Safety Update

Safety Update: Are We Neglecting the "H" in OHS?

Other than the home environment, the workplace is the setting in which many people spend the largest proportion of their time. In favourable circumstances, work contributes to good health and economic achievements. However, the work environment exposes many workers to adverse health hazards that contribute to injuries, respiratory diseases, cancer, musculoskeletal disorders, reproductive disorders, cardiovascular diseases, mental and neurological illnesses, eye damage and hearing loss, as well as communicable diseases. Below are some of the issues that are not normally considered in terms of workplace hazards, however, have problematic effects in more cases than a physical hazard such a slip/trip or fall.

Psychological stress caused by time and work pressures has become more prevalent during the past decade. Monotonous work, work that requires constant concentration, irregular working hours, shift-work, work carried out at risk of workplace violence (prison/police work) isolated work or excessive responsibility can also have adverse psychological effects. Psychological stress and overload have been associated with sleep disturbances, burn-out syndromes and depression. Excessive stress can lead to fatigue, impaired judgment and decision-making and the onset of both mental and physical health problems.

Social conditions of work such as gender distribution and segregation of jobs and equality (or lack of) in the workplace, and relationships between managers and employees, raise concerns about stress in the workplace. Many service and public employees experience social pressure from customers which can increase the psychological workload.

Mental Health issues arise from both psychological stress and social conditions in the workplace. According to the 2001 World Health Organization report, one person in four will suffer from a mental health problem at some point in their life. Since we now run with the philosophy that the head is attached to the body, chronic stress, trauma and other associated mental health issues can contribute to physical illness and injury. So, how do we recognize and prevent these health issues in the workplace? There are a few helpful hints that will guide organizations to early identification and treatment. These include:

• Early treatment of the mental illness,
• Treating all employees with mental illness fairly and respectfully,
• Ensure job demands are reasonable and workload is balanced,
• Helping to accommodate the cost of treatment through and employee assistance program; and
• Design a corporate health promotion program to work on the "H" in OHS and help managers and workers become educated in health related hazards in the workplace.

There are numerous websites dedicated to health and wellness such as Healthy U. Healthy U was developed as a public information and education campaign to support and encourage Albertans to lead healthier lifestyles by providing access to information on healthy eating and active living. To visit this website please click here.

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