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European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions
Working conditions in Hungary
Introduction
Physical risks
Exposure to chemicals
Rapid pace of work and monotonous work
Other working environment variables
Informing employees about risks in the workplace
Commentary
References
Appendix: About the survey
This report is available in electronic format only
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In 2001, Hungary carried out its first survey on the state of occupational health and safety in the workplace. The survey
aimed to assess working conditions in order to promote the Hungarian National Programme of Occupational Safety and
Health for improving quality of work and life, and to establish a database on working conditions that would be
comparable with EU data. The results reveal that, with regard to physical factors, such as noise, vibration, temperature,
uncomfortable working posture, heavy mental and/or physical workload, the proportion of employees affected is similar
to that in the EU. However, in relation to exposure to chemicals, Hungary reports more than twice the exposure rate of
the EU average.
Introduction
This report reviews the main results of the survey, The state of occupational health and safety in Hungary, which was
carried out in 2001. The survey had two key objectives: to assess working conditions in Hungary in order to promote the
Hungarian National Programme of Occupational Safety and Health for improving quality of work and life; and to
establish a database on working conditions that would be comparable with EU data.
The survey was conducted by the Public Foundation for Research on Occupational Safety (MKK), and the data were
gathered through the Omnibusz surveys of the TÁRKI Social Research Institute, the Hungarian Labour
Inspectorate (OMMF) and the National Centre for Public Health, according to the government bill 154/1999 on
national statistical data gathering. In terms of methodology, the survey used as a model the Third European survey on
working conditions 2000 questionnaire, designed by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and
Working Conditions (2001). The survey was based on a representative sample of 3,751 respondents and the data were
collected using structured face-to-face interviews (see the appendix for further details on the methodology and
questionnaire).
Respondents were chosen from all strata of the Hungarian working population: employees working full time or part time,
self-employed entrepreneurs, and students and mothers on maternity leave if they had any kind of paid partial
employment.
Among the topics covered in the survey were:
„
physical risks;
„
exposure to chemicals;
„
psychological and physical workload caused by a less than optimal working environment;
„
other working environment variables;
„
informing employees about risks in the workplace.
Physical risks
Noise in the working environment
The survey results show that the proportion of employees affected by above-limit noise levels in the period surveyed was
somewhat lower in Hungary than the average for the 15 EU Member States at the time (EU15), and the range of sectors
affected was also different. In fact, in 2001, the permitted limit was lower in Hungary than in the EU15.
© European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, 2006
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Working conditions in Hungary
Table 1: Noise exposure, by proportion of employees affected, sector and occupation
Proportion of employees
affected by exposure to
noise (%)
Sectors most affected by noise exposure
Hungary
EU15
Hungary
EU15
21.6
28
Coal mining, metal
products
manufacturing, textiles
industry, wood
processing
Metal products
excluding machinery,
wood and cork products
excluding furniture
made of straw and
wicker-work
Jobs most affected by noise exposure
Hungary
EU15
Machine operators in light
industry and wood
processing, forestry
workers, food processing
workers
Machine operators
and assemble rs
Sources: European figures based on the Third European survey on working conditions, 2001; The state of occupational health and
safety in Hungary, 2002.
Vibration at work
According to the Hungarian survey findings, the employees most affected by exposure to vibration were men aged over
25 years employed in large companies.
Table 2: Vibration at work, by proportion of employees affected, sector and occupation
Proportion of employees
affected by vibration (%)
Hungary
EU15
26.7
24
Sectors most affected by exposure to vibration
Hungary
Coal mining, peat
cutting, forestry and
wood processing,
leather industry
EU15
Construction
Jobs most affected by exposure to vibration
Hungary
Forestry and agricultural
workers, machine
operators in light
industry and wood
processing
EU15
Miners, construction
workers, workers in
transport and
production of
building material
Sources: European figures based on the Third European survey on working conditions, 2001; The state of occupational health and
safety in Hungary, 2002.
High temperatures
According to the survey results, those most affected by the risk of elevated temperatures in the workplace were men aged
under 25 years employed in large companies.
