The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations

Regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (MHSWR) requires employers to make a “suitable and sufficient” assessment of health and safety risks, in order to identify the preventative and protective measures necessary to reduce those risks. This includes the risks to mental health. In addition, risk assessments must be kept under review.

When identifying potential sources of stress, it is important to remember that there is plenty of evidence to demonstrate that stress is not confined to high pressure jobs, or jobs involving a lot of face-to-face interaction with members of the public. Stress is also a serious problem where roles and work processes are boring and repetitive.

The MHSWR recognise this, by requiring employers to implement preventative measures aimed at alleviating monotonous and repetitive work which are based on principles that include adapting work to the individual (especially regarding workplace design), choice of work equipment, and working and production methods, The regulations emphasise the importance of developing a coherent overall prevention policy covering technology, work organisation, working conditions, social relationships, and the working environment. Union reps are often best placed to make suggestions for changes to work organisation that can be small and low-cost, but which make a big difference to individual stress levels. Operating at workplace level and able to develop strong, trusting relationships with colleagues, reps are especially well-placed to help combat sensitive psycho-social workplace issues such as stress, where employees are likely to be reluctant to be open in expressing concerns.