NEWS IN BRIEF

Stress and the poor use of display screen equipment top the list of workers' safety concerns, according to the TUC's seventh survey of safety reps (which comes out once every two years) published last month.

Three in five reps reported stress or overwork as a concern in their workplace. These worries are most common in the public sector and in large workplaces, with the highest instances in central government (81 per cent), education (74 per cent) and health services (69 per cent). Stress was cited as the biggest concern in ten of the 14 sectors covered by the survey.

Injuries and illnesses resulting from the poor use of display screen equipment has risen from fourth in 2006 to become the second-most common concern, reported by two in five (41 per cent) safety reps. Repetitive strain injuries (40 per cent) are another commonly reported hazard.

Other concerns on the increase since the 2006 survey include slips, trips and falls (up six per cent), working alone (up three per cent) and violence and threats at work (up four per cent).

Workers in London are most concerned about stress (68 per cent), while workers in Yorkshire and East Anglia are most worried about working alone (38 per cent). Workers in the South East (33 per cent) and London (32 per cent) are significantly more concerned about violence and threats at work than the rest of the UK (26 per cent).

For more information, go to: www.tuc.org.uk/safetyrepssurvey2008