New stress guidance for small firms

To coincide with National Stress Awareness day, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched a new leaflet for small firms, on preventing work-related stress. This does not replace the earlier guidance produced in June, which tackled work-related stress in medium-sized firms (those with more than fifty employees).

The leaflet, "Work-related Stress: A Short Guide", answers common questions and explains:

- what stress is and what causes it;

- employers' legal duties about work-related stress under health and safety law;

- how to find out if stress is a problem for a small firm; and

- things small firms can do to prevent work-related stress.

Elizabeth Gibby, Head of HSE's Psychosocial Issues Policy Unit, said: "Work-related stress is a serious problem for Britain. The Health and Safety Commission has made it one of its top priorities, and we have a detailed programme of work that should put us well on the road to
reducing it.

Copies can be ordered online or are available from HSE Books, PO Box 1999, Sudbury, Suffolk, CO10 2WA, tel. 01787 881165.
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