Table 3: High temperatures, by proportion of employees affected, sector and occupation
Proportion of employees
affected by high
temperatures (%)
Sectors most affected by exposure to high
temperatures
Hungary
EU15
Hungary
27.1
20
Coal mining, peat
cutting, forestry, metal
products manufacturing,
rubber and synthetics
manufacturing,
agriculture
EU15
Basic metal products
manufacturing
Jobs most affected by exposure to high
temperatures
Hungary
Workers in agriculture
and forestry, food
processing,
transportation, postal
services and
telecommunications
EU15
Miners, construction
workers, drivers
Sources: European figures based on the Third European survey on working conditions, 2001; The state of occupational health and
safety in Hungary, 2002.
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© European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, 2006
Working conditions in Hungary
Low temperatures
Workers experiencing low temperatures can be divided into two main categories: those working in an open-air
environment and consequently subject to climatic changes, and those who work in refrigerating plants of large food
processing factories.
Table 4: Low temperatures, by proportion of employees affected, sector and occupation
Proportion of
employees affected
by exposure to low
temperatures (%)
Sectors most affected by exposure to low
temperatures
Hungary
EU15
Hungary
19.7
23
Coal mining, peat cutting,
recycling of waste materials,
forestry, transport via
waterways, agriculture
EU15
Jobs most affected by exposure to low
temperatures
Hungary
Food processing,
Workers in agriculture,
manufacturing of
forestry, food processing,
drinks, construction transportation and operators
of mobile machinery
EU15
Miners, construction
workers, factory
workers, masons
Sources: European figures based on the Third European survey on working conditions, 2001; The state of occupational health and
safety in Hungary, 2002.
Ergonomic factors
Lifting and moving heavy objects
The data indicate considerable exposure to lifting and moving heavy objects in the sectors listed in Table 5. For instance,
in the fishing industry, 75% of working time involves lifting or moving heavy objects. The sectors outlined are, to a great
extent, traditional occupations requiring substantial manual labour. In 2001, the employees mainly affected were men
aged under 25 years working in small enterprises.
Table 5: Heavy lifting, by proportion of employees affected, sector and occupation
Proportion of
employees affected
by exposure to
heavy lifting (%)
Hungary
EU15
36.4
34
Sectors most affected by exposure to heavy
lifting
Hungary
Woodworking, coal mining,
forestry, transport via
waterways
EU15
Construction
Jobs most affected by exposure to heavy lifting
Hungary
Workers in fishing,
agriculture, forestry, food
processing
EU15
Miners, construction
workers, factory
workers, masons
Sources: European figures based on the Third European survey on working conditions, 2001; The state of occupational health and
safety in Hungary, 2002.
Repetitive movements
The proportion of employees in jobs requiring repetitive movements was practically the same in Hungary as the EU15
average. However, the relatively high number of workers affected in the forestry and agriculture sectors is a surprising
result. Employees having to endure high levels of repetitive movements work mainly in medium-sized and large
companies; men aged under 25 years of age are particularly vulnerable to this health risk in the workplace.
© European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, 2006
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Working conditions in Hungary
Table 6: Repetitive movements, by proportion of employees affected, sector and occupation
Proportion of
employees affected
by exposure to
repetitive
movements (%)
Hungary
EU15
56.1
57
Sectors most affected by exposure to repetitive
movements
Hungary
Woodworking, coal mining,
forestry, transport via
waterways
EU15
Food and beverage
industries
Jobs most affected by exposure to repetitive
movements
Hungary
Workers in wood processing,
agriculture, forestry, food
processing
EU15
Maintenance workers
Sources: European figures based on the Third European survey on working conditions, 2001; The state of occupational health and
safety in Hungary, 2002.
Painful and tiring positions
In 2001, the proportion of employees in Hungary who reported working in strained bodily postures was lower than the
EU15 average. This may be explained by the near demise of the mining industry in Hungary. Nevertheless, the
proportion of activities carried out in a strained posture during the entire working day is still high in the sectors listed in
Table 7.
