Stress - most common health, safety problem at workplace

LONDON - A survey has found that stress is the most common health and safety problem at the workplace as of now, with recession being blamed for it.

According to the biannual poll by the Trades Union Congress, rise in the number of workers suffering from anxiety is all due to recession, with fears about job security being one of the main reasons for stress levels going up.

“The economic crisis and redundancies have created more anxiety about job security, and as the spending cuts begin to bite and even more jobs start to go, stress at work is bound to increase,” the Daily Mail quoted Brendan Barber, TUC general secretary, as saying.

Of those surveyed, 62 percent said stress was in the top five of problems faced by workforces, while more than a quarter picked it out as the top hazard at work.

The survey also found that the problem is heightened in the public sector, with 68 percent saying it is a concern compared to 54 percent in the private sector.

Stress is more prevalent in larger workplaces and is most common in London - where 70 percent of union representatives cited it as a problem. (ANI)