Work-related stress to rise, say over 70% of Maltese respondents in EU survey

46% of Maltese respondents said stress on the workplace will increase "a lot" within the next five years, while 28% said it will increase "a little", according to the European Opinion Poll on Occupational Safety and Health.

The survey, conducted by Ipsos MORI on behalf of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA), measured the opinions of over 35,000 members of the general public in 36 European countries on contemporary workplace issues including job-related stress, and the importance of occupational safety and health for economic competitiveness and in the context of longer working lives.

The EU average of people who thought stress will increase exponentially was of 49%.

While 37% of Maltese respondents said they are well informed on work-related stress, this was less than the 2009 figure of 45%. But 26% said they are informed "very well", compared to 14% who said the same in 2009.

46% of respondents also trusted their supervisors to take appropriate measures to ensure occupational health and safety on their workplaces.

Eight in ten of the working population across Europe think that the number of people suffering from job-related stress over the next five years will increase (80%), with as many as 52% expecting this to 'increase a lot'.

Work-related stress is one of the biggest health and safety challenges faced in Europe, representing a huge cost in terms of human distress and economic performance. The poll additionally found that the large majority of Europeans (86%) agree that following good occupational safety and health practices is necessary for a country's economic competitiveness, with 56% strongly agreeing. Views are similar among workers and those who do not work (86% and 85% agree respectively).

"No one doubts the heightened awareness concerning the need of having suitable and adequate levels of protection at all workplaces in Malta. There is an ever-growing body of information and guidance that is readily and freely available to anyone who requires it," the OHSA said.

"In fact, when analyzing the survey it shows that those who are much more aware of the health and safety regulations at the place of work have increased from 14% in 2009 to 26% in 2011, an increase of 12% which is very much encouraging and which justifies why Malta continues to register improvements in all measures of progress, as evidenced by the sustained downward trends in occupational injury and fatal accidents at work figures."

Another important aspect which comes out of this survey is that the sharing of ideas and consultation between workers, their representatives, and the management, improve safety and health for all. This survey shows that workers are much more confident that their employers take good consideration of all suggestions from their part to make workplaces safer, healthier and more productive. In fact, more than 60% of those interviewed showed their confidence that any problem regarding their health and safety at the place of work is addressed by their employers.

Non-compliance of preventive measures and rules determined by Health and Safety regulations represents a huge cost in terms of both human distress and impaired economic performance. In this survey more than 80% of those who were interviewed agreed that, in order to remain economically competitive with other European member states, Malta has to adopt and follow good practices related to Health and Safety regulations.