Page 221 - Pipeline Risk Management Manual Ideas, Techniques, and Resources

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Because the stress level in an individual is so subjective, it is Office politics When favoritism is shown and there is poor
nearly impossible to estimate the impact of a stressor on a per- policy definition or execution, people can sense a lack of fair-
son’s job functioning ability (the external stimulus). For exam- ness, and teamwork often breaks down with resulting stress.
ple, the fear ofjob loss might be a significant cause of concern
in one employee but have virtually no impact on another. Organizational structure and culture Inhcators of more
The differences might be due to present financial condition, stressful situations include the individual’s inability to influ-
financial responsibilities, confidence in obtaining alternative ence aspects of his or her job, employee’s lack of control, and
employment, history ofjob losses, fear of rejection, presence of lack of communication.
any stigmas attached to loss of employment, etc., all of which
are highly subjective interpretations. Perception of hazards associated with the job If a job is per-
It is beyond the scope of this text-and perhaps beyond pres- ceived to be dangerous, stress can increase. An irony here is that
ent scientific capabilities-to accurately quantify the level of continued emphasis on the hazards and need for safety might
stress in a given work group and relate that to accident fre- increase stress levels among employees performing the job.
quency. A thorough psychological screening of every individ-
ual in the workplace would be the most exacting method to Other common stressors
identify the ability to handle stress and the ability to avoid focus
errors. This might give a snapshot indication of the propensity Shift work A nonroutine work schedule can lead to sleep dis-
for human errors in the work group. The benefits of such a orders, biological and emotional changes, and social problems.
study, however, including the associated high levels of uncer- Shift work schedules can be designed to minimize these effects.
tainty, may not outweigh the costs of the effort.
For purposes of risk assessment, however, we can identify Family relationships When the job requires time away from
some common influences that historically have been linked to home, family stresses might be heightened. Family issues in
higher levels of stress as well as some widespread stress reduc- general are occasional sources of stress.
ers. This is useful in distinguishing groups that may be more
prone to human error during a specified time interval. Social demands Outside interests, church, school, commu-
Adjustments to the risk score can be made when strong indica- nity obligations, etc., can all be stress reducers or stress
tions of higher or lower thannormal stress levels exist. enhancers, depending on the individual.
Isolation Working alone when the individual’s personality is
Stressors not suited to this can be a stressor.
Physical stressors
Undesirable living conditions Stress can increase when an
Noise, temperature, humidity, vibration, and other conditions individual or group is stationed at a facility, has undesirable
of the immediate environment are physical contributors to housing accommodations near the work assignment, or lives in
stress. These are thought to be aggravating rather than initiating a geographical area that is not oftheir choosing.
causes. These stimuli tend to cause an increase in arousal level
and reduce the individual’s ability to deal with other stresses. Assessing stress levels
The time and intensity of exposure will play a role in the impact
ofphysical stressors. Even if the evaluator is highly skilled in human psychology, it
will be difficult to accurately quantify the stress level of a work
Job stressors group. A brief visit to a work group may not provide a represen-
tative view of actual, long-term conditions. On any given day or
Working relationships Examples of these stressors include week, stress indicators might be higher or lower than normal. A
roles and responsibilities not clearly defined, personality con- certain amount of job dissatisfaction will sometimes be voiced
flicts, and poor supervisory skills. even among the most stress-free group. Because this is a diffi-
cult area to quantify, point changes due to this factor must
Promotions Examples include no opportunity for advance- reflect the high amount of uncertainty. It is recommended that
ment, poorly defined and executed promotion policies, highly the evaluator accept the default value for a neutral condition,
competitive work relationships. unless he finds strong indications that the actual stress levels
are indeed higher or lower than normal.
Job security Indicators that this might be a stress issue include In adjusting previously assigned risk assessment scores, it
recent layoffs, rumors of takeovers, and/or workforce reductions. has been theorized that a very low stress level can bolster exist-
ing error-mitigation systems and lead to a better incorrect oper-
Changes This is a potential problem in that there may be ations index score. A workforce free from distractions is better
either too many changes (new technology, constantly changing able to focus on tasks. Employees who feel satisfied in their
policies, pressures to learn and adapt) or too few, leading to jobs and are part of a team are normally more interested in their
monotony and boredom. work, more conscientious and less error prone. Therefore,
when evidence supports a conclusion of “very low stress,”
Workload Again, either too much or too little can cause stress additional points can be added.
problems. Ideally, employees are challenged (beneficial stress) On the other hand, it is theorized that a high stress level
but not overstressed. or high level of distraction can undermine existing error-