The Importance of Mental Health in Workplace Safety

Traditionally workplace safety has always been associated with hard hats, warning signs and accident prevention polices. Even though physical safety is important, the need for mental health is now a growing concern and is also overlooked by almost all organizations. Poor mental health can actually lead to impaired judgement, slow reaction times, reduced focus and also can lead to costly errors and even accidents. An employee who is stressed or mentally exhausted can not only be a risk to themselves but for others also who may be working with them. Recently there has been an increase in the organizations striving for holistic approaches to employee well-being which actually shows that mental health and physical safety are inextricably connected. In this blog we will explore the connection between psychological well-being and physical workplace safety and also how they are connected to safety culture within an organization.

The connection between mental health and physical safety

The connection between mental health and physical safety is not just theoretical but its measurable, real and often clearly visible in workplace incidents. Examples such as stress, anxiety, burnout and depression amongst employees can significantly impair an individuals cognitive functions. Especially when working in high-risk environments the importance of decision making skills, concentration, situational awareness all of which are very essential for working safely. An employee with the conditions mentioned above can possess a serious hazard when working in high-risk environment.

For example an technician who is operating a heavy piece of machinery but under mental strain can miss a very critical safety step in the operation which can lead to major accident. Similary a nurse in a hospital who is suffering from burnout may overlook a vital detail in a patient’s chart. Further to this officer workers who are facing chronic stress are more prone to repetitive strain injuries or slips and falls due to lack of attention. If you carefully analyise these examples you can notice that the root cause isn’t just lack of procedures but psychological one.

As per the count by World Health Organization, depression and anxiety is costing the global economy an estimated 1 trillion US$ per year in lost productivity. But its not just above productivity alone but also linked to human costs which is more alarming. Various studies conducted by organizations have shown that employees with untreated mental health conditions are more likely to be getting involved in workplace accidents and near-misses. When an employee’s mental health condition is compromised there are chances that their capacity to follow procedures, polices, ability to access risks accurately and ability to respond swiftly to hazards diminishes. This will weaken even the strongest physical safety systems that an organization has. It is therefore very important to build a safety culture which must include mental well-being as one of the critical factor and not just physical safety measures.

Common Mental Health Stressors at Work

When an organization is planning to improve its health and safety productivity its very important to understand the root causes of poor mental health amongst its employees. Even though personal factors influence mental work-being, there are occasions where several workplace factors contribute to the stress and psychological strain. It has to be noted that it is not necessary that these stressor may be immediately visible, but their impact on employees performance and safety can be profound. Now lets look into some of the stressors that can affect an employee:

1) Excessive workload and Unrealistic Deadlines

Employees often get overloaded with tasks as well as sometimes race against the clock leading to stress. This can result in burnout, fatigue and poor-decision making which can be dangerous especially in safety critical roles in process industry, healthcare and manufacturing.

2) Lack of job control and job insecurity

There are many occasions when employees feel that they have little control over their tasks, schedules as well as job stability which can eventually lead to heightened anxiety. This can result in diminished focus, motivation and the willingness to speak up about safety concerns or errors that they may be facting.

3) Poor leadership and proper communication

One of main reason for low morale as well as uncertainty is lack of supportive supervision and unclear communication from the management side. Without clear expectations as well as feedback, employees are more likely to feel isolated, overlooked and also mentally drained.

4) Workplace bullying and Harassment

Toxic workplace environment specially marked by bullying, discrimination can lead to lasting emotional harm. Bullying and harassment can lead employees to become withdrawn, disengaged, hyper-vigilant and aggressive all of which can affect their performance and increase the risk of errors or accidents.

5) Improper Shift Work and Fatigue

Regular rotating shift works, long working hours, continuous night work can disrupt natural sleep patterns which can lead to chronic fatigue. Employees who are more prone to cognitive errors are those who are sleep-deprived which can lead to serious safety lapses.

6) Lack of proper recognition and purpose

There are many instances where an employee feel that they are not valued or been recognized by their superiors as well as management. This will lead to demotivation as well as low self-worth. This mental disengagement can often result in carelessness, reduced adherence to procedures.

For every organization it is very important to recognize these stressors and address them proactively. This will not only help to improve their workers mental health but also will strengthen their overall safety culture within the organization.

Strategies for promoting mental well-being at workplace

In order to create a mentally healthy workforce it requires deliberate strategies, consistent effort and a culture that prioritize people. For this mental well-being has to be embedded into the health and safety management system. By doing this organizations can proactively reduce risks and create environments where employees are felt safe, supported and empowered.

Lets now look into some of the proven strategies on how we can promote mental well-being:

1) Raise awareness through training

One of the important part is to raise managers and supervisors skills to recognize signs of mental distress amongst their employees. Mental health first aid training, awareness sessions, tool box talks etc can break down stigma and can build a more empathetic workplace.

2) Promote open conversations

An environment should be created where employees can freely discuss about their mental health without the fear of judgement. There should be an open door policy for the employees to approach their supervisor / managers to discuss about their mental health issues. This can be done by encouraging them to approach on one to one meetings or by sharing experience in public forums.

3) Implement employee assistance programs

Tailored employee assistance programs could be implemented where confidential counselling for mental health are available for employees. These services should serve as a lifeline for employees who are dealing with stress, grief or personal difficulties.

4) Foster work-life balance

Providing flexible working arrangements, reasonable workloads, mandatory breaks are some of the techniques in order to boost morale as well as to reduce burnouts. Always avoid glorifying overwork instead, promote the importance of adequate rest, recovery as well as importance of spending time with loved ones.

5) Review of work design and job demands

A careful analysis of how jobs are structured, clarity on various roles, whether expectations are realistic is another step. Redesigning tasks to reduce unnecessary ambiguity, excess pressure can dramatically lower workplace stress levels. Provision of additional manpower is a good example to this.

6) Promoting Psychological Safety

An environment has to be created within the organization where employees feel confident in speaking up, reporting errors or even raising concerns without the fear of punishment. By promoting psychological safety it helps to build trust.

7) Regular monitoring, measuring of mental well-being

By conducting anonymous surveys, use of various feedback tools data could be collected from the employees on their mental well-being status. This data can help identify patterns, sensitive areas which can help to target the required interventions. This demonstrate an organizations commitment to continuous improvement.

8) Integration of Mental Health into Safety Management System

Importance towards mental health has to have the same rigour as physical hazards. This has to be included in risk assessments, safety briefings and even on daily tool box talks if necessary. During incident investigation also this has to be one of the area that needs to be investigated to see if this is a root cause of the accident.

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