Canadian Occupational Safety (COS) magazine is the premier workplace health and safety publication in Canada. We cover a wide range of topics ranging from office to heavy industry, and from general safety management to specific workplace hazards.
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18 Canadian Occupational Safety www.cos-mag.com psychological health and safety in the workplace. GMW was developed by research- ers from the Centre for Applied Research in Mental Health and Addiction at Simon Fraser Univer- sity's Faculty of Health Sciences in Vancouver. It focuses on 13 psycho- social risk factors identifi ed by the researchers as impacting an organi- zation's health: psychological support; organizational culture; clear leader- ship and expectations; civility and respect; psychological job fi t; growth and development; recognition and reward; involvement and infl uence; workload management; engagement; balance; psychological protection; and protection of physical safety. " e Guarding Minds questions, I think, are a great starting point for employers to, not only assess how big is the perception gap between what they think they are doing and what their employees are feeling, but it also gives you an opportunity to just focus on some very neutral and positive ideas," says Mills. On Jan. 16, 2013, Canada's fi rst national standard on psycho- logical health and safety in the workplace (CAN/CSA-Z1003- 12/BNQ 9700-803/2012) was launched. e Mental Health C ommission of Canada (MHCC), CSA Group and the Bureau de Normalisation du Québec (BNQ) collaborated on the development of the standard, which is the fi rst of its kind in the world, according to Louise Bradley, presi- dent and CEO of the MHCC. This new voluntary standard establishes the framework for orga- nizations to prevent mental injury, reduce psychological risk and pro- mote a mentally healthier workplace. It provides a systematic approach to developing and maintaining a psychologically healthy and safe workplace. e standard includes tools and information on: • identifi cation of psychological haz- ards in the workplace • assessment and control of risks in the workplace associated with haz- ards that cannot be eliminated, such as reasonable job demands and stress- ors due to organizational change • implementation of practices that support and promote psychological health and safety in the workplace • growing a culture that promotes psychological health and safety • implementing measurement and review systems to ensure sustainability. Mills says the standard presents a huge opportunity for employers to start putting in place programs and policies that will help them provide a safer and healthier workplace, both physically and psychologically. "I hope that employers take the opportunity to take it up that level and use the standard," says Mills. e new standard on psychological health and safety in the workplace is initially being off ered as a free down- load to encourage more organizations to embrace the issue of mental health and take positive steps to improve the psychological health and safety of their workplaces. "We view the standard really to be a pivotal event in this whole area," says Great-West Life's Schwartz. e company was among several organi- zations — including Bell Canada and the Government of Canada — that provided funding for the develop- ment of the standard. "I would encourage employers not to view it as a threat or a burden, but to embrace it as a way that they can improve their organizational performance — whether they be in manufacturing or service or whatever business they are in," says Schwartz. "Corporately, we have determined that we will be willing to publicly say that we will start working towards the standard ourselves," he adds. For Luis and Hardaker — both suc- cessfully overcoming their mental illness and are now helping others do the same — mental illness is not just a personal health issue and indi- vidual concern. It makes moral and economic sense for employers to start looking at this issue as a workplace concern. The National Standard of Canada on Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace is here. It is a framework to help organizations promote workers' psychological health and prevent harm to worker psychological safety. Occupational Health and Safety Professionals can play a key role in working towards the Standard. Practical ideas, tools and resources to help organizations assess and address the psychological health and safety of their workplaces are available on our website at www.workplacestrategiesformentalhealth.com. All tools and resources are free. Use them to make a difference in your workplace. Not sure how to get there? We can help. The Great-West Life Centre for Mental Health in the Workplace and design are trademarks of The Great-West Life Assurance Company. Centre for Mental Health in the Workplace www.workplacestrategiesformentalhealth.com Lisa Rait, Minister of Labour, Government of Canada, speaks at a press conference releasing the national standard for psychological health and safety in the workplace on Jan. 16 in Toronto. Also in photo: (L-R) Michael Nixon, senior vice-president, corporate relations, Canadian Chamber of Commerce; Ken Georgetti, president, Canadian Labour Congress; George Cope, president and CEO, BCE and Bell Canada; Louise Bradley, president and CEO, Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC); David Goldbloom, chair, MHCC. Photo: Mental Health Commission of Canada (Darren Goldstein)