Agriculture is one of five sectors that will be specifically targeted in a new campaign launched by the Health and Safety Executive, aimed at helping businesses recognise the signs of work-related stress.
The HSE, Britain’s workplace regulator, says that while the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is yet to be fully understood, mental health issues are the number one reason given for sick days in across the UK economy. Last year more than 17 million working days were lost as a result of stress, anxiety, or depression.
A recent survey by the charity Mind suggests that two in five employees mental health had worsened during the pandemic.
In response HSE launched a new campaign, ‘Working Minds’, at its Health and Work Conference this week, which examines issues relating to health at work. The campaign aims to help businesses recognise the signs of work-related stress and make tackling issues routine.
The regulator has partnered with a number of organisations to highlight the triggers of stress, the legal duty of employers and how to manage the risks. The network of Working Minds champions includes the Farm Safety Foundation, who earlier this year shared the story of Cornwall farmer James Hosking and his experience of mental ill health.
While the five target sectors account for around six million workers, mainly in small businesses, HSE is capitalising on ‘Working Minds’ to call for a culture change across Britain’s workplaces to ensure psychological risks are treated the same as physical ones in health and safety risk management.
Protecting mental health
HSE’s chief executive Sarah Albon said: “Work-related stress and poor mental health should be treated with the same significance as risks of poor physical health and injury. In terms of the affect it has on workers, significant and long-term stress can limit performance and impact personal lives.
“No worker should suffer in silence and if we don’t act now to improve workers’ mental health, this could evolve into a health and safety crisis.
“The pandemic has highlighted the need to protect the health of employees who have faced unprecedented challenges; the Government is committed to building back better and we want to make sure good mental health is central to this.”
Working Minds is aimed specifically at supporting small businesses by providing employers and workers with easy to implement advice, including simple steps in its ‘5 R’s’ to Reach out, Recognise, Respond, Reflect, and make it Routine.
Employers and workers wanting to know more about the Working Minds campaign, including the legal obligations, advice, and tools available, should visit: www.workright.campaign.gov.uk/working-minds.
