The relationship between non-standard work arrangements and injuries in Europe

Abstract Background: Non-standard work arrangements are becoming an increasingly important determinant of health and safety among workers. The main objective of this study is to examine the relationship between indicators of non-standard work arrangements including precarious contract, long working hours, multiple jobs, shift work, and occupational injuries, using a representative European sample and taking into account several sociodemographic and work characteristics. Methods: The study was based on the data of the fifth European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS). For the purpose of this analysis, the sample was restricted to 26839 respondents from the 27 countries of the European Union, who were all employed workers. Associations between non-standard work arrangements and occupational injuries were studied with multilevel modeling techniques while adjusting for several confounders. Results: About 8.44% of the workers suffered from an occupational injury. Multivariate regression model showed an increased injury risk for those working long hours (OR 1.29, 95% CI 1.15 - 1.44), having multiple jobs (OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.03 - 1.47) and shift work (OR 1.35, 95% CI 1.18 - 1.54). The relationship between contract type and occupational injuries was not significant (OR 0.91, 95% CI 0.78 - 1.07). No significant gender difference was observed. Conclusion: This study confirms that indicators of non-standard work arrangements, except for precarious contract type, were significantly associated with occupational injuries. To reduce the burden of occupational injuries, not only risk reduction strategies and interventions are needed but also policy efforts at European level should be undertaken to limit non-standard work arrangements