ESRA 2027 sessions by theme
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Can We Still Measure Work and Its Impact on Workers' Health? Survey Research in a Changing World |
| Coordinator 1 | Mr Xabier Irastorza (European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA)) |
| Coordinator 2 | Ms Marine Cavet (European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA)) |
| Coordinator 3 | Mr Maurizio Curtarelli (European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA)) |
Session Details
Digitalisation, AI, platform work, demographic change, migration, climate change and fragmented employment relationships are transforming how people work, the risks faced and the monitoring of occupational safety and health (OSH). These changes challenge traditional concepts, survey methods and measurement approaches in OSH research.
Reliable and comparable information on occupational health remains difficult to obtain. Occupational diseases are often underreported, definitions of occupational and work-related health problems vary across countries, and many workers exposed to high risks are hard to reach. At the same time, new forms of work, digital technologies, algorithmic management, labour market segmentation and diverse employment arrangements raise questions about how exposure, working conditions and health outcomes should be measured and compared internationally.
This session brings together researchers in OSH, working conditions, labour market research, public health and survey methodology to discuss how survey research can continue to provide robust, policy-relevant evidence. Contributions on methodological developments, innovative survey designs, mixed-method approaches, longitudinal studies, linked employer-employee surveys, administrative data linkage, digital data sources and emerging research methods are welcome, addressing questions such as:
• How can survey research capture emerging risks linked to digitalisation, AI, platform work and climate change?
• How can researchers improve coverage of migrant, temporary, platform and precarious workers?
• How can survey data be combined with administrative records, sensor data or other digital sources?
• What designs and modes are best suited to measuring sensitive OSH topics, including mental health and psychosocial risks?
• How can cross-national comparability be maintained while reflecting diverse labour markets and regulatory contexts?
• What innovations can improve measurement of occupational diseases, work-related health outcomes and preventive practices?
Both methodological and applied contributions are encouraged, including new survey instruments, validation studies, innovative sampling approaches, questionnaire development, data integration techniques and empirical applications that advance the measurement of OSH.
