A guide to mental health risks in the workplace

Every worksite has a wide range of risks, it can be hard to keep track of all the risks on a site. Without knowing that a risk exists it is impossible to control effectively. To ensure that your workers are as safe as possible the worksite must be assessed for risks. 

The aim of Risk Management is to prevent incidents from occurring, and as such is one of the most important aspects of an organisation’s WHS system. 

Before making a purchase there are a number of steps that need to be completed to ensure the system is fit for purpose.

Transcript

All too often organisations focus on managing risks to employee’s physical health and safety and neglect their employee’s mental health.                            

Psychological injuries can be long lasting and costly, often requiring more time off work than physical injuries. Mental health can be affected by a range of factors, so it is important to adequately manage mental health risks in your workplace.                                                    

Every year 7,200 compensation claims are made for work-related psychological injuries, Resulting in payouts of over $500 million     

While work-related mental health injuries mare most common in occupations that are exposed to violent or traumatic situations, such as police, fire fighters or the defence force, over 90% of mental health claims were caused by work-related stress, which can occur in any occupation                             

The world health report showed: “more working days are lost as a result of mental disorders than physical conditions” – psychological injuries are often more expensive and require more time off work

in 2010-2015 typical mental health claims cost $15,000 more than the average for all injuries
Animation And required almost 10 weeks more time off

Additionally, a poor state of mental health can impact a person’s physical health, with depressed workers taking 20 times more time off work than average

Mental health can be adversely affected by a range of factors, including: ​

  • Job pressures 
  • Exposure to violent or traumatic events 
  • Workplace relationships, such as bullying or harassment 
  • Or even environmental factors, such as noise levels or lighting

To address the various factors influencing mental health, there are a few things that any organisation can do:

  • Establish mental health as a key consideration in the organisation’s risk management framework
  • Develop clear policies to encourage an inclusive workplace culture and eliminate workplace bullying and harassment
  • Provide training, counselling and other resources to ensure that small problems don’t develop into big problems 

Organisations need to look after the health of their workers inside and out.

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Why inductions are integral to WHS Management

Transcript

Workers, contractors and visitors must be provided information about the site in the form of a workplace induction. Under the Workplace Safety Act a PCBU must inform workers, visitors and contractors about the risks of the work being carried out. While workers may have received inductions in the past, they must be inducted into each worksite or activity, as each worksite will have unique risks and controls.

Broadly speaking there are three levels of induction, though this may vary depending on the organisation:

  • Industry-wide inductions, such as the construction White card    
  • Corporate inductions, which provide general information such as company policies or risk management procedures 
  • Site inductions, which provide specific information about a worksites, hazards controls and procedures.

Unfortunately, it is both difficult and time consuming to provide people with adequate information. In an informal induction some topics may be forgotten or only briefly mentioned It can also be hard to tell if the information has been absorbed and fully understood.

Visitors and contractors may also be overlooked. Without accurate records it’s impossible to tell who has or hasn’t been inducted.

To create effective inductions:

  • Keep them simple, too much information can overwhelm the audience. If there is a lot to cover, consider breaking the induction into several smaller ones. 
  • Have an established process for inductions that ensures all the information has been provided.
  • Consider having assessment questions to test the workers’ comprehension.
  • Make sure you have accurate records

Use WHS Monitor to create automated and highly interactive online inductions.

Are your inductions up to scratch?

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Sign-up to our Newsletter

Get the latest OHS news and educational posts as well as events,  system updates and all things WHS Monitor

Watch our on-demand webinar

Attend our on-demand webinar for a complete look at the WHS Monitor system including a walkthrough of all the modules. See what WHS Monitor can do today!

James Young headshot

On-Demand Webinar

Presented by systems specialist James Young

Get an overview of all of WHS Monitor's modules and how they help your business

Watch Now →

Attend one of our virtual events

Keep an eye on our upcoming industry based events. We will be taking a deep dive into WHS issues and then opening up the floor to questions and discussions.