Get Involved – European Safety and Health Week, 14 – 20 October 2002

Usdaw is asking all the unions health and safety reps to get involved in European Safety and Health Week. The European Week for Safety and Health at Work runs from 14 to 20 October. This year the theme for the Week is stress.

Over half a million people in the UK suffer illness because of work-related stress. Stress itself is not an illness but continued exposure to stressful working conditions can lead to a range of physical and mental health problems. The causes of work-related stress are complex. Things like lack of control over the pace or content of work, poor communications, bad job design, violence or intimidation from members of the public and bullying by work colleagues can all be factor.

General Secretary, Bill Connor, says,'The European Week is an important event in the health and safety calendar. We want to make sure that Usdaw health and safety reps are working with their employers to make it a success'

'All too often, employers fail to recognise that there are work-related risk factors that can be controlled by the way they manage their organisation. Stress is seen as an individual problem and blamed on external causes. Workers who suffer from stress-related health problems are often regarded as weak and incapable of coping. Even where stress is recognised as a problem, employers often fail to tackle the root causes and focus instead on offering counselling or other treatments for individual workers.'

'That is why I am urging Usdaw heath and safety reps to get copies of the promotional pack from the Health and Safety Executive and to use the materials the TUC is producing to do a health check on their workplace and to work with management to promote events during the Week.'

The Health and Safety Executive wants people to organise special events or take part in workplace action during the Week. They have produced an informative pack with a newsletter giving examples of what people can do and information about work-related stress and its prevention as well as stickers and posters. Regrettably the HSE pack has also caused some controversy because it includes a 4-page article from a health and safety journal on organising health and safety events that has several references to the benefits of complementary; therapies like aromatherapy and acupressure massage. This has led to complaints from several trade unions, including Usdaw. The use of the article was an unfortunate choice because it could reinforce the belief that stress management at work is all about offering such treatments to individuals. "Effort should be concentrated on stress management at the organisational level, especially as often ... there has been too strong a focus on 'caring for or curing' the individual."

The HSE has given assurances that it was not their intention to suggest that such treatments are the solution to stress. The article was included in the pack because of the practical advice it gave and to encourage people to organise "fun" events as well as more serious activities. Despite the union's reservations about the article, Usdaw will still be promoting the HSE pack because of the other useful material it contains. Copies of the HSE pack can be obtained from the Health and Safety Section at Central Office.

The TUC is producing "Stress MOT" packs that reps can use to monitor the stress levels in their workplace and assess the employer's commitment to reducing stress. The TUC web site will also include details of union activity during the Week including details of a national conference at Congress House on Monday 14 October and a PowerPoint presentation that can be downloaded by health and safety reps and used in the workplace.

Getting Involved

European Safety and Health Week gives safety reps a great opportunity to raise important health and safety issues. You can help by:

1)Talking to management to find out if your employer is planning to participate in the Week and to discuss joint activities

2)Getting a copy of the HSE pack and the TUC Stress MOT materials from the Health and Safety Section at Central Office.

3)Using the HSE and TUC materials in the workplace - e.g.using the union notice board to publicise the event, surveying members to identify work health problems or stress risk factors, etc.

4)Logging on to the European Week pages on the TUC web site

5)Letting the Health and Safety Section at Central Office know if you are organising a special event for the Week. If it's something original or a major success it may be a feature story for Arena magazine.

Media and Communications Department

Ph: 0161 224 2804

Fax: 0161 248 8588

communications@usdaw.org.uk

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© 2003 (USDAW) Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers
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