Stress and Worker Safety

How is Stress Related to SAFETY? 

Stress, many of us are faced with it on a daily basis, however, we might not know how to deal with it. It is important to learn how to handle stress because it can affect our performance and relationships in our work and home. At work, stress can lead to distraction and can lead to an unfortunate accident. At home, stress can put a strain on family and friend relationships. At work, it is easy to tell whether we are wearing our hard hats, safety glasses or other pieces of personal protective equipment. However, our stress levels are not always easy to identify and can be a major factor when incidents occur.

Hazards Associated with Stress

Warning signs of stress do exist and can be addressed if we can identify the signs and potential causes of stress:

SIGNS of STRESS

• Trouble concentrating
• Fatigue
• Low morale
• Anxiety or irritability
• Alcohol or drug use
• Workplace violence
• Overeating or loss of appetite
• Workplace incidents

POTENTIAL CAUSES of STRESS

• Financial Problems
• Poor Management
• Driving/Commute to Work
• Over-Worked
• Heat/Cold Stress
• Medical Issues
• Poor Work Operations
• Diet / Fatigue

Control Measures

What can we all do?

• Communication is Key: Approach the issue with the sensitivity that we all deserve, but understand that an open conversation could be the difference between a healthy worker going forward, and an incident waiting to happen. If it is yourself that is stressed, talk to your supervisor for support or help.
• Be positive and motivating – When employees work well together and respect one another they want to do the best job they can for the benefit of everyone at the company.
• Report the concern to supervision if you feel someone is too stressed to work.
• Get Counseling if necessary.

Remember: Our stress may stem from many factors; at work, our commute to/from work, troubles at home etc., and could put our safety and health at risk.