date: 25 November 2004 embargo: 00.01hrs Friday 26 November 2004

Attention: industrial correspondents, health and safety media

Stress, RSI and back strains are getting worse for UK workers

Stress, repetitive strain injuries (RSI) and back strains are the top three health hazards facing UK workers and the problems are getting worse, with employers still failing to protect their staff from ill health or serious injury, according to a report published today (Friday) by the TUC.

In the 2002 biennial TUC union safety reps survey, the top three workplace hazards were the same, with over half the reps (56 per cent) reporting that stress was affecting their colleagues, almost one in four (37 per cent) citing RSI and 31 per cent back strain.

Two years on, the 2004 survey says that the incidence of stress is up two per cent (58 per cent), and RSI and back strain are up by three and four per cent (to 40 and 35 per cent). The latest survey - ‘Focus on union safety reps’ - also reports problems caused by slips and trips moving into the workplace hazards top five (up from seventh place in 2002).

All employers are legally required to carry out regular risk assessments to try to limit workplace illness and accidents, and whilst more than half (53 per cent) the UK’s employers are carrying out adequate risk assessments, only just over four in ten of the safety reps (44 per cent) questioned were involved. Almost one in ten reps (eight per cent) said that their employer had never carried out a risk assessment.

The private sector is better (57 per cent) at carrying out risk assessments than the public sector (51 per cent), with employers in the energy and banking sectors having the best records. Local government (42 per cent) and education (43 per cent) are the worst, with London seeing the fewest number of risk assessments in the UK.

Commenting on the survey results, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: 'The top five workplace hazards are all easily preventable, yet too few employers seem to be getting to grips with preventing accidents and ill health at work. Meanwhile stress, RSI, back strain, slips and trips and problems caused by display screen equipment continue to cause pain and distress to thousands of workers and cost the UK economy millions.

'A simple risk assessment involving the expert guidance of trade union safety reps could dramatically reduce the risk of hazards in most workplaces. Yet, despite being required by law to carry them out, large numbers of employers still fail to do so. The Health and Safety Executive must get tougher with negligent bosses who continue to be reckless with the safety and well-being of their workforce.'

Other safety concerns raised by the union reps were display screen equipment (32 per cent cited the problem), working alone (27 per cent), long hours (25 per cent), violence (22 per cent) and chemicals and solvents (21 per cent).

The survey of union safety reps also says that stress is worst for workers in banking and finance (more than four in five safety reps - 83 per cent - in the sector reported that stress was a big problem), whilst the most stressed out parts of the UK are Scotland and the South West.

The TUC survey highlights a worrying lack of safety inspections carried out by the Health and Safety Executive and local authorities, with almost four in ten (39 per cent) union safety reps saying that their workplace had never been inspected. Eleven per cent of reps reported that it was over three years since their workplace was last inspected for health and safety risks or dangers.

‘Focus on union safety reps’ finds that where employers are providing occupational health services, these are less concerned with health promotion and accident prevention, than sickness monitoring and disciplinary assessments.

And although safety reps are legally entitled to time off to attend safety training courses to help them carry out their duties effectively, almost a third (30 per cent) of reps unable to attend courses said that it was because they were too busy, and almost four in ten (38 per cent) said that it was because their managers had refused them the time off to attend.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

The Trade Union Trends report ‘Focus on union safety reps’ is the fifth biennial survey of safety reps from the TUC, and is available price £30 (£20 to educational and voluntary organisations, £15 to unions). Union safety reps were questioned on a range of safety issues including hazards at work, stress and enforcement. 4,521 safety reps responded either by postal questionnaire or online during the Spring and Summer of 2004. A copy of the full report can be found at

Contacts: Media enquiries : Liz Chinchen T: 020 7467 1248; Pager: 07699 744115; E: media@tuc.org.uk

Press release (900 words) issued 26 Nov 2004