Evolution of Psychosocial Risk Surveillance in Chile: From SUSESO/ISTAS21 to CEAL-SM. Technical Advances, Structural Persistences, and Pending Challenges

Abstract

This article analyses the transition of Chile’s official instrument for assessing psychosocial hazards at work, from the SUSESO/ISTAS21 questionnaire (developed by the Chilean Social Security Superintendence in 2013) to the Workplace Environment and Mental Health Assessment Questionnaire (CEAL-SM), approved by the Chilean Ministry of Health in 2022. Drawing on a review of regulatory documents, technical manuals, national reports, and critical academic literature, the study examines changes in methodological foundations, regulatory framework, assessed dimensions, and intervention logic. The CEAL-SM represents a shift toward a more enforceable and standardised model, incorporating contemporary dimensions—such as organizational trust and justice, vulnerability, and violence and harassment—and strengthening the mandatory role of the Application Committee, discussion groups, and biennial reassessment. However, only workplaces classified as high risk are formally required to enter the Surveillance Programme. Structural gaps persist: weaknesses in the intervention stage, incomplete coverage, exclusion of precarious and informal sectors, and limited capacity to address emerging risks linked to digitalisation and algorithmic management. The article concludes that, without stronger alignment with labour policies and greater enforceability for medium-risk workplaces, the Chilean model will continue to operate primarily as a diagnostic tool rather than a driver of meaningful improvements in working conditions.