Psychological health and safety for workersWorkers should know and understand their workplace health and safety responsibilities — and those of others.Most adults spend the majority of their waking hours at workPsychological health and safety is just as important as physical health and safety in the workplace.Legally it’s the employer’s responsibility to address risks of psychological injury and promote a psychologically healthy work environment, but everyone plays a role. Employees can start by understanding the 13 psychosocial workplace factors from The National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety to learn what you can do to contribute to a psychologically healthy and safe work environment. Critical incidentsCritical incidents are disturbing events, like a workplace injury or fatality, and can cause strong emotional reactions. A person may experience emotional aftershocks immediately after the event or days later. Common signs of aftershock include headaches, confusion, guilt, grief, anger or sleeplessness.Many people who experience a stress reaction recover completely. However, if the critical incident has led to a psychological injury, the WCB is here to help. Start by submitting a claim with the WCB.Mental health supportIf you or someone you know needs mental health support, help is out there. There are several resources available to Manitobans, including the following: Crisis linesIf you are experiencing a crisis, seek help immediately. Call the province-wide 24/7 Klinic Crisis line at 204-786-8686 or 1-888-322-3019. Non-crisis support Click here for a list of contacts, broken down by region, to connect you with care in your community. Employee Assistance ProgramsSome employers have an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) that provides free, confidential, short-term counselling for employees. Check with your EAP provider to see how many counselling sessions are available to you. Other supportsOther organizations that can connect you with information and support include:MFL Occupational Health Centre Canadian Mental Health Association CBI Health Group: Mental HealthManitoba Psychological Society: Find a psychologist in your communityRelated linksPsychological health and safetyHealth and safety topic list
