Physical wellbeing, workplace safety, stress and resilience

Physical wellbeing and workplace safety

There is a range of support provided by us and external organisations to help with your physical wellbeing and ensure workplace safety. 

Check the intranet or ask your manager about: 

  • Support for your back at work - manual handling and people moving and handling - Guide by our Health and Safety Team on dealing with the health and safety issues associated with the manual handling of objects and the moving and handling of people in the workplace.
  • E-learning  (including health, safety and wellbeing, identifying and managing personal stress, introduction to time management, maintaining health and wellbeing while homeworking, mindfulness). You can access e-learning printable copies of our health and safety training.
  • Display Screen Equipment (DSE) assessments - guidance on dealing with the health and safety issues associated with the use of DSE in the workplace.
  • Eye test contributions - if you are a display screen equipment user you can claim a contribution towards your eye test. 

Other support

  • Lancashire Adult Learning provides a range of free health and wellbeing courses, including chair-based exercise, chair-based yoga and introduction to home exercise.
  • MECC Link – simple signposting to better health and wellbeing, including support for smoking, alcohol, and gambling.
  • Better Health - Guidance from the NHS on how to lose weight, quit smoking, and get active. 
  • Getting better sleep - Advice from the NHS on how to combat sleep problems. 

Support to stay in work if you have a long-term condition

Staying at work can be highly beneficial for many people with long-term health conditions. To help you, your manager may be able to make some simple adjustments to your work or working environment. An open and confidential discussion with your manager would therefore be a good place to start, ask about completing a risk assessment for an employee with health/medical conditions or disabilities.

Managing stress

Stress is simply the way we feel when we are under pressure and feel unable to cope with that pressure. Lancashire County Council uses the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) definition of work-related stress: “The adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed upon them”

Every job brings its own pressures and demands - these are an unavoidable part of working life. It is also important to distinguish between reasonable pressure and challenge, which are stimulating and motivating, and work-related stress which is a distressing reaction to demands, situations or circumstances. Excessive or prolonged stress can lead to physical and emotional exhaustion and illness.

Stress can be personal, or work-related, and it can also be caused by a change in your life.

Employee assistance programme  (external website) - Offering counselling and advice on a variety of personal, family or workplace issues.

Managing work-related stress - guidance from our Health and Safety team for managers and supervisors. 

Personal development courses provided by our earning and Development Service - including Five Steps to Wellbeing, Mindfulness, Communication Skills, Conflict is Normal and Burnout Syndrome.

E-learning courses, including Identifying and Managing Personal Stress, Introduction to Time Management, Maintaining Health and Wellbeing while Homeworking, Mindfulness.

Free mental health courses (external website) - provided by Future Learn.

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