Employee survey on occupational health and safety - analysis of the results in the workshop

A few ascending chalk curls are painted on a slate panel, crowned by a large ring of clouds in which a light bulb lies.

The most important question that needs to be clarified at the start of an employee survey:
How do I deal with the results of the survey?

This article describes a guideline with an exemplary procedure.
Every employee survey must be prepared specifically for the company.

It is best to analyze the survey data in an employee workshop.

What steps need to be prepared for a survey? have to be prepared?

Sample guide to the survey process.

The ROADMAP (exemplary procedure) at a glance:

  1. Preparation
  2. Send survey to all employees
  3. Workshop concludes the hit list of the most urgent and important problems
  4. Workshop translated into "precise problems"
  5. Workshop uses brainstorming to develop concrete solution ideas
  6. Workshop defines a binding action plan with deadlines
  7. Effect control by repeating steps 2-6

Step 1

Preparation 

Meeting of the internal contact person with occupational safety

  • Discussion of all steps of the roadmap
  • Clarification of all questions, in particular the type and meaning of the questions in the survey form.
  • Use of useful and proven questions, e.g. from publications of the DGUV and employers' liability insurance associations.
  • Consideration of special operational features, e.g. focus on key areas, addition of activity-related aspects.
  • Segmentation of the survey according to activity groups / locations / organization chart, etc.
  • Test run with managers.
  • If necessary, presentation of the roadmap to the management body.
  • Determination of the survey start date, return date, location and date of the subsequent workshop.

Step 2

Survey of employees

Carrying out the SURVEY

  • All employees in a department / project group are involved.
  • Employees receive an e-mail from the person responsible for disciplinary matters (department, project or team manager) with a brief explanation, a maximum processing period of 6 working days and a link to the survey.
  • The answers from the Microsoft FORMS forms are all anonymous, see photo.
This survey technique is low-threshold. The survey can be answered in a few minutes, even on a cell phone (click on the photo).
Photo shows the result of a SURVEY with the data fields mail address and name anomymized.
All answers to the QUESTIONS are automatically anonymous (click on the photo).
Header image of a survey using the example "Impairment at the workplace or in the work area" (click on photo).
Excerpt from the results of a survey on mental health problems in the workplace
Example: Detail from a survey response, answers to questions 34 and 35 (click on photo).

Step 3

Weighting the responses from the survey

Organization of a workshop together with occupational safety

A few things need to be prepared for the organization of the workshop:

  • Prepare materials for workshop (empty tables: All questions / Hit list / Exact problems / Problem-solution ideas / Solution ideas-measures).
  • Appoint an external moderator (occupational safety or company doctor or specialist).
  • Maximum 5 participants.
  • Invite 1 contact person, 1 department or team leader plus 3 delegates from the team.

The employees' answers are compiled into a list of questions with frequencies of the answers. This list of questions and answers is presented and analyzed in the workshop.

The workshop participants must meet face-to-face so that they can complete the following tasks quickly and with good attention:

  1. Determine the urgency. The working basis is the list with all question-answer frequencies: The answers are marked with "Measures are required urgently / soon / later / no".
  2. Determining the importance. The next step involves developing and deciding on a hit list of a maximum of six answers with the highest importance.
Sample table with the summarized raw data from an employee survey.
Workshop working document for determining the urgency of measures.
Sample table of feedback from an employee survey, selected according to urgency and importance, known as the hit list.
Determining importance: Excerpt from the hit list of the six most urgent and important problems.

Step 4

Practical evaluation of the hit list topics

Continuation of the workshop

This section of the assessment requires a high level of concentration and willingness to cooperate. The workshop participants "translate" the formal questionnaire language into their own world of experience and language.

The workshop participants name the "exact problems".

  1.  The working basis is the hit list: The formulations of the questionnaire are now concretized for the six most urgent and important problems with the most precise and actual problem descriptions possible.
  2. The moderator has the important task here of arriving at a well-founded and concrete description of the problem by asking questions and rephrasing.
  3. Joint resolution: The documentation of the specific problems is sealed by a joint resolution. This resolution has an important signal effect for the handling of the action plan in the highest decision-making body. 
Excerpt from the workshop document for a concrete linguistic description of the actual problems.

Step 5

Development of measures

Continuation of the workshop

The workshop participants name their solution ideas for each problem. 

The rules of brainstorming apply here, each participant must name ideas, only constructive suggestions may be formulated.

  1. The working basis is the problem list: Ideas for solutions are collected for each actual problem description. 
  2. The moderator steers the brainstorming session by skillfully alternating between discussion, a phase of silence and jotting down thoughts, and "collecting" the notes and making them visible to all participants.
  3. Joint resolution: The documentation of the sensible solution ideas is sealed by a joint resolution. This resolution has an important signal effect for the treatment of the action plan in the highest decision-making body.
Sample for solution ideas. Workshop document for collecting and documenting ideas for solutions to problems identified in a survey, here using the example of mental impairment in the workplace.
Document for the collection and documentation of solution ideas for "precise problems".

Step 6

Development of the action plan

Continuation of the workshop

  1. Transfer the list of solutions into an action plan.
  2. Determination of the realization dates.
  3. Determination of the person responsible for implementation (owner).
  4. Optional: Preparation of the presentation in the decision-making body (Who will present?)
  5. Joint decision: The action plan is sealed by a joint decision. This resolution has an important signal effect for the handling of the action plan in the highest decision-making body.
  6. Formulation of a draft for the comprehensive information of the employees concerned.
Sample action plan, workshop document for defining the planned occupational health and safety measures, with deadlines and name field for the operative.
Document for defining the planned occupational health and safety measures, with deadlines and a name field for the operative (owner).

Step 7

Impact monitoring

Repetition of the UMFRAGE and evaluation after 3 - 12 months

A new survey after 3-12 months shows the success of the measures and ensures a continuous improvement process (click on the photo).
  1. Inspection and review by the occupational safety specialist.
  2. Repetition of steps 2-6 with the same questionnaire.
  3. Documentation of progress in occupational health and safety.