Silicosis is one of the oldest occupational diseases. Recently, the emergence of artificial stone manufacturing and processing has led to a new surge in cases of accelerated silicosis in many high-income countries. These types of rapidly progressive silicosis cases have also emerged in Taiwan, clustering in small-sized facilities, with migrant workers being particularly vulnerable due to the nature of work and a lack of information. While the labor authorities have issued warnings and guidance addressing this issue, active preventative measures have not yet been implemented, especially from the perspective of workers. Meanwhile, research is relatively limited regarding the disease experiences of afflicted workers, the risk perceptions and preventive behaviors of workers in high-risk industries, and the response of the current occupational health management system. This research adopts the "Social Determinants of Health" (SDH) analytical framework and is structured into four parts. In the first part, in-depth interviews are conducted to explore the risk perception and experiences of domestic and migrant workers who have been diagnosed with silicosis. The second part utilizes in-depth interviews to gather information regarding risk perceptions and attitudes from workers with a high risk of dust exposure and related personnel. The third part utilizes in-depth interviews to gain insight into the perspectives and experiences of case managers within the occupational health system. The fourth part involves a literature analysis, aiming to compare policy responses regarding the manufacturing, processing, and consumption of artificial stone, as well as the management of silicosis cases across countries. 

Objective: Psychosocial hazards at work have drawn increasing attention. In Taiwan, the Occupational Safety and Health Act was amended in 2013 to include provisions on preventing excessive workload and unlawful infringement. It was further amended in 2025 by introducing a new chapter to address workplace bullying. However, research on the features of Taiwan's regulatory frameworks and the attitudes, practices, and challenges faced by Taiwan's enterprises has remained insufficient. While successive workplace health surveys conducted by the Ministry of Labor have incorporated questionnaire items on such hazards and numerous empirical studies have also been conducted on this topic, the assessment and monitoring approaches, as well as how they can be improved, require in-depth investigation.

Methods: This project will be conducted over a three-year period. In the first year, the study will focus on regulatory frameworks for preventing psychosocial hazards in the workplace. Data will be collected and analyzed through a literature review supplemented by expert interviews to examine policy evolution, types of intervention, and their contents in Taiwan and internationally. In the second year, in-depth interviews will be conducted with managers of enterprises and external consultants. The aim is to understand how enterprises perceive and respond to increasingly stringent regulatory requirements, as well as the challenges encountered in practice. In the third year, instruments and measures for the quality of work adopted by major countries and organizations will be examined. We aim to revise or develop new scales, with a focus on the dimensions of job control and employment precariousness. The study will first involve interviews with workers to assess the applicability of the scales, followed by a survey to evaluate their reliability, validity, and criterion-related validity. 

Expected contributions: This study shall provide insights into the context of occupational health policies and management practices. Additionally, it will provide assessment instruments with established reliability and validity, which will help identify psychosocial hazards at work and inform the design of effective occupational health management interventions.

Keywords: psychosocial hazards, occupational health, policy, management, scale