Canadian Occupational Safety

22 Canadian Occupational Safety www.cos-mag.com The County of Wellington is the winner of the very fi rst Canada's Safest Employers Psychological Safety Award. Michele Richardson, health and safety co-ordinator, says the county puts a great deal of effort into edu- cation and communication on the importance of psychological safety. From the time they're hired, employ- ees are trained in respectful workplace, verbal de-escalation and workplace violence policies. Training, including online pro- grams, continues on a regular basis. The county recently introduced a mental health tool kit, part of man- datory training for all staff. While workers learn to report unhealthy psychological situations to their managers, managers are trained to investigate issues and, if required, take corrective action. At quarterly managers' meetings, they often dis- cuss a topic regarding psychological health and safety. "We work hard to give them the skills they need to identify employees who may be struggling with mental health issues and the skills they need to initiate a conversation with them," Richardson says. Consistency of manager training is important, says Melanie Shaye, human resources supervisor. The county's 800 employees work at 50 offi ces spread across 2,590 square kilometres. "We have people working in very remote locations and in different businesses — solid waste, roads, libraries. But because managers have this training and can deliver it to rural as well as urban staff all employees get the same message," she says. Workers can go to Richardson for support, who is an occupational health nurse, or they can also consult trained mental health fi rst-aiders who work on site. Absenteeism reports, worker com- plaints, results of exit interviews and employee and family assistance pro- gram (EFAP) quarterly reports are used to set objectives when the health and safety team develops its psychological health and safety management system, Richardson says. It also promotes pre- vention in areas with high EFAP usage. The County of Wellington council, senior staff and chief administrative offi cer, Scott Wilson, are extremely supportive of a psychologically healthy workplace, which is a cen- tral reason for the county's success, Lawson says. "They support all facets of our health and safety policies. We're very fortunate," she says. "It's apparent when people come into the County of Wellington that that's how we oper- ate here." T hrough a range of programs and policies, the County of Wellington shows its employees that preserving their mental health is just as impor- tant as preventing slips and falls. "We really do put all our health and safety policies into action. We do walk the talk," says Andrea Lawson, human resources director at the municipal government in southwest Ontario. W ellness has become so integrated into PowerStream's culture that it is "in our DNA," according to Daniella Cogliano, organizational improvement co-ordinator. "Managing the success and well- being of 600 employees in four locations while the company grows and innovates is one of our greatest challenges." An energy company in Vaughan, Ont., PowerStream takes a holistic approach to wellness that includes nutrition, fi tness and mental health. "Research has shown that employ- ees become much more motivated and productive when they know their employer cares about their total quality of life," says Brian Bentz, president and CEO, PowerStream. "It is one of the key drivers behind our organization's com- mitment to provide a comprehensive wellness program that includes physi- cal, nutritional, emotional, fi nancial and social health." To meet the specifi c needs of diverse groups and develop an annual well- ness plan, PowerStream collects statistics from the benefi ts plan such as usage of medications, sup- port services and the employee and family assistance program. "While names are confi dential, such statistics along with surv eys help us design the program," says Cogliano. "For example, those approaching retire- ment are looking for information about heart disease, cholesterol, diabetes and so on, while the middle generation is looking for relationship counselling, parenting and fi nancial planning." Meeting the varied wellness needs of the workforce involves publishing print materials, running announce- ments on strategically placed TV monitors and bringing in specialists to provide demonstrations. A wellness fair and walking challenge comple- ment the annual safety barbecue, featuring vendors, associations, nutri- tionists and fi tness coaches to allow employees to interact with experts in various fi elds of interest. And throughout the year, employee well- ness ambassadors set examples and help motivate individuals. "Wellness initiatives such as lunch- n-learns, farmers' markets and healthy food in our vending machines and cafeteria are just a few examples of how we engage our employees in a healthy lifestyle," adds Joe Tran, capital asset analyst and wellness committee member. The PowerStream wellness program is only three years old, so it is too soon to measure the results, said Cogliano. "Early signs such as a great uptake on some of our initiatives are encourag- ing, and we have begun benchmarking and measuring." She anticipates that within fi ve to seven years, the company will be able to correlate the wellness program with results such as lower absenteeism and disability rates. • Morguard • The Fairmont Royal York Psychological Safety Wellness SILVER GOLD GOLD

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