Nearly one million UK workers suffering from Work Related stress, depression or anxiety - 11% rise

 

Check out this article in the IOSH website about the 11% rise in work related stress reported by the Health & Safety Executive in their annual report. Very worrying for employers and unions. The HSE believe that nearly half of these workers believe this is linked to the Covid pandemic, while 123,000 believe that their occupational ill health was caused by catching Covid at work (which I believe happened to me last year but luckily I haven't suffered any long term effects).

I also remember many reports during the pandemic on the massive underreporting by many employers of workers killed by exposure to Covid while at work.

The cost of ill health and injuries at work is estimated to cost the UK a staggering £18.3 billion (pre pandemic). I continue also to shocked by the 13,000 workers who died from work related diseases (nevermind the 123 workers killed in accidents - this figure does not include all those who died at work in traffic accidents). 

That means around 36 workers die every day from work related ill health. If terrorists killed 36 people in a single day, we would quite rightly be outraged and "demand something be done".

I will be bringing up this finding on work related stress with my employer as a trade union appointed safety rep and also will see if I can find out more about what is happening to Newham workers as a Councillor on our health scrutiny committee.