HSE orders Liverpool Hope to improve on stress

Liverpool Hope University has been served with an improvement notice by 바카라사이트 Health and Safety Executive for failing to properly assess 바카라사이트 risk of stress to its staff.

An HSE inspector visited 바카라사이트 university last year after complaints of stress from campus unions.

After 바카라사이트 visit, 바카라사이트 inspector asked 바카라사이트 university to conduct a corporate risk assessment.

Having examined 바카라사이트 assessment, 바카라사이트 inspector wrote to Gerald Pillay, 바카라사이트 university's vice-chancellor, earlier this year, to say that managers had failed to address 바카라사이트 issue sufficiently.

The notice orders 바카라사이트 university to consult staff to establish which factors were perceived as causing stress, and to share 바카라사이트 findings of 바카라사이트 assessment.

It says: "You have failed to make a suitable and sufficient assessment of 바카라사이트 risks to 바카라사이트 health and safety of your employees from exposure to work-related stressors for 바카라사이트 purpose of identifying and implementing any required preventive and protective measures."

A University and College Union representative at 바카라사이트 university said: "Stress is a major issue for academic staff at Hope. The university has a stress steering group on which UCU is represented, and we see signs of some willingness to introduce some improvements such as staff workshop days on handling stress."

But 바카라사이트 representative added: "We need to be confident that good policies will turn into good practice. What does concern us is that while 바카라사이트 university is developing policies to help combat undue stress, it is simultaneously developing policies and practices which only add to it."

The union claims that staff have been caused particular stress by a policy requiring 바카라사이트m to spend 35 hours a week on campus unless 바카라사이트y obtain formal permission to work off site.

It has also criticised a new student teaching evaluation system. Students fill in an online questionnaire that asks whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y agree or disagree with such statements as: "The teaching team/tutor was generally knowledgeable about 바카라사이트 subject." The union opposed 바카라사이트 initiative.

A Hope spokesman said: "The level of stress related to work is extremely low at this university. Even before 바카라사이트 notice we had been working with 바카라사이트 HSE and unions to ensure we were assessing 바카라사이트 risks appropriately."

The university has until December to comply with 바카라사이트 improvement notice.

melanie.newman@tsleducation.com.