Employers ignore stress standards

New health and safety management standards, brought in to combat workplace stress, are largely being ignored by firms, according to a poll by Croner health and safety consultants.

The standards set targets for preventing stress, and explain how to achieve them. They have been piloted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), but 55% of those polled had no idea the standards existed. Of those that had heard of them, 25% had taken no action to implement them.

Later this year the HSE will assess firms to see whether the new standards are being achieved.