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Preventive action and early identification

 

Legal background

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 requires employers to secure the health (including mental health), safety and welfare of employees at work. This includes providing a safe place of work, safe systems of work, and information and training.
 
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require suitable and sufficient assessments of health and safety risks at work to be carried out – this includes the risk of stress-related ill health.
 
The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 & 2005 impose a duty on employers to make reasonable adjustments to their working practices and/or premises to accomodate the needs of disabled people.  The legislations give rights to people who have or have had a disability which makes it difficult for them to carry out day-to-day activities. The disability could be physical, sensory or mental. It must also be substantial and have a long term effect, i.e. it must last or be expected to last for at least 12 months.


Stress specifics

The HSE Management Standards outline all of the necessary practical steps required for the management of stress in the workplace. They are guidance only – not regulation or an approved code of practice.
 
There are two papers which describe the evidence behind the HSE’s approach to tackling stress and the development and validation of the Management Standards.


Stress risk assessment

One of the steps outlined in the Management Standards is carrying out a risk assessment. This is useful for identifying any issues which there may be, and preventing any further issue developing.  An HSE overview is available, as well as a TUC overview of what’s involved in carrying out a stress risk assessment.
More detailed support for each step of a risk assessment process can be found on the HSE website. The website has advice about:


More stress risk assessment information

The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work also has a factsheet outlining a risk assessment process and another about interventions from a number of European countries.
 
The TUC website has a PowerPoint presentation outlining the key issues surrounding stress risk assessment.
 
Overview document for employers from the Local Government Employers, signed up to by the CBI, CEEP, DTI, FPB, HSE and TUC. In this document, the HSE’s Management Standards are referred to as a means of helping employers and employees manage the issues surrounding stress at work.
 
Guidance on how to create a mentally healthy workplace is available from the Mayor of London's Office.
 
The British Occupational Health Research Foundation’s Systematic review of workplace interventions for people with common mental health problems advises that for employees who don't have common mental health problems or who aren't at high risk, a range of stress management interventions can have a beneficial and practical impact. Find out more…
 
Further support on Mangement Standards is available from Health and Safety Executive.