Work Place Stress Risk Assessments

1. Work Place Stress Risk Assessments Geraldine Malley Welfare Adviser Geraldine Malley Welfare Adviser 2002

2. Aims: To assist Managers and employees to complete the Work Place Stress Risk Assessment (WPSRA) following a period of sickness absence as stated in the Management of Sickness Absence SO/1/2/8 or when it is identified by an employee/Manager that they are suffering from stress.

3. What is a risk assessment? A risk assessment is a careful examination of what (in the work place) could cause harm to the employee so you can assess whether you have taken enough precautionary measures to prevent harm and that no-one gets hurt or injured through accidents or ill health.

4. continued: The importance of assessing a HAZARD is significant and you need to shown that you have covered this by taking satisfactory precautions. So the RISKis small. This needs to be checked when you assess the risks.

5. How to assess the risks in your work place • Step 1: Look for the hazards

6. Potential stress hazard could be: • An employee has indicated that they are unable to cope with the demands of their job/role. • They may feel that they have to work longer hours to complete or finalise projects • It may also be that they find their work boring or repetitive

7. Step 2: Decide who might be harmed and how

8. continue: The working environment, are there hazards for example, noise, heat, or defective PC equipment? Don’t forget to consider new employees, expectant mothers or employees who may not be in the work place all the time (cleaners/maintenance workers) or members of the public who may visit the premises.

9. Step 3: Evaluate the risks and decide whether the existing precautions are adequate or whether more should be done

10. continue: You have to decide for each significant hazard whether the remaining risk is unacceptable, high, medium or low. Ask yourself if you have done all the things that the law states you have to do. You must do everything that is reasonably practicable to keep your workplace safe.

11. Make all risksas small as possible Draw up an action plan and give priority to any remaining risks which are high and/or those that can effect employees

12. Ask yourself: Can I get rid of the hazard altogether? If not, how can I control the risks so that harm is unlikely?

13. Step 4: Record your findings

14. continue: This means writing down the significant findings of your assessment, writing down hazards and control measures. You need to show that proper checks were made. You dealt with the significant hazards The control measures are reasonable and the remaining risk is low.

15. Step 5: Review your assessment and revise it if necessary

16. continue: If there are any significant changes within the workplace, which could lead to new hazards, an assessment would need to be made to take account of the new hazard and any risks. Review every three months or following an injury, accident, dangerous occurrence or any time you deem necessary.

17. continue: Once a risk assessment has been completed a copy should be retained in the work place risk assessment folder BUT if the assessment contains sensitive information it should be kept in a secure file locked away. A copy of the assessment should be sent to the appropriate person within OHS&W (i.e. Welfare Adviser, Occupational Health)