Psychosocial Safety & Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems

Occupational Health and Safety has typically been synonymous with physical health, however in recent years there has been a big movement in recognising the importance of psychological health and wellbeing in the working environment. Stress anxiety and depression make up the second most common health problem in the workplace affecting European workers, according to OSHA. 964,000 workers in the UK suffer from the conditions according to the 24/25 HSE statistics.

Psychosocial safety refers to how workplace factors can affect mental wellbeing, this includes unmanageable and excessive workloads, violence and aggression, harassment, lack of support and job security, and unrealistic expectations based on performance. Workplace conflict when not managed correctly can also create a toxic working environment that can be a detriment to staff wellbeing.

Creating a robust Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS) should incorporate the psychological risks as well as physical risks. Evidence shows that in the instances where these systems are operational and effectively implemented, organisations experience greater overall productivity, reduced absences and overall improved workplace wellbeing.

For a better understanding of how to implement an effective Health and Safety Management System in your business, contact Croner today on 0800 470 9999.

Legal responsibilities of psychosocial safety in the workplace

Employers are obligated to safeguard the health, safety, and wellbeing of their staff and any other people impacted by their operations, this falls under their employers duty of care and covers both physical and mental wellbeing.

Organisations should recognise workplace hazards (and other) issues that could lead to stress, anxiety, burnout, or other mental health challenges, and take practical, reasonable measures to reduce or resolve them. 

Occupational health and safety management standards acknowledging psychosocial hazards as an important risk category to address and are urged to via correct risk assessment procedure, staff consultation, ongoing monitoring, and continuous improvement.

Following this protocol ensures psychological health is integrated into broader health and safety management systems, instead of being handled as a separate, standalone wellbeing program.

Psychosocial safety control measures and support systems 

Employers should adopt a proactive and systematic approach when it comes to managing psychosocial risks. In order to effectively deal with these employers should make their starting point identifying potential stressors using employee feedback, conducting risk assessments and looking at absence data alongside workplace monitoring. Once potential stressors have been identified then control measures should be implemented with the intent to mitigate or eliminate these.  

When implementing support for employees, there are several key areas that have shown to help combat poor mental health in the workplace. This includes clear and defined job roles and responsibilities, creating and maintaining realistic workloads and regular clear communication. There are also many other control measures which should follow the recognised stress management standards.

As well as the above there should be opportunity for employees to regularly consult with their manager, alongside psychosocial safety training for management to help identify the early warning signs of employee distress. Another effective means to bolster support for your workforce is the implementation of an employee assistance programme (EAP) and other occupational health services and resources.

Employers should also include a regular review process of all control measures to assess their suitability and add improvements where necessary. This is all part of maintaining an effective Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS).

What are the significant concerns relating to psychosocial safety at work?

Many of the risk involved with psychosocial safety come to fruition through oversight, as well as poor organisational management and work design.

Work related stress is one such chief concern when it comes to significant psychosocial hazards in the workplace. A primary cause of this can be excessive workloads coupled with unrealistic deadlines and inadequate resources. Each of these is a risk in their own merit, but they can often come hand in hand. Employees under these pressures for prolonged periods of time often end up burnt-out, on top of this the increased fatigue and lack of concentration can lead to the increase of workplace incidents.

Some additional factors that can contribute to an increase in workplace stress are workplace bullying, harassment, discrimination, and conflict this can have dire consequences for both individual staff wellbeing and your organisations overall performance.

If employees feel unsupported and feel unable to raise concerns, when necessary, typically have lower job satisfaction, which can lead to a reduction in engagement and an increased staff turnover.

Just a few of the ways employers can address these concerns and benefit from improved employee retention and engagement, is to encourage open communication and the creation of a positive workplace culture with the provision of suitable training. Utilising a clear reporting channel for any employee concerns as well as monitoring workloads and ensuring a good work-life balance can also go a long way to improving psychosocial safety in the workplace. Having this documented in a clear stress or wellbeing policy is also an effective control measure.

Contact a Croner Health and Safety expert 

By treating psychosocial safety in the same manner as typical physical health and safety, employers can help build trust and engagement with their workforce, reduce absences and help overall staff wellbeing. Organisations that include psychological wellbeing in their Health and Safety protocols can identify risks early, support their workforce and improve overall business performance.

Talk to a Croner Health and Safety expert today to understand how you can better incorporate psychosocial safety into your Occupational Health and Safety Management System today!

Call 0800 470 9999.