Afternoon all. I'm aware that incidences of stress are relatively low when compared with other industries. I'm currently writing up a stress management plan using the HSE Management Standards as a guide with the hope of implementing some various controls. I was just wondering how others manage the issue of stress among workers on site. Do you find it entirely necessary?

with all due respect incidences of stress in general construction are unknown when compared with other industries as against being low mainly because of the nature of the industry as a whole e.g. similar to temporary croft pickers, fishermen and the like so no long term/permanent jobs are around and people are generally more resilient in those areas as having stress and indeed any sort of problem means that you do not get paid nor hired again I say this from experience of working in many different industries where some get full pay etc. and decent [until recently] terms of employment so stress may be evaluated and managed well in those areas and others get nothing e.g. today [06-11-2014] in the UK people are still being taken on in the morning and finished the same day after the days work only to have to reapply the next day so such people cannot show any form of weakness as they will not work the next day so stress is not looked at Technically you have to manage work related stress in the same way that you are supposed to manage other areas and the management standards are a good way to go as managing stress is [in theory] no different to managing other areas noting that the HSE to my knowledge do not take on stress management cases/evaluations so the average employer knows this and does little Until workers become expensive the position will stay the same

Bob's observation of a lack of published data about stress in the construction industry is a valid one subject to two qualifiers. One is that providers of 'employee assistance programmes' (essentially access to a well-qualified counsellor/counselling psychologist for up to six hours) have been marketing to leading firms in construction for well over a decade. The other is that, as with WELL-DESIGNED quality management programmes, WELL-DESIGNED stress management programmes reduce loss and wastage of materials and improve standards of communication, decision-making and team relations which justifies investments by employers eager to retain high performing individuals and groups. The Independent Counselling and Advisory Service in the UK and the Australian Ergonomics and Human Factors Society may be the most reliable sources of information on this; some employers organisations can also provide reliable data.

Interesting hearsay, Walker What factual evidence supports your claim?