Table 7: Painful and tiring positions, by proportion of employees affected, sector and occupation
Proportion of employees
affected by exposure to
painful and tiring
positions (%)
Hungary
EU15
31.5
45
Sectors most affected by exposure to painful
and tiring positions
Hungary
Coal mining, forestry,
woodworking, construction,
textiles industry, agriculture
EU15
Food and
beverage
industries
Jobs most affected by exposure to painful and
tiring positions
Hungary
Construction workers,
wood industry, agriculture,
forestry, fishing
EU15
Miners, construction
workers, transport
workers
Sources: European figures based on the Third European survey on working conditions, 2001; The state of occupational health and
safety in Hungary, 2002.
Unfortunately, occupational diseases caused by ergonomic factors remain under-reported. This observation is also
supported by the nationwide inspection campaign carried out by the National Labour Inspectorate (see the Hungarian
National Programme of Occupational Safety and Health, in which the Labour Inspectorate concluded that at least 25%
of work accidents are not reported).
Exposure to chemicals
Data referring to employees’ exposure to chemicals are surprisingly widespread, particularly in comparison with the
EU15 average. One reason for this significant deviation may be the fact that, in 1981, Hungary was the first country in
the world to make biological and chemical monitoring of the working environment a legal obligation. As a result,
detailed data on the exposure to different chemicals (lead, organic solvents, organic esters of phosphoric acid, etc) are
available. According to the survey on working conditions in Hungary, exposure to chemicals mainly affects men, as the
jobs with the highest health risk are mostly occupied by men.
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© European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, 2006
Working conditions in Hungary
Table 8: Exposure to chemicals, by proportion of employees affected, sector and occupation
Proportion of employees
affected by exposure to
chemicals (%)
Sectors most affected by exposure to
chemicals
Hungary
EU15
Hungary
29.8
14
Leather industry, rubber
and plastic manufacturing,
fuel delivery, chemicals
industry
EU15
Chemicals
industry
Jobs most affected by exposure to chemicals
Hungary
Workers in health sector,
mining, machine operators in
manufacturing industries
EU15
Miners, construction
workers, factory
workers, operators of
office equipment
Sources: European figures based on the Third European survey on working conditions, 2001; The state of occupational health and
safety in Hungary, 2002.
Rapid pace of work and monotonous work
In Hungary, workers most affected by a rapid pace of work are women aged under 25 years of age working in industrial
settings.
Table 9: Rapid work pace, by proportion of employees affected, sector and occupation
Proportion of employees
affected by rapid work
pace (%)
Sectors most affected by rapid work pace
Hungary
EU15
Hungary
49.2
54
Raw material recycling from
waste, textiles and leather
industries, ma nufacturing of
non-metal materials
EU15
Hotel and
restaurant
Jobs most affected by rapid work pace
Hungary
Workers in food industry,
machine operators in
manufacturing industries,
metal industry, mining
EU15
Managers, customer
service
Sources: European figures based on the Third European survey on working conditions, 2001; The state of occupational health and
safety in Hungary, 2002.
In terms of the proportion of workers and sectors affected by increased work pace, the results correspond with those of
the EU15; men aged under 25 years working in large companies are mainly affected.
Table 10: Increased work pace, driven by management expectations
Proportion of employees
affected by management
pressure on work pace (%)
Hungary
EU15
61.8
67
Sectors most affected by management
pressure on work pace
Hungary
Manufacturing of non metal materials, fuel
delivery, insurance,
hotel and restaurant
EU15
Hotel and
restaurant
Jobs most affected by management pressure on
work pace
Hungary
Workers in trade industry,
hotel and restaurant
EU15
Customer service
Sources: European figures based on the Third European survey on working conditions, 2001; The state of occupational health and
safety in Hungary, 2002
© European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, 2006
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Working conditions in Hungary
Table 11: Increased work pace, determined by machinery
Proportion of employees
affected by increased work
pace, determined by
machinery (%)
Industrial sectors most affected by
increased work pace, determined by
machinery
Jobs most affected by increased work pace,
determined by machinery
Hungary
EU15
Hungary
EU15
Hungary
20.5
22
Textiles industry,
telecommunications,
printing, food and beverage
industries, metal industry
Textile industry
Machine operators in
manufacturing, food
industry, mining industry,
mobile machine operators
EU15
Machine operators,
maintenance workers
Sources: European figures based on the Third European survey on working conditions, 2001; The state of occupational health and
safety in Hungary, 2002.
