How to implement the Management Standards for tackling work-related stress

The Management Standards approach follows the same tried and tested 5 steps to risk assessment approach as seen in the graphic below. However as stress is individual in nature, being based on a person’s perceptions, it is not possible to risk assess in the same generic manner as you would do for physical hazards such as slips or trips and machinery guarding for example.

To ensure you are able to effective identify and evaluate specific issues, it requires a process of communication, collaboration and consultation with every member of staff. To help you do this more easily HSE developed a systematic process with supporting material to guide you easily through the project from start to finish.

It is important to notice that right at the centre of the risk assessment wheel is the need to prepare your organisation in advance of undertaking the process. A failure to do this will be likely to have a detrimental impact of the success of the overall project.

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Preparing the organisation	Step 1: Identify the risk factors	Step 2: Who can be harmed and how
Step 3: Evaluate the risks	Step 4: Record you findings	Step 5: Monitor and review