Agenda setting on occupational safety and health in Dutch Parliamentary debates: an automated analysis of debate transcripts: abstract

Objective Legislation is one of the pillars of a good working environment and, as such, contributes to the health of individuals. It is therefore essential for researchers to gain a deeper understanding of how policy agendas are set, and how decisions are made, despite the complexity of these processes. This study leverages artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to explore how occupational safety and health (OSH) issues have been placed on the agenda within Dutch parliamentary committees over the past decade. Methods and Materials We used a quantitative corpus research approach to analyse transcripts of parliamentary debates of the committee of Social Affairs and Employment in the Dutch second chamber or House of Representatives. The transcripts analyzed were from the period of September 2008 to March 2024. Using Generative AI, we examined which OSH-related topics were discussed by specific speakers during the debates, as well as looking at their political alignment (left- or right-wing; progressive or conservative). Results Preliminary findings indicate that workplace safety and psychosocial working conditions were the most prominent topics in debates, predominantly raised by left-wing progressive parties. Temporal trends revealed fluctuations in the prominence of specific topics, with notable peaks in certain years. The final results will be presented at EPICOH 2025. Conclusion This study revealed that OSH topics were most commonly discussed by left-wing progressive parties. A better understanding of the policy-making process enables researchers to provide more targeted and constructive input, thereby improving the integration of scientific expertise into policy decisions. This study also provides an initial step utilizing automated analysis of parliamentary debates, highlighting future possibilities for policy discussions on OSH and a wider array of additional critical topics.
Abstract from: 30th Epidemiology in Occupational Health Conference (EPICOH 2025), Hosted by Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, 6–9 OCTOBER 2025, Utrecht, the Netherlands