Checklist

A Barbour Checklist for Health and Safety Officers:

Stress in the Workplace
Reviewed February 22March 22

When carrying out a workplace assessment, consider: factors that are likely to cause stress, whether those factors are
currently a problem, employees who are at risk of experiencing workplace stress including groups who are at
particular risk, existing preventive or precautionary measures and the action that is required to eliminate or reduce
risk.

Name of business/
organisation

Number of
employees

Director/person Name ……………………………

responsible for
health and safety Contact telephone number ……………………………….

Other source of competent health and safety advice (internal/external – please state)

………………………………………………………………………………..

noise at work □ poor lighting □

Does work involve exposure to fumes, chemicals or other unpleasant substances □
any of the following: lone working □ shift working □ extended working hours □
high profile □ high demands □ high level of responsibility □
time pressure □ responsibility for others □ customer/client complaints □
surveillance □ the threat of violence □ monotonous or repetitive work □
dealing with conflict/unacceptable behaviour □

other potential factors which could cause stress? ………………………………………..

job insecurity □ lack of facilities or inadequate rest breaks □

Are any of the excessive workload □ inadequate staffing □ inadequate training □
following relevant new organisation or structure □ suspected bullying/harassment □
factors: employees who are particularly susceptible to stress □

other………………………………………………...?

Health and Safety Name: …………………………….. Signed ……………………………

Officer

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 Checklist Y/N/NA Notes
Policy and management

Does the company’s health and safety policy

include workplace stress and its prevention?

Has a risk assessment for psychological health, as

well as physical health, been carried out?

If there are five or more employees, is the risk

assessment documented?

Note. The level of detail within risk assessments

should be proportionate to the level of stress risk
present and the scale of the organisation.

Name of person who carried out risk assessment

Is the risk assessor competent? i.e. do they have

appropriate skills, knowledge and training?

Is the employer making use of the HSE’s

‘Management Standards’ to manage and control
the risks from work-related stress?

See Appendix B.

Do all managers and supervisors understand what

is required of them to control stress issues?

Are employees informed of the significant findings

of risk assessments for stress at work?

Does the organization implement suitable

monitoring measures for employees particularly at
risk from stress?

Is there a system for employees to inform

management about workplace stress?

Are employees aware of this system?

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 Checklist Y/N/NA Notes
Stress risk

If appropriate, have high-risk locations, jobs with

the greatest risk of stress, as well as the
processes and procedures that put employees at
risk been identified?

Is the workplace environment conducive to work,

ie not noisy, crowded, cluttered, hot or cold or
dangerous?

Have suitable measures been implemented where

needed to improve environmental conditions?

Are adequate rest breaks incorporated into the

daily routine?

Are employees provided with information on

stress reduction and management where
appropriate?

Are the requirements of the job and individual

competencies/skill set matched?

Are employees consulted so that they can make

their views known on working practices and any
concerns?

Do staff know who to approach for advice on

stress problems?

Is there a grievance process?

Are there documented procedures for

bullying/harassment in the workplace?

Are counselling or occupational health checks

offered to employees who report symptoms which
appear to be linked with work related stress?

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Further Information
The HSE has developed a micro-site on the topic of stress including links to various resources and details of the
HSE’s Management Standards: http://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/
Work-related stress, topic inspection pack http://www.hse.gov.uk/foi/internalops/fod/inspect/stress.pdf

Appendices: Underpinning knowledge

A. Legal duties of the company and enforcing officers:

 The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

Employers have a legal duty under this Act to take measures to control the risk of stress-related ill health of
their employees.
 The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
Employers must assess the risk of stress-related ill health arising from work activities.
 The Equality Act 2010
 Civil Law
An employer owes a 'duty of care' to individual employees in the course of their employment.
 The Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 1977, the Offshore Installations
(Safety Representatives and Safety Committees) Regulations 1989 and the Health and Safety
(Consultation with Employees) Regulations 1996 require employers to consult with employees or their
representatives on any matter that affects their health or safety at work, including actions taken to manage the
causes of work-related stress.

B. Management Standards:
 Demand – Issues like workload, work pattern and the work environment.
 Control – What influence the person has about the way they do their work.
 Support – Including the encouragement, sponsorship and resources provided by the employer, line
management and colleagues.
 Relationships – Including promoting positive working to avoid conflict and dealing with unacceptable
behaviour.
 Role – Whether employees understand their role within the organisation and whether the organisation
ensures that the person does not have conflicting roles.

 Change – How organisational change (large or small) is managed and communicated in the organisation.

Disclaimer

These example forms, checklists and model policies are provided by Barbour for general guidance on matters of interest. In making these
documents available to a general and diverse audience it is not possible to anticipate the requirements or the hazards of any subscriber’s
business. Users are therefore advised to carefully evaluate the contents and adapt the forms and checklists to suit the requirements of each
situation. Barbour does not accept any liability whatsoever for injury, damage or other losses which may arise from reliance on this
information and the use of these documents.

Copyright of these documents remains with Barbour and whilst subscribers are permitted to make use of them for their own purposes,
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