Advice on all issues relating to mental stress at work, including advice on the process design of the risk assessment of mental stress.

The employer must identify and assess work-related stresses and hazards in order to determine and implement the necessary occupational safety and health measures on this basis. In doing so, he must also take into account hazards resulting from mental stress at the workplace (§ 5 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act).

Risk assessment in general and also in the case of mental stress factors is to be carried out as a planned and looped process.

In small companies that tend to take a problem- and cause-related approach (e.g. in the case of accidents, postponements of deadlines, customer complaints, disruptions in the production process or conspicuous behaviour of colleagues), it makes sense to orient the counselling towards this approach. Possible topics are, for example, obstacles in the workflow, information gaps, organisational or cooperation deficits, which can be discussed together and regularly and reflected on with regard to potential for improvement in order to improve the work organisation, workflow and cooperation. The findings, the necessary measures and their effects must be recorded in writing.

In addition to the responsible colleagues in the occupational health and safety departments at the three Hessian regional councils, the Centre for Systemic Occupational Health and Safety and Work Design will advise you on all questions concerning the process of risk assessment of mental stress in the workplace. The counselling takes place within the framework of discussions, but also includes impulse lectures and presentations in companies. The competence team, which operates throughout Hesse, is based at the Gießen Regional Council.