The Missing Link – Implementing Psychological Health and Safety into Your Workplace

Take a moment to think about health and wellbeing, what comes to mind? For many of us, we tend to view health and wellbeing as a physical state. Now take a moment to think about safety in the workplace, what comes to mind? Again, for many of us, we tend to focus our workplace safety management system around physical hazards and controls. Unfortunately, by focusing solely on the physical we are missing a very important piece of the puzzle.

According to the World Health Organization, health and wellbeing is defined as ‘a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity’. Based on this definition we want to be sure that we are making psychological health and safety a priority in our workplaces. One tool which can help with this is the National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace.

The standard is flexible and easy to use tool which provides the framework for introducing psychological health and safety into your workplace. The standard is voluntary, but the benefits are numerous, including seeing an increase in employee morale and productivity, lower turnover rates and a decrease in both absenteeism and presentism. Putting your workers’ health and safety first can also contribute to building an overall positive company reputation.

In terms of direct financial benefit, adopting the standard is a proactive way to help keep your claims costs low. In 2016 changes to the Workers’ Compensation Act were made to support workers with psychological injuries. Since then the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board has seen a 75% increase in mental health claims, this number is expected to continue to increase. Psychological injury claims often carry a much higher cost due to the complexity of treatment and recovery.

If you’re wondering when the best time to implement the standard is, the answer is now! Of course, there is always the question of where do I start? The good news is that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel! Psychological Health and Safety can be incorporated into your existing Safety Management System, and Service Hospitality is here to help.

Take the first step today by contacting one of our Certified Psychological Health and Safety Advisors and booking our free Psychological Safety Audit.

Did you know? Service Hospitality has assembled a Mental Health Best Practice Group?

This working group has a mission to work together to implement best practices and positive change for mental health, safety and claims management. Join today!