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The frequency rate of work-related stress and mental health problems among workers in Great Britain rose in 2016-17 to 1,610 per 100,000 workers, according to the latest Health and Safety Executive (HSE) injury and ill health statistics. This is the highest rate for at least the past 11 years.

Stress symptoms

Stress affects different people in different ways, and everyone has a different method of dealing with it. The chemicals that are released by your body as a result of stress can build up over time and cause various mental and physical symptoms.

Defining cases of work-related stress

Defining a case of work-related stress is complicated and is the subject of a 128-page report commissioned by the HSE. The conclusion drawn from the report is that no simple and universal case definition is possible, largely because of the complex nature of work-related stress.

The report suggests that stress should not be treated as an ‘illness’ but rather as a ‘process’, where the emotional experience of stress largely resulted from exposure to psychosocial hazards at work, and in the worst cases led to impairments of physical and psychological health of clinical and behavioural significance.

In terms of determining the presence of a case, the five critical elements of an epidemiological case assessment framework are:

• the report of experience of work-related stress (or equivalent)
• evidence of exposure to psychosocial hazards associated with work
• evidence of the onset of a new condition of clinical significance or of the worsening of an existing condition of similar level of significance
• evidence of a significant consequence, either in terms of absence from work or change in frequency of visits to a general practitioner (or treatment for ill health)
• lack of evidence of any major confounding individual difference or circumstance.

https://www.ioshmagazine.com/article/stress-overtakes-msds-britains-workplaces-says-hse

Employers need to be proactive with employees to help understand what steps they need to take to proactively support their mental health so that you can focus on growing the business

Contact us should you require advice or assistance.

Hand and arm injuries caused by machinery parts are far too common, even in this day and age. Take the time today to check all of your machines for hazards, and ensure that any moving parts are properly guarded.

1. Do a risk assessment to identify the hazards presented by each of the machines on site. See where a worker could get their hand pulled in by a rotating blade or roller, where a sharp blade could cut them, or where a machinery part could crush them, for example.
2. Prevent access to these parts where possible, for example by enclosing the machine. Paint lines around machines to show workers the safe areas in which they should stand. Provide emergency stop buttons in suitable places and ensure they are visible and working correctly. Use interlocks where feasible on machine doors to stop the process should the doors be opened during the machine cycle.
3. Use suitable guarding on areas that are hard to fully enclose. Use fixed, durable guards that cannot be easily removed.
4. Train workers on the hazards identified and on how to use control measures such as guarding. Make sure they know not to remove any guarding without permission, and that the machine must be isolated from the power source first.
5. Prepare in advance for maintenance and cleaning activities. Plan how workers should undertake these roles, and how guarding or other controls are to be safely removed. Use a checklist to verify that all controls are back in place and working correctly before the machine is put back into use.

Contact us if you require assistance.

As an employer you have a multitude of responsibilities for ensuring the safety of your staff, contractors, visitors, public, customers, whoever may come to your premises. To successfully outline your expectations and intentions you will need to write a selection of policy statements.

Ranging from health and safety to data protection this task can seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Ensure that policies are effective and adhered too by carrying out inspections and audits.

Tips to Ensure Your Health and Safety Policies are Effective and Adhered to

1. Ensure that all policies are suitable, succinct and relevant to their subject. Don’t make them too long, or ask readers to refer to multiple additional documents – keep everything in one place as much as possible.
2. Make sure they are written by persons with the relevant technical or health and safety knowledge, and that they are signed off at a senior level. Check that the contents accurately reflect what happens on the ground – policy writers should read the relevant risk assessments and observe the actual work before writing a policy to ensure all hazards/controls have been identified.
3. Ensure workers have access to the policies – if they are stored electronically, make sure those workers without access to a computer have paper copies. Explain the contents of policies and make sure workers have the opportunity to ask questions if they don’t understand what they need to do.
4. Make sure policies are updated periodically, taking into account any changes in the workplace or to legislation.
5. Instigate regular checks to ensure policies are being followed. Report on compliance at health and safety meetings, and give responsibilities and accountability to senior staff members to ensure the policy requirements are fulfilled.

Contact us if you require assistance.

Preventing vehicle runaways and unauthorised movement is vital – serious accidents and even fatalities can occur as a result. Make sure you introduce and monitor safe coupling and uncoupling procedures to prevent an accident happening on your premises.

Tips to Ensure Your Workers Undertake Vehicle Coupling and Uncoupling Safely

1. Do a risk assessment to identify the hazards involving your particular type of vehicles and trailers. Look for ways in which workers could be run over or crushed, or how they could slip underneath vehicles if the ground conditions were bad, for example.
2. Develop a safe system of work for workers to follow, with step-by-step instructions. Monitor the use of the procedure to check that workers are following it correctly.
3. Provide training for workers on the safe system of work. Make sure they know how the hoses are to be connected in different circumstances, for example when close-coupled combinations are necessary when access to the fifth wheel may be limited.
4. Always undertake an environmental check before commencing the activity – ensure that the ground is firm and level and able to properly support the landing legs. Verify that the lighting is good before starting work, as workers will need to be able to check that locking pins and safety clips are correctly connected and that they are in the right place.
5. Make sure that drivers always use the parking brake for vehicles, and that they remove the keys after turning the engine off to prevent any potential movement, or even another driver moving the vehicle without warning.

Contact us if you require assistance.