HSE Workplace Stress Management
Emer Carroll
National Health & Safety Manager (Information & Advisory Team)
National Health and Safety Function
Workplace Health and Wellbeing Unit
Tuesday, 20th March 2018

Workplace Health and Wellbeing Unit
Integrated Approach

Overview of our Unit
Occupational
Health
Health &
Safety
EAPCounselling
Healthy
Ireland

www.hse.ie/workplace-health-and-wellbeing-unit/

• A 2016 study by the ESRI found stress, anxiety and depression were
the second highest causes of work-related illness in Ireland. They
are also associated with the longest absences from work (Irish
Times).
• A European-wide survey on working conditions conducted by the
European Agency for Safety and Health at Work found 22 per cent
of workers in Ireland experienced stress at work “always” or “most
of the time”. The proportion that always experienced stress was the
third highest in the EU15 and 10th highest among the 34 countries
surveyed (Irish Times).
• In Ireland, stress accounts for approximately 20% of all working
days lost due to work‐related ill health (www.workpositive.ie)
Stress an Irish Perspective

WHY FOCUS ON STRESS
7
• Work related stress is a major cause of Occupational ill
health which can cause severe physical and psychological
conditions in our staff.
• SCA statistics show that work related stress is a significant
issue
• Health & safety legislation requires us to assess the level of
risk from hazards in the workplace including psychosocial
injury. The purpose of risk assessment is to identify if
existing controls prevent harm and what more can be done.

2015 European Safety Campaign ‘Healthy
Workplaces Manage Stress’
National Health & Safety Function

Workplace Stress Working Group
9
NHSF
HR
Occupational
Health
Organisational
Psychology &
Health
EACS
HP&I
LEDT

What We Did !
10
HSE Workplace Stress Risk Management Programme
- Policies on CISM & Managing workplace stress
- Risk Assessments (individual and group)
- Seminars to assist manager identify, prevent and manage
workplace stress (19 seminars with 842 managers)
Access to support services through H&S, OH, EACS and
LEDT.

HSE Stress Management Initiatives
11
 Developed a social media campaign
and materials hosted online available
at www.hse.ie/safetyandwellbeing
 Endorsed & updated existing risk
assessment material and developed
information material based on the
Cycle of Stress Management
 Developed a collaborative seminar
programme to be rolled out
nationally
Cycles of Stress Management

Cycles of Stress Management
12

13

14
Risk Assessment Form

WHAT IS WPCI?
15
Work PositiveCI is a confidential psychosocial risk management framework, created
and endorsed by the
Health and Safety Authority, State Claims Agency and CISM Network Ireland.
Work PositiveCI psychosocial risk management framework will help to proactively
identify, measure, assess and eliminate or manage
psychosocial risk in our organisation.

WPCI Working Group
16
NHSF
HR
Occupational
Health
Acute
Representative
CHO
Representative
States Claims
Agency
Organisational
Psychology &
Health
EAP
HPI
LETD

WPCI Project Stages
17
Amend WPCI
survey tool and
Outputs
Assist
Implementation
in Pilot Sites
Data Collection
and action plan
review
Report and
Communicate
Findings

Our Proposal - Intelligence gathering
18
Work Positive
Survey
•Work Positive Survey customisation
Critical
Incident
•Customised this section
•Will verify all changes with HSA and CISM Network
Work Safe
•Two sections Work Well/Stay Well
•Based on Safety Climate tools and research e.g. Dupont Bradley
Curve, IOSH, HSE
Stay Well
•New Section introduced to gather lifestyle information and habits

Contact Us
Website:
Helpdesk:
https://www.hse.ie/
safetyandwellbeing