Safe Work Australia is calling on employers and employees across the country to check how mentally healthy their workplaces are this week, marking the second week of National Safe Work Month (October).
Highlighting the Month’s Know safety, work safely theme, Safe Work said the Month was an opportunity to build awareness of work health and safety, encourage discussion about safety at work, and ensure everyone was aware of health and safety hazards and how to manage risks to keep workers safe.
“Being healthy and safe at work means being free from physical and psychological harm – no job should be unsafe and everyone can help create a safe workplace,” Safe Work Australia said.
“This week during National Safe Work Month, we will focus on how to identify psychosocial hazards and manage risks,” it said.
“Mental (psychological) health, just like physical health, is an important part of work health and safety.”
Safe Work said work-related psychological injuries (mental illness) had a significant impact on workers, their families and business.
“These injuries may result in longer time away from work and cost more than other injuries,” the Agency said.
“This week, take a moment and talk about psychosocial hazards.”
It said psychosocial hazards were anything at work that could cause psychological harm and could come from the way the work was designed and managed; the working environment; and work relationships and behaviours, including bullying, harassment, discrimination, aggression and violence.
Safe Work Australia said this year’s National Safe Work Month campaign focused on different work health and safety (WHS) topics each week, covering Injuries at work last week, with weeks three and four to focus on Managing WHS risks and preventing harm, and Safe and healthy work for all respectively.
Further information about psychosocial hazards and how to manage risks can be accessed at this PS News link.