In terms of the proportion of workers and sectors affected by monotonous work, the results correspond with those of the
EU15. Men aged under 25 years and working in large companies are mainly affected.
Table 12: Monotonous work, by proportion of employees affected, sector and occupation
Proportion of employees
affected by monotonous
work (%)
Sectors most affected by monotonous work
Hungary
EU15
Hungary
EU15
49.7
45
Telecommunications,
printing, raw material
recycling from waste, textiles
and leather industries, food
and beverage industries
Textiles and leather
industries, food and
beverage industries
Jobs most affected by monotonous work
Hungary
Machine operators in
manufacturing, food
industry, mining
industry, mobile
machine operators
EU15
Machine operators,
maintenance workers
Sources: European figures based on the Third European survey on working conditions, 2001; The state of occupational health and
safety in Hungary, 2002.
Other working environment variables
The data highlight the importance of the use of personal protective equipment by employees in jobs carrying health and
safety risks. According to the survey results, more than 30% of Hungarian employees are equipped with satisfactory
personal protective equipment, which is a higher proportion than the EU15 average. It is important to note that not all
employees need such equipment, so this represents a good coverage. However, one particular concern in Hungary is that
many workers avoid using the protective equipment supplied, which often leads to an increased risk of serious
occupational injury.
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© European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, 2006
Working conditions in Hungary
Table 13: Use of personal protective equipment, by proportion of employees affected, sector and occupation
Proportion of employees using
personal protective equipment (%)
Sectors most affected by use of
personal protective equipment
Jobs most affected by use of personal
protective equipment
Hungary
EU15
Hungary
EU15
Hungary
35
25
Coal mining, rubber and
plastic manufacturing,
metal industry
Construction
Machine operators in
agriculture, food industry,
mining industry, metal industry
EU15
Construction
workers
Sources: European figures based on the Third European survey on working conditions, 2001; The state of occupational health and
safety in Hungary, 2002.
Informing employees about risks in the workplace
With regard to awareness of workplace health and safety issues, the majority of employees are familiar with the risk
factors of their workplace. It is the legal duty of employers to inform employees not only about the risk factors but also
about the means of risk prevention. Unfortunately, however, risk awareness and adherence to preventive measures do
not always correspond.
Table 14: Risk awareness at work
Worker awareness of risks in the workplace (%)
Very good
Quite good
Quite poor
Very poor
49.7
46.7
3
0.7
Source: The state of occupational health and safety in Hungary, 2002.
Training provided by the employer
On the basis of harmonised laws, providing education and information for employees has become the employer’s
obligation. According to the survey findings, various training courses were provided for 50% of employees, but it is
unlikely that all of the courses pertained to work safety issues.
Table 15: Participation in training
Proportion of employees participating in training courses (%)
Total % of employees receiving training
1–7 days of training
8–30 days of training
More than 30 days of training
49.7
46
3
0.7
Source: The state of occupational health and safety in Hungary, 2002.
Commentary
This report outlines the main results from the 2001 survey on the state of occupational health and safety in Hungary,
commissioned by the Hungarian Labour Inspectorate. This was the first assessment carried out in Hungary in this field
prior to the country’s accession to the EU in 2004.
The main aims of the research were to:
„
monitor the state of occupational health and safety;
„
provide data on occupational health and safety for the development of regulations and guidelines;
„
promote the Hungarian National Programme of Occupational Safety and Health and set priorities;
© European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, 2006
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Working conditions in Hungary
„
improve employees’ work–life balance;
„
compare Hungarian and EU data on occupational health and safety.
