An Occupational Hazard

While often overlooked, stress on the job can be a serious health issue for employees

When we think of workplace hazards, we usually think of falling objects, improperly shored trenches, flying debris, worn electrical cords and toxic gases.

There’s another hazard that can exist as easily in a comfortable office as inside a manhole or on the working end of a waterjet hose. It’s called stress.

What can stress do? It can cause a variety of ills, physical and psychological. For example, the Encyclopaedia of Occupational Safety and Health says stress on the job can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, encourage development of back and upper-extremity disorders, and cause mental health problems like depression and burnout.

Beyond those direct effects, “There is a growing concern that stressful working conditions interfere with safe work practices and set the stage for injuries at work,” the Encyclopaedia says. Some studies even suggest a link between work stress and cancer, ulcers, immune system impairments and even suicide.

So, stress is a serious business – not something to be written off just by telling employees to “toughen up” or “get over it.”

How it hurts

How does stress do harm? A booklet, Stress At Work, from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) says that stress sets off an alarm in the brain that responds by preparing the body for defensive action.

“The nervous system is aroused, and hormones are released to sharpen the senses, quicken the pulse, deepen respiration, and tense the muscles,” the booklet says. “This response (sometimes called the fight-or-flight response) is important because it helps us defend against threatening situations.

“The response is preprogrammed biologically. Everyone responds in much the same way, regardless of whether the stressful situation is at work or home. Short-lived or infrequent episodes of stress pose little risk. But when stressful situations go unresolved, the body is kept in a constant state of activation, which increases the rate of wear and tear to biological systems.

“Ultimately, fatigue or damage results, and the ability of the body to repair and defend itself can become seriously compromised. As a result, the risk of injury or disease escalates.” Many studies have looked at how job stress relates to various ailments.

“Mood and sleep disturbances, upset stomach and headache, and disturbed relationships with family and friends are examples of stress-related problems that are quick to develop and are commonly seen in these studies,” the brochure says. “These early signs of job stress are usually easy to recognize. But the effects of job stress on chronic diseases are more difficult to see because chronic diseases take a long time to develop and can be influenced by many factors other than stress.”

Nonetheless, some authorities have estimated that healthcare expenditures are nearly 50 percent higher for workers who report high levels of stress.

Knowing the causes

But how do you know if your employees face harmful levels of stress? Here are some contributors to look for, according to the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

Design of tasks. Stress can be elevated by heavy workloads, infrequent rest breaks, long work hours, and hectic and routine tasks that have little inherent meaning, do not use workers’ skills, and provide little sense of control.

Management style. Workers may suffer stress if they lack participation in decision-making, if communication in the organization is poor or if work policies are not family-friendly.

Interpersonal relationships. Stress rises in poor social environments where employees get little support or help from coworkers and supervisors.

Work roles. Conflicting or uncertain job expectations, excessive responsibility and too many “hats to wear” can cause harmful stress levels.

Career concerns. Workers may feel stressed by job insecurity, lack of opportunity for growth or promotion, and rapid changes for which they are unprepared.

Environmental conditions. Unpleasant or dangerous conditions such as crowding, noise, air pollution or ergonomic problems create stress in addition to the more immediate hazards they pose.

The NIOSH Stress At Work booklet is full of basic information about stress, its effects on employees’ work and personal lives, and what you as an employer can do to mitigate it. You can read the brochure online at www.cdc.gov/niosh/stresswk.html.



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