Chapter 11

Stress and Safety

Major Topics

Workplace stress
Sources of workplace stress
Measurement of workplace stress
Improving safety by reducing workplace
stress
Stress in safety managers
Stress and workers compensation

Stress
Stress is defined as the reaction of a
human body to a threatening situation.

Workplace Stress
Job stress is the harmful physical and emotional
response that occurs when the requirements of
the job do not match the capabilities, resources
or needs of the worker.
Corporations see stress as an individual
problem based on the employees lifestyle,
psychological makeup, and personality.
Unions see stress as excessive demands, poor
supervision, or conflicting demands.
Almost 15% of occupational disease claims are
stress related.

Sources of Workplace Stress

May involve physical working conditions, work overload, role ambiguity, lack of
feedback, personality, personal and family problems, or role conflict. Other
sources:
Task Complexity: too many demands may cause a feeling of inadequacy and
result in emotional stress. Repetitive and monotonous work may lack
complexity and worker becomes stressed by boredom and dissatisfaction.
Control: less stress when worker participates in determining work routine,
schedule, and selection of tasks. Electronic monitored workers suffer greater
health problems than those who are not.
A feeling of responsibility (to family or general public): may cause a worker to
feel that the options to take employment risks are limited trapped in the job.
e.g. Air traffic controllers.
Job Security: A worker who believes his job is at risk will experience anxiety.
Availability of other jobs and feeling that ones professional skills are needed
reduces stress related to job security.
An organizational culture: feeling left out, out of the loop, and ill-informed.
Organizations need to communicate frequently with all employees.

Lack of Job Autonomy May Cause

Workplace Stress
Less stress when worker participates in
determining work routine, schedule, and
selection of tasks.
A manager can help employees realize
their full potential by helping them match
their career goals with the companys
goals and giving them more control over
their jobs.

Five Categories of Human Reaction

to Workplace Stress
Subjective or emotional: anxiety, aggression,
guilt.
Behavioral: being prone to accidents, trembling.
Cognitive: inability to concentrate or make
decisions.
Physiological: increased heart rate and blood
pressure.
Organizational: absenteeism and poor
productivity.

Relationship between Psychosomatic Reactions to

Workplace Stress and Physiological Illness
The human response to workplace stress can be
compared to a rubber band being stretched. As
the stress continues to be applied, the rubber
band stretches until a limit is reached when the
rubber band breaks.
For humans, various physiological and
psychological changes are observed with the
repetition of stress. Until the limit is reached the
harmful effects can be reversed. With an
increase in intensity or duration of the stress
beyond the individuals limit the effects on the
human become pathological.

Autoimmune Diseases and

Workplace Stress Relationship
When the body fails to adapt to continued
stress autoimmune disorders may begin
(immune system breaks down).
The tendency to develop specific stress
related disease may be partially
predetermined by heredity, personal habits
such as smoking, and personality.

Three stages of Human Reaction to

Stress
Stage of Alarm: characterized by sweating and
increased heart rate.
Stage of Resistance: alarm symptoms dissipate,
and body develops adaptation to stress.
Stage of exhaustion: Body fails to adapt to
continuous stress. Psychosomatic diseases
such as gastric ulcers, colitis, rashes, and
autoimmune disorders may begin during this
stage.

Three ways in which mental

workload can be measured
Subjective ratings: The workers are asked to rate their
perceived level of workload. The perceived workload is
viewed as a direct reflection of workplace stress.
Behavioral time sharing: require the simultaneous
performance of two tasks one task is more important
(primary task). The decrease in performance of the
second task is considered an index of workload.
Psychophysiological technique: require simultaneous
measurement of heart rate and brain waves measured
by (Electroencephalography) which are then
interpreted as indexes of mental workload and workplace
stress.

Efforts to rid the workplace of all

causes of workplace stress
Adverse effects of stress on health may be
considered to be a maladaptation of
humans to stress.
So we need to do away with stress
(unlikely), avoid all stressful situations
(unequally unlikely), learn to adapt to
being sick (undesirable), or learn to adapt
to workplace stress( the optimal choice).

Data provided by psychological

questionnaires and bias of data
Psychological questionnaires evaluate workers
emotions about their jobs. Workers may be
asked about their job satisfaction, workload,
pace, opportunities for advancement,
management style, and organizational climate.
Psychological questionnaires are another form
of subjective rating and are also subject to state
dependent (feel good/bad the day you fill out the
form) bias of the data.

How shift work causes workplace

stress and ways of minimization
Shift work requires rotating between two or three
different starting times which may vary by eight
hours or more. The body perceives a change in
work shift as being stressful.
To reduce stress associated with shift work:
exercise regularly improves sleep and relieves
pent up stress; avoid caffeine, alcohol or other
drugs that can affect sleep; food supplement
melatonin or other natural sleep inducers should
be used rather than sleeping pills that contain
synthetic chemicals that may cause stress.

Reducing workplace stress by

managers
Managers can help design jobs in ways
that lead to worker satisfaction thereby
lessening workplace stress.
Physical stress can be reduced by
improving the work environment and
establishing a sound safety and health
program.
Avoid jobs that do not make use of
workers knowledge and initiative.

Reducing workplace stress by

management

Mental health benefits are provided in employee health insurance

coverage.
Employer has formal employee communication program
Workers have current, accurate, and clear job descriptions.
Management and employees talk openly with one another.
Employees are free to talk to each other during work.
Employer offers exercise and other stress reduction classes.
Employers are recognized and rewarded for their contributions.
Work rules are published and are the same for everyone.
Child care programs are available.
Employees can work flexible hours.

How individuals can reduce

workplace stress
Individuals can respond to a stressful
workload by delegating responsibility
instead of carrying the entire load.
Relaxation techniques can also help
reduce the effects of stress meditation,
music and exercise.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eY74ZRUvG8&feature=autoplay&list=PLAA8AE
9A8F2C8A1AF&playnext=1

Summary

Stress is the harmful physical and emotional response that occurs

when the requirements of the job do not match the capabilities,
resources, or needs of the worker.
Sources of workplace stress include environmental conditions, work
overload, role ambiguity, personal and family problems, and role
conflict.
Until an individuals limit is reached, the effects of stress may be
reversed.
Stages of human reaction to stress are alarm, resistance, and
exhaustion.
Managers can reduce workplace stress by reducing role ambiguity
and increasing feedback and job autonomy.
Individuals can respond to a stressful workload by delegating
responsibility and learning how to relax to include meditation, music,
and/or exercise.