Although there is a growing awareness of the negative impact of stress on workers’ health, the fact that it can also cause workplace accidents is often overlooked. In a recent survey, the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) interviewed a number of workers about their experiences in the workplace. The interviewees agreed that stress can lead to dangerous situations. To prevent such situations, it is important to draw attention to the effects stress can have on safety.
Psychosocial workload (PSW) is a term used to describe any work-related factors that can cause stress. Examples include time pressure, inappropriate behaviour, job insecurity and lack of autonomy.
Psychosocial workload survey
Last year, RIVM showed that PSW is correlated with unsafe behaviour, accidents and near misses at work. This new survey investigated how workers themselves view this relationship. RIVM interviewed warehouse workers, their managers, HR professionals and safety experts from the storage and logistics sector.
Time pressure has biggest effect on work safety
Participants in the survey highlighted time pressure as having the biggest impact on work safety. During busy periods, for example, warehouse workers sometimes have to complete a large amount of work within a short timeframe. This can cause stress, fatigue and irritability. As a result, workers become more likely to make mistakes, which can lead to dangerous situations.
While few of the survey participants reported having experienced inappropriate behaviour at work or worrying about job security, they did note that these factors could also affect safety. After all, workers who are tense and distracted tend to be less attentive.
Avoiding stress is key
Employers often do take action when workers report feeling stressed, but stress prevention is important as well. According to the participants, properly onboarding new employees could reduce time pressure, while jointly establishing a code of conduct for the workplace could help to prevent inappropriate behaviour.
Advice applies to employers and employees across all sectors
RIVM advises employers and all those involved in occupational safety to pay closer attention to the impact of PSW on physical safety. It also recommends paying more attention to this issue in tools and guidelines.
While the participants in this survey worked in the storage and logistics sector, the results are also relevant to other sectors in which physical work is carried out or accidents are common.
This study was conducted on behalf of the Dutch Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment.