The Stress of managing stress

Stress is often seen as a tricky one to negotiate, the many variables make it vast as a measurable and monitorable workplace hazard even leading some to barely recognise it as such. However see it and control it as a workplace hazard we must or moreover we should!

There are many debates amongst my peers in Health and Safety as to the classification of stress and the legal requirement to manage it but I find all of this distractionary for two reasons -

1. In my line of work work you should know well that if a barrister can pull you up and rip you apart on something they will so why even give them a thread to pull at.

2. If you don't care about people enough to see them as a whole human being why are you even working in health and safety?

This peer debate has a knock on effect it leads many industries to believe that a simple stress risk assessment completed once a person is already in some need of support is enough to effectively manage stress in the workplace . What I am about to write I have said repeatedly to every single former employer: If you were to control any other hazard like this you would not only be bang to rights in court you would also find your injury/harm rate through the roof, but because we don't talk about mental health enough, because this is still somewhat taboo we don't see the tip of that iceberg.

So you can see that the process of trying to effectively manage stress is stressful to me - i happen to work in a high stress industry and even there it is like pulling teeth trying to get it dealt with proactively also mental health first aiders - do me a favour stop that nonsense!

There is a new british standard for Suicide prevention in the workplace - BS30480 this is worth a read it gives some very good and clear guidance on management of stress and prevention of suicide which in personal experience is gut wrenchingly, mind searchingly awful! please go and have a read and if you want to manage stress better in your workplace get in touch I would love to help!