Psychologically Safe Workplaces - Canadian Standard Released
On January 16, 2013, the Canadian Standards Association
(CSA), in concert with the Canadian Mental Health Commission (CMHC), labour,
and other organizations, launched a new “National Standard on Psychological
Health and Safety in the Workplace.” The launch of the standard coincides
with an ongoing OPSEU Social Services Sector campaign “Action
on Workplace Stress”
The voluntary CSA standard provides employers with a
systematic process and tools to create psychologically safe workplaces. It
was developed in response to the emerging realization in Canada and around
the world, that workplace psychological health and safety is as important as
physical health and safety. Previously, most discussions of workplace mental
health issues have focused solely on workers’ ability to cope in the
existing workplace environment; there has been little discussion about
organizational factors such as high work demands or lack of resources and
support that can cause or worsen health impacts on workers. It has become
clear that to be effective, strategies to improve workplace mental health
must include prevention on an organizational level, as well as
organizational and individual supports for workers suffering from diagnosed
or undiagnosed mental health conditions.
The standard stresses the importance of identifying and
addressing factors such as work demands, work organization, work
relationships, threats of violence, violence, discrimination, harassment,
and bullying that negatively impact workers’ physical and mental health.
Preventing “psychosocial hazards” at their source is an important aspect of
an employer’s overall strategy for maintaining a safe and healthy workplace
and in meeting the requirements of the standard.
Although OPSEU and other unions are supportive of the CSA
standard, we believe its effects on workplace mental health will be enhanced
if workplace parties use the standard along with the Mental Injury Tools for
Ontario Workers (MIT tools) (www.ohcow.on.ca/MIT)
launched in October 2012 by the Mental Injury Tool Group. The MIT
tool—created by workers for workers—provides resources and information for
workers, Joint Health and Safety Committees (JHSC) and Health and Safety
Representatives (HSR) to take action to identify and prevent workplace
factors that can contribute to and cause negative mental health conditions
for workers.
Three labour representatives participated on the committee
that produced the CSA standard: Sari Sairanen, Director of Health & Safety
at CAW, Denis St. Jean, Director of Health and Safety at PSAC, and Laura
Lozanski, Occupational Health & Safety Officer for Canadian Association of
University Teachers (CAUT). These representatives -also part of the Mental
Injury Tool Group - participated in the development of the worker tools and
took the MIT Group’s input to the CSA table.
Union representatives, worker members of JHSCs and HSRs are
encouraged to:
-
Download the CSA standard and the Mental Injury Tools
for Ontario Workers (at the links below) that complement the standard
-
Bring the standard and the MIT tools to your Joint
Health and Safety Committee and recommend that a strategy be developed
to identify and prevent psychosocial hazards and create a
psychologically safe and healthy workplace.
-
Ensure that a preventative approach is taken for the
workplace factors that cause or contribute to negative health outcomes
for workers.
-
Read about OPSEU’s campaign in Social Services, “Action
on Workplace Stress” and view the new video and campaign tools
-
Any questions? Contact OPSEU’s Health and Safety Unit.
DOWNLOADS
The “National Standard on Psychological Health and
Safety in the Workplace” can be downloaded in English and French for
free after entering some data.
English:
http://shop.csa.ca/en/canada/occupational-health
-and-safety-management/cancsa-z1003-13
bnq-9700-8032013/invt/z10032013/?utm_source=redirect&utm_medium=v
anity&utm_content=folder&utm_campaign=z1003
French
http://shop.csa.ca/fr/canada/gestion-de-la-sante
-et-securite-au-travail/cancsa-z1003-f13bnq-9700-803f2013/invt/z10032013/
Mental Injury Tools for Ontario Workers
www.ohcow.on.ca/MIT
News coverage at the launch of the standard
http://www.thestar.com/living/health/
article/1315858--canada-launches-workplace-standards-for-mental-health-and-safety
http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/new
voluntary-standard-aims-to-help-improve-mental-health-at-work-1.1116508
http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/
2013/01/16/mental-health-workplace.html
http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Health/ID
/2326114480/
