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Attention: Health and Safety, Industrial, Welfare

Page 4

Stress At Work On the Increase

Three out of four union safety reps say that stress is a major workplace hazard, a TUC survey reveals today (Monday). The figure is up from two-thirds in the previous survey of health and safety reps.

The biennial survey of nearly 6,000 health and safety reps, launched on the first day of European Health and Safety at Work Week, asked respondents to list the five main hazards at work. Stress topped the list in organisations of all sizes and across all sectors. And in each case, the percentage of those reporting stress at work had risen. Other major hazards included the use of display screen equipment (48%), slips, trips and falls (46%), back strains (44%) and RSI (37%).

The survey also suggests:

• violence at work is a major concern. 28% of respondents cited it as one of the top five workplace hazards. In the health and voluntary sectors the figure was even higher (44% and 41% respectively).

• bad employers continue to flout health and safety laws. Despite the legal obligations to do so, less than half (44%) of the employers in the survey had completed adequate risk assessments. One in five safety reps were not being consulted by their management either automatically or on request. And although trade union reps are entitled to inspect their workplace four times a year, only 29% had done so three or more times.

• in the main, quality occupational health services are not being offered. The key focus of occupational health services should be the prevention of workplace health and safety risks but where they exist, they are more likely to be responsible for first aid (49%) or used for pre-employment screening (35%) than for advising on prevention (25%).

The TUC report welcomes the Fairness at Work proposals which will entitle union members to be represented on safety matters regardless of whether the union is recognised by the employer, and calls for new measures to be introduced as part of a planned ministerial review of worker representation on health and safety.

These include:

• the right to enforce the law on consultation with safety reps over health and safety matters where employers have failed to do so

• the right to serve provisional improvement notices where employers have refused to comply with their legal responsibilities

• a greater control over the provision and standards of occupational health services.

The TUC is also calling for an HSC Approved Code of Practice on the prevention of occupational stress; discussions between employers and unions about measures to prevent violence at work; and a campaign to raise awareness of and compliance with safety law that already exists.

TUC General Secretary John Monks said: 'We know that workplaces with trade union health and safety reps are safer than those without them. But this survey also tells us that some employers are still failing to meet their legal obligations. That’s why the Fairness at Work proposals entitling union members to representation even if their employer does not recognise a union will be so crucial in ensuring more employees get the safety provisions they are entitled to.'

Under the Safety Representative and Safety Committee Regulations 1977, trade unions who are recognised by an employer for collective bargaining purposes, have the legal right to appoint health and safety reps. In the 21 years since gaining these rights, trade union health and safety reps have prevented over 1/4 million serious injuries. There are approximately 200,000 trade union health and safety reps in the UK. 5,801 reps responded to the 1998 survey.

The TUC is also encouraging safety reps to use their existing rights to inspect their workplace regularly, take training courses without loss of pay, and set up joint union-management safety committees to provide a forum for agreeing joint approaches to prevention. A leaflet, 'Workers use your safety rep - safety reps use your rights', is being distributed through unions, safety rep training courses and local Trades Union Councils.

Notes to editors: 1. Details of the main hazards broken down by sector are attached. 2. European Health and Safety at Work week from Monday 19 October give some details

Main workplace hazards by sector

The main causes of workplace stress.

Respondents were able to name more than one cause.

Notes to Editors:

All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk

A series of TUC rights leaflets are available on the know your rights line 0870 600 4 882. Lines are open every day from 8am-10pm. Calls are charged at the national rate.

Contacts:

Media enquiries: Liz Chinchen on 020 7467 1248 or 076 99 744115 (pager)

Other enquiries:

Press release (1,000 words) issued 14 Oct 1998