\"We are beginning to see more and more stress-related problems. I\'m afraid tha
ID: 1817818 • Letter: #
Question
"We are beginning to see more and more stress-related problems. I'm afraid that if we don't deal with the issue, stress is going to cause even more serious injuries." "Nonsense. we all have stress. There has always been stress on the job. It goes with the territory. A few employees go to a seminar on workplace stress and, all of a sudden, everyone is complaining about stress." This discussion took place between the safety director and the CEO of Gulf Coast Electric Company. Is stress really a legitimate workplace hazard? What is your opinion?Explanation / Answer
Yes, stress is absolutely a legitimate workplace hazard. Anytime you have men or women who are working with heavy machines where there is the chance that they can get hurt, you want these people to be as focused on their jobs as possible. A stressed out individual who is day-dreaming or thinking of other worries is far more likely to hurt himself or hurt someone else than an employee who is stress free. Imagine the following scenario: Bob just got into a big fight with his wife over the amount of hours he's been working lately. When Bob get's to work the next day, he's still thinking about the fight with his wife the day prior. Lets say he's a forklift operator, and his job is to move pallets from one location to another. Bob is so upset about the fight with his wife that he doesn't even notice a worker in another forklift behind him before he backs his forklift up. Boom! You have an accident which could have been avoided if Bob hadn't been so stressed out. Essentially, in a workplace environment where workers are using dangerous machinery, you're always going to want them in the best mental state. Stress has been shown to be just as distracting as missing a night of sleep, or even doing drugs: it's something that dominates your mind and takes your focus off of the task at hand. Teaching workers to manage stress in a helpful way will not only improve their productivity: it will also create a safer environment, one where everyone is focused on work and not other things. I hope that helps, let me know if you have any questions.
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