GAP Project

The GAP module is a questionnaire (module) for the specific recording of stress that can occur in connection with working with digital means of communication/media and new technologies. It can be used as an additional module to conventional methods of assessing the risk of mental stress. It was developed to supplement the COPSOQ procedure (Nübling et al., 2005).

Target Groups
The GAP questionnaire module is aimed at all those involved in occupational health and safety who are involved in risk assessment in the company. However, the questionnaire module can also be used by inter-company institutions and actors who provide advice and support to companies in the preparation and implementation of risk assessments.

Finally, it is also aimed at scientists who are interested in investigating occupational psychology and occupational medicine issues.

The GAP module asks about three areas:

(1) Use of technologies in one's own work: Includes 7 questions on the application and use of digital data, means of communication and networking as well as robotics and automats

(2) Strain related to new technologies: Includes six questions on psychological strain at work, which have been shown to be particularly relevant in connection with the introduction of new technologies and which are insufficiently recorded in standard risk assessments (e.g. large amount of information, need for continuous training). If the strains are present, the connection with digital means of communication/technologies must be assessed.

(3) Evaluations of working with new technologies: Consists of twelve questions on how new technologies have changed work and working conditions, formulated half as positive and half as negative evaluations.

The GAP questionnaire module is available as a pdf document. It can thus be used as a print template for written paper-pencil surveys and for feeding into digital survey formats.

The user also has access to a manual with instructions on how to carry out, evaluate and interpret the results, as well as information on developing the questionnaire.

Nübling, M., Stößel, U., Hasselhorn, H. M., Michaelis, M., & Hofmann, F. (2005). Methoden zur Erfassung psychischer Belastungen-Erprobung eines Messinstrumentes (COPSOQ). Schriftenreihe der Bundesanstalt für Arbeitsschutz und Arbeitsmedizin, Fb 1058. Wirtschaftsverlag NW Verlag für Neue Wissenschaft.

The company-specific half-day workshop aims to provide information and research findings on the subject of digital communication and information overload, as well as to reflect on the participants' experiences of communicating with digital media. In this way, an awareness of the relevance of the topic for one's own work should be created. Problems and peculiarities in company-related digital information exchange are to be identified and solution-oriented agreements on how to deal with them are to be drawn up.

The workshop is aimed at all operational stakeholders in the company. It can be carried out by those responsible for occupational health and safety or human resources management. An optimal group size is reached with a maximum of 12 people. Depending on the needs and size of the company, the composition of the group can focus on different levels: management level, team leader level, employee level (e.g. department-related composition).

The half-day workshop is designed for a period of 4 hours (+ 45 minutes break) and is structured as follows:

The half-day workshop is guided by a set of slides in the sense of a lecture with background information and supporting instructions for the moderated group work. The workshop slides are available as a pdf document. In order to provide various stakeholders in the company with the necessary knowledge on the subject as well as support for conducting and conducting the workshop, the following additional information can be found in an accompanying lecturer guide (pdf):

• Information on the target group, the process, the methodology, the required material and the implementation of the workshop,
• Additional information on the input phases
• Material for the participants (e.g. Outlook guide)
• Evaluation forms (evaluation of the workshop and the success of the measures)
• exemplary representation of agreements/workshop results of a sample company

Bretschneider, M., Drössler, S., Magister S., Zeiser, M., Kämpf, D.; Seidler, A. (2020) Digitalisierung und Psyche - Rahmenbedingungen für eine gesunde Arbeitswelt. Ergebnisse des Projektes GAP. Zeitschrift für Arbeitswissenschaft, 74, 63-75. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41449-020-00206-x

Drössler, S., Steputat, A., Baranyi, G., Kämpf, D. & Seidler, A. (2017). Gesunde Arbeit in Pionierbranchen (GAP). Entwicklung einer Industrie-4.0-spezifischen Toolbox zum Arbeits- und Gesundheitsschutz in der Halbleitertechnik. In: DGAUM, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Arbeitsmedizin und Umweltmedizin (Hrsg.), 56. Wissenschaftliche Jahrestagung 2017. Dokumentation der Vorträge und Poster, Hamburg 15.-17.03.2017.

Drössler, S., Baranyi, G., Kämpf, D., Haupold, G., Schulze, C. & Seidler, A. (2016). Arbeits- und Gesundheitsschutz 4.0. Vortrag gehalten auf dem Silixon Saxony Day, 22.06.2016, in Dresden.