Safety And Mental Health

Whose responsibility is mental health in the workplace? Is it HR or Health and Safety?

While those two departments play "hot potato" with that one, let me point something out: mental health is everyone's responsibility. So everyone better get good at figuring out what it is and how to deal with it.

Personally, I think it is more than an HR issue. It SHOULD fall under Safety because ultimately safety isn't just about protecting people wearing boots - it's about protecting everyone - including people with mental health issues.

Do you as a Safety Professional know the signs of depression? Are foremen, managers and supervisors in your organization talking to their people often enough to notice subtle changes in behavior?

Safety managers are constantly harping about noticing the little things that could become hazards but are those same managers noticing the little things - like changes in behavior - that could get someone hurt?

Maybe it's time you started looking at Safety in a wholistic way instead of just concentrating on processes and following items listed in a manual. There's more to Safety than that.


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Kevin Burns - Workplace Expert and Speaker