Workplace stress directly affects workers’ health, morale, and workplace relations. In turn, this impacts the organisation’s productivity and worker turnover.

Some 828,000 workers suffered from work-related stress, depression, or anxiety in the most recent year data is available. This accounted for 17.9 million lost working days lost, as per the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

No law specifically covers stress problems at work. However, protection comes from various sources. The statutory law – Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 states that employers should take steps to ensure that the workplace is safe and healthy, and to control identified hazards and risks.

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require business owners to perform a sufficient risk assessment for the health and safety of workers. Employers should put proper controls in place to minimise these risks as far as practically possible.

This online course aims to enable participants to participate in and benefit from stress management in an industrial environment.

The users will explore the following sections in the online course:

• The Facts about Stress
• Health Effects of Stress
• How Problems Can Arise
• Be Aware
• Assess the Problem
• Take Action
• Support Yourself

This health and safety online training is designed for all employees working in an industrial environment.

Participants will be able to:

• Explain basic facts about stress and its consequences
• Identify sources of stress in an industrial work environment
• Explain how stress can lead to hazardous situations
• Take practical steps to cope with stress

Choosing Human Focus for this health and safety course provides the following benefits:

• CPD certified
• No extra costs
• Easy-to-use learning management system (LMS)
• Easy to log and track training record
• Concise/to the point presentation
• Self-paced

• 100% online course
• 30+ minutes in length
• End of course knowledge test

 Knowledge Test 

Users need to attain at least an 80% on the end of course assessment to earn the certificate. They are given multiple attempts to pass the test.

Certification

CPD certified certificates issued by Human Focus to trainees upon completion of the course.

• Mental health awareness courses
• Managing Violence & Aggression at work
• What is mental health first aid?
• Signs of workplace stress
• Managing stress at work – Guide for employees

Six main areas lead to work-related stress, according to the HSE. These include demand, control, support, relationships, job role, and change. Workers may feel overwhelmed by the demands of the job, a lack of control over their own performance, a lack of information or communication, or difficulties with relationships. Employers should encourage open communication with their workers to better identify and manage sources of stress in the workplace.

Stress is proven to directly affect health by causing headaches, various body pains and aches, higher blood pressure, weaker immune response, fatigue, increased cholesterol, and digestive disruptions. Stress can also greatly affect mood by increasing anxiety or anger. It can drastically affect attention and patience levels, which can in turn lead to safety issues on the job. A stressed worker is not a healthy worker, and may possibly be a danger not only to themselves but others in an industrial environment.

Pressure may be positive and a motivating factor that helps one achieve goals and perform better. However, stress is a reaction to too much pressure, meaning when pressure becomes excessive and demotivating. While it can be difficult to determine exactly where to draw the line between pressure and stress, keeping aware of the difference and maintaining open communication with employees can help employers understand when controls should bt put into place.