date: Monday 13 December 2004 embargo: 00:01 hours Tuesday 14 December

Attention: health and safety correspondents

Looming deadlines increase the risk of heart attacks

Research published today (Tuesday) in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health confirms the TUC view that stress brought about by long working hours and short deadlines can cause heart attacks and may kill. The report reveals that the risk of a heart attack the day following a high-pressure work deadline is increased six-fold.

Workers in the UK continue to have the longest hours working hours in Europe and yet are still expected to work to full capacity and beyond to meet unfeasible deadlines.

Commenting today on the long term study conducted by the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, TUC General Secretary, Brendan Barber, said:

"This research highlights the need for all employers to take workloads and working hours seriously and ensure that company working practices are not putting workers' health and lives at risk.

'The report shows that stress is not just an executive or senior management issue but a problem for all workers from lorry drivers, bullied into falsifying their driving hours records, to garment workers, overworked and working at speed to fulfil last minute orders. Britain has to move away from a ‘just-in-time culture’ to an organised and responsible approach to working time to protect the health and welfare of working people."

NOTES TO EDITORS:

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Contacts:

Media enquiries : Dan Ashley T: 020 7467 1372; M: 07880 504 846; E: dashley@tuc.org.uk

Press release (400 words) issued 14 Dec 2004