Stress casts "gloomy shadow" over workplaces, finds TUC

Jocelyn Dorrell | News | HSP
27.10.2008

Stress is still safety reps' biggest workplace concern and could become a greater problem as the economic slowdown raises fears over job security, the TUC has said.

Stress and overwork topped the list of hazards in the TUC's seventh biennial survey of safety reps, with 60% of respondents saying it was a concern in their workplaces, and 10 out of 14 sectors citing it as their top concern. Stress was also the most-highly rated concern in the last survey in 2006, when 61% of respondents said it was a problem in their workplaces.

According to this year's survey, which was completed by 2611 union reps in May and June, concern about overwork is greatest in central government, education and health services, with employees in large workplaces being especially vulnerable.

Use of display screen equipment (DSE) and repetitive strain injury also figured highly in the survey, with 41% and 40% of reps reporting that they were causes for concern, up from 36% and 38% in 2006.

Other concerns that have increased in the past two years include slips, trips and falls (up 6%) and bullying (up 5%). The news was better on high temperatures: the survey recorded a notable drop in concern, with 20% reporting a problem, compared to 26% in 2006, but this may be attributable to poorer summer weather.

There were some noticeable regional variations, with respondents in London most likely to be concerned about stress (68% compared to 60% overall), and those in Yorkshire and East Anglia most worried about working alone (38% compared to 30% overall). Workers in the South East (33%) and London (32%) were more concerned about violence and threats at work than the rest of the UK (26%).

Commenting on the findings, TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said, "Stress casts a gloomy shadow over far too many UK workplaces. And as the current economic crisis creates more anxiety about job security, stress is likely to increase ...

"Simple office hazards, such as spending too much time fixed on a computer screen or sitting on a badly designed chair, are often overlooked by employers. But today's survey shows that they are actually a huge concern to workers and need to be addressed."

The full results of the survey are available on the TUC website.