Stress tops list of staff health concerns

Stress is the biggest single health and safety problem in the workplace,
according to a TUC survey published last week.

The poll of more than 500 union safety representatives revealed that stress
was the biggest health and safety concern in almost 60 per cent of
organisations, well ahead of back pain and repetitive strain injury.

Owen Tudor, the TUC’s health and safety specialist, said the survey reveals
why employers should take stress seriously.

He welcomed the Health & Safety Executive’s (HSE) proposals to introduce
minimum stress management standards before the end of the year.

He said: "Unions consider this as long overdue. This is not just a
health and safety issue, it is a personnel issue. It is about how you organise
work."

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Tudor said the TUC would use the HSE’s powers to investigate stress
complaints once the standards have been introduced, as a way of tackling employers
that persistently ignore the problem.

www.tuc.org.uk