British Aggregates Association (BAA) has signed up as a Working Minds partner to support the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) campaign to tackle work-related stress in quarrying and mining.
The regulator has warned that work-related stress and poor mental health risk becoming a health and safety crisis for Great Britain’s workplaces. Statistics published by HSE show of the 1.7 million workers suffering from a work-related illness in 2020/21, 822,000 were due to stress, depression or anxiety.
No matter the size of the business, all employers have a legal duty to protect workers from stress at work by doing a risk assessment and acting on it. The Working Minds campaign, led by HSE with partners’ support, helps businesses recognise and respond to the signs of stress at work.
Interim head of the Health and Work Branch at HSE Alison Wellens said: “We are calling for a culture change across Britain’s workplaces where managing stress and talking about how people are coping is as routine as managing workplace safety. Even before the pandemic took hold, it was estimated that mental health issues cost UK employers up to £45 billion a year.
“We’re delighted to have BAA on board to champion Working Minds in the quarrying and mining sector. They will play an important role in sharing key information as well as provide essential insight into the unique stressors experienced by people working in the industry as we continue to evolve our campaign.”
Chief executive of BAA Mike Phillips said: “Those working in the minerals extractives industries work in challenging and often hazardous conditions. It can be a demanding environment with long hours and conflicting requirements.
“BAA is proud to support the Working Minds campaign to raise awareness on important issues that affect our sector – we are committed and passionate about helping employers and workers to get the information and support they need to prevent work-related stress and support better mental health.”
Working Minds is aimed specifically at supporting small businesses by providing employers and workers with easy to implement advice, including simple steps to Reach out, Recognise, Respond, Reflect, and make it Routine.
For more information about the campaign, including the legal obligations, advice, and tools available visit: workright.campaign.gov.uk/campaigns/workingminds
You can also learn more about Working Minds by signing up for a webinar on employment, health and safety law hosted by BAA in conjunction with Burness Paull Solicitors on 24 February 2022. To book your place visit: Webinar – Managing Mental Health in the Workplace
