Health and safety at work

Almost half of all work-related illness is linked to stress, anxiety and depression.

According to the most recent Health and Safety at work statistics, 914,000 workers have reported to be suffering from stress, anxiety or depression. This can affect anyone, at any time and in different ways.

The HSE defines stress as "the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them.”

Working Minds campaign

The Working Minds Campaign has been created by the HSE to support and improve the mental health of all workers.

They have produced an app, quiz, podcasts and resources to promote good mental health and provide information to both employees and employers. The Food, Safety and Licensing Team at both Councils advocate that our local businesses make use of these easily accessible resources.  They are a way to help prevent stress, consider health risks like mental health whilst people are at work.   

Employers

It is a legal requirement for employers to prevent work-related stress illnesses, by identifying and managing the risks to all staff.

The 5 steps to risk assessment can be linked to the working minds campaign priorities in order for the employer understand how to put this in the context of the risk assessment process;

Step one: Identify the hazards. Reach out to staff, start a conversation in order to find out what issues they are experiencing.

Step two: Decide who might be harmed and how. Recognise the signs and whether the issues are home or work related. Work stressors will be associated with one or more of the 6 HSE stress management standard categories (demands, control, support, relationships, role, change). Use the HSE questionnaire and analysis as needed. Stress Indicator Tool (SIT) (hse.gov.uk)

Step three: Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions. Respond by identifying the controls to reduce the work-related stressors that are affecting staff, causing absence from work and behavioural difficulties.

Step four: Record your findings and implement them. Reflect and put the controls in place with timescales and why decisions were taken.

Step five: Review your assessment and update. Make it routine, discuss, look at achievements, start to change the culture, go through the risk assessment process regularly.

The HSE has published Risk Assessment templates and examples for employers to use. Further advice on supporting mental health in the workplace such as the Talking Toolkit, can be found on the ‘Employer’ section of the Working Minds website.

Employees

It is important to recognise the signs of stress, this can help other individuals, teams or yourself. Talking to colleagues, managers or health professionals as soon as possible, allows support to be put in place and can stop things from getting worse. There is advice on ‘Workers’ section of the Working Minds website.

Where else to look for help and support

Stress at work - HSE
Supporting mental health at work - Acas
Home – Mental Health At Work
Samaritans | Every life lost to suicide is a tragedy | Here to listen
Your mind plan (www.nhs.uk)
Useful contacts - stress - Mind