The main conclusions drawn from the results of the survey are that, with regard to physical factors, such as noise,
vibration, temperature, uncomfortable working posture, heavy mental and/or physical workload, the proportion of
employees affected is similar to EU15 figures. However, in relation to chemical exposure, Hungary reports more than
twice the exposure rate of the EU15 average.
Almost at the same time as the survey presented in this report was carried out, in 2001, the European Foundation for the
Improvement of Living and Working Conditions launched a survey covering the 10 countries that would become new
EU Member States in 2004, including Hungary, and two candidate countries at the time, Bulgaria and Romania. The
survey, Working conditions in the acceding and candidate countries, encompassed a wider subject range, including
working hours, bullying, violence and discrimination, income and payment systems. It provides an opportunity for
comparing data among the then acceding and candidate countries.
Author: Katalin Balogh, MKK
References
European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (OSHA), The state of occupational safety and health in the European
Union (including the Risk sector project), Bilbao, August 1998.
Hungarian Labour Inspectorate, Hungarian National Programme of Occupational Safety and Health 2001, 2002.
Paoli, P. and Merllié, D., European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, Third
European survey on working conditions 2000, Luxembourg, Office for Official Publications for the European
Communities, 2001. See also http://www.eurofound.eu.int/ewco/surveys.
Public Foundation for Research on Occupational Safety, The state of occupational health and safety in Hungary 2001,
Budapest, 2002.
TÁRKI Social Research Institute, Working conditions in Hungary 2001, Omnibusz surveys, 2001.
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© European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, 2006
Working conditions in Hungary
Appendix: About the survey
Compiling the survey results of TÁRKI Omnibusz studies
Some 3,571 respondents were included in the Omnibusz survey. The people were randomly selected from the data of the
Central Processing Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and were proportionally representative of settlements
of different sizes and geographical locations in Hungary.
The researchers had to attempt to contact 1,500 people on the list once a month and were obliged to repeat the attempt
on three occasions in case they failed the first time. Out of a possible maximum of 1,500 people each month, the final
sample was as follows:
May 2001: 704 persons
June 2001: 661 persons
July 2001: 652 persons
August 2001: 605 persons
September 2001: 643 persons
October 2001: 486 persons
Total: 3,751 persons
List of survey questions
Noise at work: Do you have to raise your voice if you want to speak to your workmate?
Vibration: Do you experience vibration at work caused by hand tools or machinery?
High temperature at work: Is the temperature at your work so high that you perspire even when you do not carry out
any physical labour?
Low temperature at work: During work, are you exposed to low temperatures either in closed or open spaces?
Lifting and moving heavy objects: Do you have to lift and/or move heavy objects?
Repeated movements at work: Do you have to carry out repeated hand or arm movements?
Work with forced bodily posture: Do you carry out your work in a forced bodily posture?
Handling chemicals: Do you come in contact with harmful substances or products in your work?
Rapid pace of work: How frequently do you have to carry out work to a rapid pace?
Pace of work demanded by social expectations: Does the pace of your work depend on people like customers, clients,
passengers, patients?
Pace of work driven by machinery: Is the pace of your work determined by products or machinery?
Monotonous work: Does your work involve monotonous tasks?
Use of personal protective equipment: In carrying out your work, how often do you have to wear personal protective
equipment?
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Working conditions in Hungary
Informing employees about risks at work: Do you think you are well, quite well, rather badly or very badly informed
about the risks that originate from substances, equipment, tools or products with which you are in contact during your
work?
Education, training provided by employer: In the past 12 months, have you participated in any kind of training
involving knowledge on labour protection that was provided or financed by your employer?
Muscle pain, pain in the dorsal or lumbar region: Do you think your work has an effect on your health? Do you
experience pain in your back, neck, waist or in your muscles?
Health deterioration caused by stress: Are you under stress? Do you feel exhausted or irritable?
EF/06/47/EN
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© European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, 2006