HSE has launched a campaign saying that more needs to be done to protect Britain’s HGV drivers from work-related stress.
The Working Minds campaign has been launched in the transport sector with the Road Haulage Association (RHA) joining as a partner to help raise awareness of legal duty and the support and resources available.
Stress, depression or anxiety is now the number one cause of work-related ill-health in Great Britain. Within the transportation and storage sector, around four in ten cases of work-related ill-health are due to stress, depression or anxiety.
Long hours away from home, demanding delivery times and limited access to toilets and showers are common causes of stress for drivers.
Michelle Upson, a lorry driver who has been in the industry for more than three decades, said: “I’d say there is a mental health problem in the industry. Especially for the guys up the road all week and without their families – it is a lot tougher for them.”
Employers have a legal duty to prevent work-related stress and support good mental health by doing a risk assessment and acting on it.
Elizabeth Goodwill, from the HSE’s Stress and Mental Health Policy Team said: “HGV drivers keep the country and our economy moving. It’s therefore vital employers meet their legal duty to ensure risks of stress and mental ill health are factored into risk assessments.”
HSE and the Working Minds campaign warns that the scale of work-related stress across the economy has increased in recent years. Stress, depression or anxiety is now the number one cause of work-related ill-health in Great Britain.
Within the transportation and storage sector as a whole (which includes road haulage), around four in ten cases of work-related ill-health are due to stress, depression or anxiety.
Elizabeth Goodwill continued: “Michelle’s warning that HGV drivers are less likely to say they are struggling, combined with what we know about the rise of work-related stress across the economy, mean it’s crucial these workers have support in place.”
Sarah Meek, Managing Director at Mates in Mind, said: “As a partner of Working Minds from the outset of the campaign, we are pleased to be supporting this initiative to raise awareness of the impact that a proactive and preventative approach to mental health delivers within the transport and logistics sector.
“As a charity, Mates in Mind works with many businesses within the sector, including Wincanton and Palletways, that have made the commitment to raising awareness and supporting their teams by developing a positive culture towards mental health and wellbeing. Our fantastic anonymous text service is proving popular particularly with those on the road, to communicate any worries or personal challenges with someone available 24/7.
“If you want to know more about how Mates in Mind can provide expert support in co-creating your mental health strategy and proactive plan, including workforce awareness sessions, please contact us at [email protected]. Let’s start the conversation about mental health within your workplace.”
Text “BeAMate”: If you or someone you know needs help or support, you can use our “BeAMate” text support service. To use the service, simply text “BeAMate” to 85258 and trained volunteers can help with issues including anxiety, stress, loneliness or depression and are available 24/7.
In this episode of the Safety & Health Podcast, ‘Burnout, stress and being human’, Heather Beach is joined by Stacy Thomson to discuss burnout, perfectionism and how to deal with burnout as an individual, as management and as an organisation.
We provide an insight on how to tackle burnout and why mental health is such a taboo subject, particularly in the workplace.
