Work-related stress: legal proposals for its consideration as a risk factor in the evaluation of occupational accidents caused by heart attacks

Abstract

Occupational stress as a psychosocial risk factor should not only be considered with regard to the development of illnesses related to the worker's psychological wellbeing, but should also be assessed as a root cause in the manifestation of physical ailments in general, particularly with regard to heart attacks. This hypothesis - from the consideration of stress as a risk, to that of a cause - forms the core of the study we present, from which we intend to categorise stress not only as damage derived from certain psychosocial risks, but also to establish that it should in fact be considered as a risk in itself. Particularly relevant in this respect are cases of heart attacks. As such, such incidents are studied throughout the paper as an ideal basis upon which to present the double facet of stress, i.e. as both risk and damage.