Risk Perception and Its Foundation among Swedish Individuals Occupationally Exposed to Air Pollutants and Chemicals: A Comparison of 1975 and 2011

Although work environment conditions have improved much in the last decades, occupational exposures to chemicals and air pollutants still cause adverse health effects. The risk perception of occupational exposures to hazardous substances and the motivations for it have been investigated through a questionnaire study. These results have also been compared to previous studies performed by the largest trade union confederation in Sweden in 1975. In the current survey, 30% of the respondents believe to be at risk, 48% not, and 22% state to be unsure. The proportion of persons experiencing to be at risk due to exposures to chemicals or air pollution at work is unexpectedly similar to that of 1975. The explanations offered for the risk perception were in many cases vague and of a subjective nature, but again results are similar to those of 1975. References to more solid justifications such as performed exposure measurements or medical health checks are scarce, with the latter case being as scarce today as in 1975. There are only a few indications that a more systematic management of work environment issues has developed at Swedish workplaces; for instance, managers were more commonly stated as a source of information in 2011 than in 1975. 1. Introduction Working conditions have a major impact on public health and welfare. In Sweden, occupational diseases are estimated to cause at least 1000 fatalities per year [1]. Although the work environment in Sweden has gone through major improvements from a physicochemical perspective during the past forty years [2], exposure to hazardous air pollution should not be considered an issue of the past. Statistics are available on the percentage of employed Swedes stating to be exposed to air pollutants, defined as palpable dust or chemicals, during at least 1/4th of their time at work since 1997. The percentages are quite stable; in 1997, 23% of the workforce stated to be exposed at least 1/4th of their time at work [3]; in 2011, the corresponding number was 22% [4]. The highest level during this period, 24%, was recorded in 2007 [5]. As there are approximately 4.5 million workers in Sweden, this can be expressed as close to one million Swedes are exposed to air pollutants at work for at least a 1/4th of their working time. A survney performed in spring 2010 indicated that 0.5% of the employed women and 0.4% of the employed men had experienced work-related disorders due to chemical exposures during the last twelve months [6]. Individuals’ risk perception and the foundations for that belief are important targets for