Assessing psychological stress via risk assessment
The Occupational Safety and Health Act since 2013 stresses that psychosocial risks have to be considered within every risk assessment (§ 5 ArbSchG). These risks are work-related influences that impact on the experience and behaviour of the individual worker or employee. Every employer is obliged to conduct a risk assessment.
Annotation: The word “stress” is neutral: Work Stress includes all objective factors that impact on persons and may result from work content, work organisation, social relationships and work environment. Only the individual reaction to work stress can lead to strain. The measurement of strain is not part of the risk assessment. Therefore, a risk assessment has nothing to do with the mental illness of the employees! The words “strain” and “stress” often get mixed-up or are used as synonyms in everyday language.
If you like digital learning, you can do further studies about this topic by participating in the following MOOC (Massive Open Online Course):
PsyHealth worXs! Psychosocial Health Prevention and Work standards