HSE Agriculture e-Bulletin
Issued: 25 November 2021
Agriculture is one of five sectors that will be specifically targeted in a new campaign aimed at helping small businesses with easy to implement advice, including simple steps to introduce the principles of the stress management standards.
Working Minds campaign launched
Launched by Sarah Albon, HSE chief executive, at the HSE Health and Work Conference earlier this month, Working Minds raises awareness about how to recognise and respond to the signs of stress.Work-related stress is now the number one cause of employee sickness absence, with major factors causing work-related stress including workload pressures - tight timescales, too much responsibility and a lack of managerial support.
HSE 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.
Wayne Owen, HM Principal Inspector of Health and Safety, said: “Our campaign is focused on giving employers a clear reminder of their duties while championing ways to reduce work-related stress and promote good mental health.
"We’re calling for a culture change across British agriculture where recognising, responding and managing the signs of work-related stress becomes routine.”
Manager of the Farm Safety Foundation, Stephanie Berkeley, said: “Physical and mental health need to have equal air-time because they’re so importantly linked. We know from our research that for 92 per cent of young farmers poor mental health is the biggest hidden danger in farming today and that’s why we’re joining up with the Health and Safety Executive on this very valuable campaign.”
Sharing personal experience is a powerful way of helping others to understand the real-life impacts of these issues. If you have an experience of work-related stress – either personally or managing stress as an employer – we’d love to hear from you. Please email [email protected] and a member of the team will be in touch.
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