In the past, safety officers were supposed to be accountable for the physical security and management concerns at the workplace. At first, they were focused on the physical well-being of the individuals, but they have also been transformed into a source of mental health help. Modern workplace conditions can include factors that affect the company’s productivity, employees’ health, and the organization’s whole. It is, therefore, important for safety officers to be able to acknowledge some of the early warning signs of mental health problems, as this will put them in a poised position to facilitate change.
- Diagnosis of the First Signs of Schizophrenia
The primary prevention strategy for mental health problems is thus the identification of the earliest signs. They say managers and safety officers are often better placed to identify behavioral changes among their workers. It may involve minimizing contact with peers, withdrawal in performance, reduction in productivity, shift in the way of talking, behaving, etc. The following actions are meant to be taken, including ensuring that employees are checked up on and additionally ensuring that the safety of officers can always engage the employees in a continued conversation about mental health disorders.
- A Mental Health First Aid Intervention
When there is an indication that a person has a mental health ailment, safety officers need to be very cautious. After that, though, it is required that a mental health first aid refresher training is provided. This means knowledge acquisition and sign recognition process and recognizing what must be done next. They should know about available services that are very helpful to the employees, such as counseling and group therapy. Fortunately, providing the right roadmap to such content can also help more people to actively seek assistance about any mental disorders that they may have or are at risk of having.
- Providing a Safe Workplace
This is also to ensure that safety officers’ safety is protected when issues on mental health are being raised. This policy formulation protects employees from harassment and discrimination toward their mental health. Therefore, when defining anonymous measures that do not reveal the identity of the employees reporting the incidents, safety officers can ensure that the worker will turn to them for help with no consequences of the event.
- Training and staff & executive development
Safety officers should enroll themselves in further education to be useful in future mental health interventions. Other courses include the IOSH Working Safely course, which introduces the general concepts of workplace safety and health. Also, repeat training in mental health first aid assists in refreshing safety officers on the latest practices and approaches to handling a situation. These training sessions make a point about adopting proper mental health policies in workplace safety to keep safety officers well-equipped for these crucial challenges.
- Creating a Culture of Support
About mental health support, the task of safety officers is to develop the culture of employees’ acceptance of help. In this case, they should take the initiative to encourage the matters of mental health as well as offering the necessary tools so that the employees would obtain control over their mental health. Such practice can be reinforced through training and the effective implementation of regular workshops that target the mental health of all individuals in an organization.
Final Thoughts
These roles of safety officers in supporting mental health need to be extended to cover all safety practitioners to enhance the organization’s health status. Employer assistance may also be provided, as well as early signs of mental health risks, safety interventions, and the establishment of secure environments, all of which contribute to employee well-being, managed by safety officers. The IOSH Working Safely course and Mental Health First Aid Awareness—Requalification are essential courses for safety officers who must continually perform this activity.
