A Call to Action: Holistic approach to tackling psychosocial hazards for a healthier workforce

By Palmer Ilabor Ikechukwu

Safe Work Australia describes psychosocial hazards as factors that could negatively affect employees’ psychological well-being. These include job demands, unclear roles, poor management of organizational changes, lack of recognition or rewards, perceived unfairness, exposure to traumatic events, remote or isolated work, substandard physical environments, violence, aggression, bullying, harassment (including sexual and gender-based), workplace conflicts, strained relationships etc.

Psychosocial hazards are inherent risks within workplace systems that often go unnoticed until their consequences are thoroughly examined to identify root causes. For example, industrial plants, utility facilities, construction sites, and airport taxiways are typically associated with high noise levels. While the physical effects, such as noise-induced hearing loss, are well-documented, the more subtle psychosocial impacts of prolonged noise exposure on workers’ mental well-being frequently remain overlooked.

Additionally, high-stress work environments exacerbate these issues, leading to impaired focus, reduced productivity, increased error rates, and decreased job satisfaction.

Similarly, healthcare professionals, public safety personnel, and emergency service workers represent another vulnerable group. These individuals face continuous exposure to traumatic events and experience stress and burnout due to extended working hours. However, despite their critical role in providing public health, safety and emergency services, they remain unforgiven from psychosocial risks.
Recognizing the growing impact of work-related psychosocial hazards on employees’ health, safety, and overall well-being, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has called for urgent action to address these risks. The CDC highlights the need for comprehensive strategies and regulatory standards to systematically manage psychosocial hazards and enhance workplace safety.

A Holistic Risk Management Approach

The first step in mitigating psychosocial risks is formal recognition by government agencies. The CDC advocates for the development of national regulatory standards to address these hazards effectively. Complementing these efforts, corporate organizations and civil society groups must actively participate. This includes establishing constitutional mandates to assign clear roles and responsibilities to designated employees focused on managing psychosocial risks.
Several approaches have been developed to promote engagement in psychosocial risk management, combining regulatory frameworks with voluntary measures such as standards, guidelines, and tools. Notable examples include:

• The British Standards Institution (2011), which published the first national guidance standard for managing workplace psychosocial risks.
• Canada’s National Standard on Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace (2013), the first auditable standard in this field.
• Australia’s Safe Work Australia guidance on work-related psychological health and safety (2019).
  These national initiatives have also contributed to the development of ISO 45003, which provides global guidelines for managing psychosocial risks in the workplace.
  A Holistic Risk Management Approach
  Effective identification and communication of psychosocial hazards are critical for organizations where workers are continuously exposed to such risks. Greater responsibilities remain with Human Resources Management and Occupational Health and Safety departments to include psychosocial hazards in their risk registers and adopt measures that will aid in seamless implementation. To address this gap, it is recommended that organizations adopt the following measures:

1. Identify Psychosocial Hazards:

• Identify potential psychosocial risks such as workplace violence, bullying, workload stress, exposure to traumatic events etc. in its business domain.
  -Incorporate a comprehensive list of psychosocial hazards into the organization’s risk register, including risk rankings
• Analyze organizational incident data to identify patterns and trends linked to psychosocial risks.
• Identify certain employees/Similar Exposed Groups (SEGs) that are predisposed to certain type of hazards

1. Develop and Enhance Risk Controls:

• Develop robust risk prevention/mitigation strategies; by first, considering eliminating the risks from the workplace, adopting engineering principles or technological interventions where applicable.
• Regularly review and improve controls such as workload management, clear roles and responsibilities, establish work-life balance policies, and training programs.
• Ensure these measures are both effective and adaptable to evolving workplace dynamics.

1. Promote Mental Health and Well-Being Strategies:

• Organize periodic initiatives to foster a culture of mental health and well-being.
• Managers and leaders to incorporate statements addressing employee well-being and mental health in communication sessions and meetings with employees, ensuring alignment with organizational goals.

1. Train Employees on Resilience Skills
   A critical component of addressing psychosocial hazards is equipping employees with resilience skills to effectively manage workplace stressors and challenges. Resilience training helps individuals develop the ability to adapt to adversity, maintain psychological stability, and recover from difficult situations. This proactive approach not only reduces the impact of psychosocial risks but also enhances overall workplace performance and satisfaction.
   To achieve this, organizations should consider implementing the following strategies:
2. Designing Resilience Training Programs:
   -Offer workshops and interactive sessions focused on stress management, emotional intelligence, and coping mechanisms.

• Encourage employees to develop growth mindset, viewing challenges as opportunities to grow or acquire new skill set.
• Incorporate practical techniques, such as mindfulness, problem-solving strategies, and time management, to improve employees’ ability to handle pressure.
• Maintain healthy habits, including proper nutrition, regular exercise, and sufficient sleep.
• Use journaling, meditation, or mindfulness to enhance resilience.
• Relate to colleagues’ emotions and perspectives.
• Foster a workplace culture of kindness and mutual assistance.
• Identify meaningful goals that drive motivation.
• Create a connection between work and personal life to enhance satisfaction.

1. Integrating Resilience into Workplace Culture:

• Encourage open discussions about mental health and provide safe spaces for employees to share challenges without fear of stigma.
• Recognize and reward adaptive behaviors, fostering a culture where resilience is valued and practiced.

1. Providing Access to Professional Support:

• Establish Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) that offer counseling and support services tailored to individual needs.

1. Empowering Managers and Leaders:
   -Train supervisors to identify signs of stress or burnout and to support their teams in building resilience

• Encourage leaders to model resilient behaviors, such as maintaining composure under pressure and adapting positively to change.

1. Evaluating and Refining Training Initiatives:
   -Use feedback and performance metrics to assess the effectiveness of resilience training programs.

• Regularly update training content to address emerging workplace challenges and evolving employee needs.

• Ikechukwu is an Occupational Health & Safety Engineer, Chartered Member of IOSH, and Professional Member of the American Society of Safety Professional