and health (OSH) measures for infection control, and factors associated with this attitude. We analysed baseline data (10 August to 25 October 2020) from a repeated standardised online survey distributed at a worldwide leading global supplier of technology and services in Germany. 2144 employees (32.4% women; age (mean ± SD): 44 ± 11 years) who worked predominantly remotely (n = 358), at an on-site office (n = 1451), and assembly line/manufacturing (n = 335) were included. The work-related SARS-CoV-2 risk of infection differed between office employees working remotely and on-site (mean ± SD = 2.9 ± 1.5 vs. 3.2 ± 1.5; Mann-Whitney-U-Test: W = 283,346; p < 0.002; ε2 = 0.01) and between on-site office and assembly line/manufacturing employees (3.8 ± 1.7; W = 289,174; p < 0.001; ε2 = 0.02). Attitude scores toward technical OSH-measures differed between remote and on-site office (4.3 ± 0.5 vs. 4.1 ± 0.6; W = 216,787; p < 0.001; ε2 = 0.01), and between on-site office and assembly line/manufacturing employees (3.6 ± 0.9; W = 149,881; p < 0.001; ε2 = 0.07). Findings were similar for organisational and personal measures. Affective risk perception, COVID-19-specific resilience, and information about COVID-19-related risks were associated with the employees’ attitudes. To promote positive attitudes, it seems to be important to consider occupational-group-specific context factors when implementing OSH-measures for infection control.

Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic; baseline data; infection control measures; occupational SARS-CoV-2 risk of infection; occupational safety and health; workforce; working conditions; workplace health.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Attitude
  • COVID-19* / epidemiology
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Female
  • Germany / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Infection Control
  • Male
  • Occupational Health*
  • Pandemics
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Workplace / psychology

Grants and funding

The overall research project was funded by the Ministry of Science, Research and Art, Baden-Württemberg (grant number: 42-5400/136/1). The work of the Institute of Occupational and Social Medicine and Health Services Research Tübingen and the present published study was supported by an unrestricted grant of the Employers’ Association of the Metal and Electric Industry Baden-Württemberg (Südwestmetall) (grant number: D30.11909). The funding bodies had no role in the design of this study nor during its execution, analyses, interpretation of the data, or decision to submit results. This study is also part of the first author’s (J.S.) work toward a doctoral degree. We gratefully acknowledge support from the Open Access Publishing Fund of the University of Tübingen.