Safety Matters

Along with this week being Safety and Health Week, May 3-9, 2021 is also Mental Health Week in Canada.

Over the last year, Nova Scotians, and the rest of the world, have had to endure so much on so many levels. The one constant through it all has been the recognition and demonstration of caring and compassion shown to one another.

A spotlight on mental health has been emerging in recent years, but this past year has certainly raised the importance of taking care of each other from a psychological health and wellness perspective. 

We also need to cultivate and support psychologically healthy and safe workplaces in our province.

A workplace that is psychologically healthy and safe will:

• Respect and listen to workers
• Act on their concerns
• Provide opportunities for workers to have some control over their work. 

A psychologically health and safe workplace often results in:

• Fewer work-related injuries and illnesses
• Less time loss shorter time off work when injuries and illnesses occur
• Less absenteeism
• More productive and engaged workers.

While some organizations are working to implement a specific Psychological Health and Safety Management System based on the National Standard of Canada on Psychological Health and Safety (CSA Z1003), it’s not essential to have a separate, formal management system in place to start improving the psychological health and safety for employees in your workplace.

If you are already working on improving your safety culture, reducing work-related injuries, supporting the recovery of injured workers with a stay-at-work/return-to-work program, and involving workers in continuous improvement initiatives, you are likely already doing much of what is needed for a psychologically healthy and safe workplace. 

 
Source: Employment and Social Development Canada

Other tools and resources that may be helpful are:

Psychologically Healthy Workplaces page - find helpful tools and resources including a Q&A, video, and related stats.

FirstRespondersMentalHealthNS.com - connects first responders with resources and programs including self-assessments, online counselling, mobile apps, training materials, and management toolkits. 

WorkSafe Saskatchewan Psychological Health & Safety Resource Centre - WorkSafe Saskatchewan, in partnership with Dr. Joti Samra, R.Psych. and MyWorkplaceHealth, has created a resource centre to support you in navigating through the key principles and best practices associated with PH&S.

13 Factors: Addressing Mental Health in the Workplace - a series of short animated videos that aim to raise awareness around the 13 factors that can impact the mental health of employees in the workplace and encourage conversations on methods for promoting psychologically safe places to work.

Canadian Mental Health Association’s wellness resource hub – find workplace mental health support during the coronavirus pandemic

Nova  Scotia Mental health and wellbeing - support for mental health, addictions and wellbeing is available for children, youth and adults.

Healthy Minds@Work, a hub of tools and resources to support workplace parties in their efforts to address psychological health and safety in the workplace.

The Mental Health Commission of Canada’s National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace (the Standard)

Mental Health First Aid - developed by the Mental Health Commission of Canada, aims to improve mental health literacy and provide the skills and knowledge to help people better manage potential or developing mental health problems in themselves, a family member, a friend or a colleague