The Importance of Mental Health In The Safety Industry

Show your workers you want them to live happy, healthy lives - and that we're all in this together. Addressing employee mental health and distress in the workplace requires innovative solutions, and a long-term commitment to the issue. The workplace has significant impacts on employee mental health and their general wellbeing. 

Some key factors that play a huge role in the development of mental distress and illness:

• Workload (both excessive and insufficient work)
• Lack of participation and control in the workplace
• Monotonous or unpleasant tasks
• Role ambiguity or conflict
• Lack of recognition at work
• Inequity
• Poor interpersonal relationships
• Poor working conditions
• Poor leadership and communication
• Conflicting home and work demands
• Uncomfortable physical working conditions (extreme temperatures, lack of ergonomic best practices, poor scheduling, infrequent breaks)
• Fatigue at work (caused by long-term or chronic stress, poor working conditions)
  
  

Employers must address mental health and support overall employee wellbeing in the workplace on both individual and systemic levels. It is up to you to make a difference!

Mental stress has long been a hidden issue in the workplace. Employees and employers may be unaware of the effects mental distress has on safety and their bottom lines. Did you know that over 40% of Americans report experiencing increases in mental distress due to the pandemic, and over 85% say that work impacts their mental health. Employers are just now starting to recognize the effects of employee mental distress, such as a negative impact in productivity, profits, healthcare costs - and more importantly, healthy work relationships.

Key actions to take include:

• Understanding how workplace conditions and culture can impact employee mental health and, in some cases, create or enhance employee mental distress
• Ensuring leaders, managers and supervisors prioritize employee mental health and wellbeing, work to prevent mental distress, and support employees experiencing mental distress
• Ensuring human resources develops robust, compassionate, and clear policies, programs, and procedures to prevent mental distress and support employees experiencing mental distress
• Providing employee education and increasing awareness on mental wellbeing and distress, as well as awareness of workplace resources, support and policies

Take action and support your employees! Check out a list of resources for both employers and employees:

For employees:

• https://www.nsc.org/workplace/resources/publications/family-safety-health
• https://www.workplacementalhealth.org/

For employers:

• https://www.nsc.org/workplace/safety-topics/employee-mental-health/nsc-recommendations-for-employers-addressing-emplo
• https://www.nsc.org/workplace/safety-topics/employee-mental-health
• https://www.nsc.org/mentalhealthatwork#/
• https://www.assp.org/news-and-articles/suicide-in-the-construction-industry-breaking-the-stigma-and-silence
• https://www.cdc.gov/workplacehealthpromotion/tools-resources/workplace-health/mental-health/index.html