Stresses... and strains

It isn't a disease but, if stress is intense and continues for some time, it may well lead to mental and physical ill-health (manifesting itself in depression, nervous breakdown or even heart disease). By law, it's an employer's duty to make sure that members of their workforce aren't made ill by their work. And stress can undoubtedly make employees ill.

The costs of stress may show up in your organisation by way of high staff turnover (already a problem in the security sector), an increase in sickness absence, reduced work performance and poor timekeeping. Not only that, employers who don't take stress seriously may leave themselves open to compensation claims from employees who have suffered ill-health from work-related stress.

Where stress caused by work could lead to ill-health, that risk must be assessed. A risk assessment for stress involves identifying those pressures in the workplace that could lead to high and long-lasting levels of stress, working out which members of staff might be affected and deciding whether measures are in place to prevent any harm occurring.

Remember. Once you as a manager have identified the problem areas, you must then take reasonable steps to deal with those pressures as and when necessary. Continual review of the assessment should be conducted either when circumstances change, during a periodical review or when your assessment is no longer deemed valid.

Lower performance and productivity
There is no legal duty to prevent ill health through stress due to problems outside of work (eg financial or domestic worries). However, non-work related problems can result in a lower working performance and productivity if employees find it difficult or impossible to cope with the pressure. For the security manager, an ability to be understanding and sympathetic is therefore of vital importance.

As an employer, you're directly responsible for making sure that work doesn't make your employees ill. If you notice that a member of your security team is particularly vulnerable because of their circumstances, then if there are any ways in which pressure can be relieved you should activate them. That said, assuming that all of your employees are mentally capable of withstanding reasonable pressure from work is an acceptable stance to take.

Many of the outward signs of stress in individuals should be noticeable to managers and colleagues alike. In particular, look out for changes in a person's natural mood and/or behaviour patterns. Deteriorating relationships with colleagues, irritability, indecisiveness, absenteeism or reduced performance in general are all tell-tale signs. Those individuals suffering from stress may also smoke or drink alcohol more than usual, or even turn to drugs. They might also complain about their health (for example, they may well be prone to frequent headaches).

Truthfully, there's no single best way of tackling work-related stress. However, if one of the members of your security team is stressed out the first thing you should do is take time out to listen to them! Where the stress is work-related, try to identify (and subsequently address) the source of the problem. Involve the employee in whatever decisions you may take.

Possibly, encourage them to seek medical assistance. Ensure that the employee is treated with understanding at all times, and make certain that confidentiality is maintained.

If you discover that the sources of stress cannot be controlled, then it might be best and most appropriate to move that member of staff to a new post. In the case of recommended sick leave, an employer should keep in touch with the employee and doctor concerned.

At no time should you be tempted to think that firing someone provides an easy way out. Where the employee can return to work either on a reduced hours basis, in a different job altogether or a reduced version of their old job should be the norm in the short term, such that they can get better before assuming old duties once fit and healthy to do so.

Remember that if an employer doesn't act reasonably in dismissing an employee, the latter party could well claim unfair dismissal.

If provided, counselling services are usually paid for by the employer. That said, there's no legal obligation to do so. Consider very carefully whether such a service would suit your needs, and provide value for money within the organisation as a whole. Bear in mind also that, because these services are shrouded in confidentiality, any information provided to you may not assist in tackling the causes of stress at work. On the other hand, they can be useful as part of a bigger plan to tackle work-related stress.

Fire safety and electrical equipment
Fire safety is also a major concern for many end users. Businesses must ensure that they have the correct number of fire exits, alarms and extinguishers, and that they are all properly maintained in good working order.

If one of the members of your security team is stressed out, the first thing you should do is take time out to listen to them! Where the stress is work-related, try to identify (and subsequently address) the source of the problem. Involve the employee in

A good many managers choose to appoint voluntary fire officers who'll be in charge of ensuring that all persons evacuate when an alarm goes off. Fire certificates should be complied with at all times, and must have any additional requirements that need to be fulfilled written in to them.

For the most part, your local fire authority is normally responsible for this area of the law, and will be there to answer your questions and help you in complying with current legislation. Managers are advised to take a look at the Fire Certificate (Special Premises) Regulations 1976 for basics relating to fire safety and occupancy.

Where security or general facilities work might involve lifting or carrying and the pushing or pulling of awkward loads over long distances – or repetitive handling/repetitive hand, finger or arm movements – care should of course be taken at all times. The manual handling of documents can lead to back, arm, hand or foot injuries which are either the result of one bad movement or cumulative damage over time. Bad body posture at work stations is another cause of injury, and should be a major concern for CCTV monitoring operations.

The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 cover the major safety provisions relating to electrical items in the workplace. It is the duty of an employer to ensure that all electrical equipment deployed at work is in a good state of repair and suitable for the environment in which it's being used. Many electrical injuries in office and Control Room-based jobs are caused by faulty equipment where non-fatal shocks are likely to occur. Electrical installations can lead to fires, so make sure regular checks are carried out at set intervals.

On a wider scale, all equipment used in the workplace is governed by law – in this case the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1992. Along with the correct safety instructions, themselves maintained adequately and used correctly, these Regulations set out the relevant measures to be taken by employers.

If you are operating in a building that was constructed between 1950 and 1980, chances are that asbestos will have been used in the insulation/lagging. Where building repair or maintenance work is to be carried out, and in particular where asbestos disturbance is likely to result, care must be taken as too much exposure to this dust and the particles it contains can lead to fatal disease.

Make sure, then, that proper and adequate precautions are taken to ensure the safety of employees and any contracted security staff that may be on site.

Seek assistance if needs be
Uncertainty about where to go for help concerning Health and Safety-related issues, what to ask for and doubts concerning value for money are the main reasons why managers hesitate when it comes to enlisting help. It makes good sense to seek help at the right time, often resulting in money well spent in the short term and the avoidance of costly remedial action in the longer term.

Seeking assistance will also play a part in ensuring that you meet your legal duties to protect employees' Health and Safety. Although it would be true to say that most firms rarely experience serious incidents, the impact of a serious accident or chronic ill-health among employees can impact negatively on the smooth running of a business as a whole.

Where a Health and Safety issue arises and the business doesn't have an employee who can competently assist, or you or your employee(s) cannot devote enough time or other resources to solving the problem, then outside help should always be sought. Prior to engaging any help, identify the key areas (for example, determine whether the assistance required will be short or long term). If it's the latter, it may be better to develop the expertise of someone from within your firm. In other circumstances, if the in-house expertise is insufficient then employees could work with the outside help.

It's worth bearing in mind at this point that particular qualifications or high level skills in Health and Safety may not actually be necessary. Many problems simply require an understanding of current best practice, and an ability to judge and solve problems.

Buying-in your expertise
If you do decide to 'buy in' Health and Safety expertise, ask potential contracted specialists about their formal qualifications and previous experience relating to your company's line of work. Pay particular attention to the experience and skills as there can be many businesses offering varied degrees of assistance. Do not hesitate to make your concerns known.

Uncertainty can be solved by simply asking questions, particularly with regard to how a certain task will be handled. Make sure that if you don't understand any Health and Safety-related recommendations you ask for clarification. Remember... you are legally obliged to ensure the Health and Safety of your employees!

Once help has been enlisted, don't forget to evaluate the actions against the recommendations made to you, and ensure that they're effective. Consulting employees or their representatives to ascertain their opinions will greatly assist in any evaluation of potential recommendations.