When the Danger is Internal: What EHS Professionals Need to Know About Mental Health Risk

In workplaces like manufacturing facilities, construction sites and warehouses, we spend so much time considering how to protect workers from obvious dangers like trip hazards and powerful machinery. But for more than 1 in 5 American workers today, thoughts of self-harm or suicide are equally real threats to their well-being at work.

September is Suicide Awareness Month and it’s an important opportunity to consider the mechanisms your organization has in place to ensure that mental health is being treated as serious a risk factor as physical hazards, because the reality is that the two are inextricably linked. Not only is self-harm a risk in and of itself, but workers experiencing symptoms of severe depression, including a sense of distraction, are also more prone to physical injuries on the job. 

Rewiring Your Approach 

Mental health has transitioned over the decades from being something entirely unacknowledged in industrial workplaces to becoming a consideration that’s top of mind for many EHS and HR departments today. But where the buck has stopped in most organizations is with managers.

The responsibility for identifying and addressing mental health issues is often disproportionately placed on managers, limiting the reach and effectiveness of these efforts. This approach overlooks the fact that every employee, not just managers, can be the first to notice subtle signs of distress in their colleagues.

We found in a recent survey that over one in five (22%) workers have harbored concern at some point over the past year of a colleague potentially being at risk of harming themselves or attempting to take their own life. Meanwhile, more than one in three (34%) say they’re uncertain of how to help a colleague who is struggling.

The data paints a clear picture: All workers are privy to the often subtle signs and symptoms of mental distress among their colleagues and must be equipped to respond appropriately. To leave the burden of monitoring the mental well-being of the entire workforce to a handful of managers is to leave open the likelihood that individuals in need of support will go unrecognized. Worse, their colleagues will bear the burden of feeling unable to act.

Start Conversations

Employers are often discouraged to see mental health issues continue to plague their workforce while resources within Employee Assistance Plans (EAP) or health insurance offerings go unused. But this gets at the core issue in most organizations: The conversation on mental health hasn’t even been started yet.

Employees haven’t been made to feel safe enough to voice that they’re having an issue, much less jump through the loopholes and paperwork often involved in formally requesting support through something like an EAP. In industrial workplaces, there’s often an even higher stigma surrounding mental health and showing any kind of emotional vulnerability.  

Thus, the first step for any health and safety department tackling this issue is to begin with organization-wide discussions of mental health to normalize the topic. These can take many forms, including:

• holding a training discussing how employees can talk about mental health and what support can look like within the organization, and
• inviting a qualified external mental health professional to come and give an on-site presentation.

Also, consider implementing regular check-ins or surveys to gauge the mental health climate in the workplace. These initiatives should be paired with visible leadership support to reinforce the importance of mental well-being.

It is critical that all employees are involved and that leaders within the organization are continuing these conversations on an ongoing basis. When employees see leaders participating in these issues, they begin to feel safe in doing the same. 

Offer Additional Support 

Creating awareness and a sense of psychological safety to discuss issues such as mental health distress and severe depression is the number one challenge in most workplaces. However, HR and health and safety departments often have a valid next question: “How do we respond once someone does come to us in distress?” 

In our research, we’ve found that the majority of employees hope to be referred to professional support, to have time off or a reduced workload to allow them to focus on well-being, or to have access to digital self-help tools to guide them. Moreover, consider integrating mental health support into the fabric of daily work life. This might include providing access to mental health apps that offer on-demand support or creating wellness spaces where employees can take a moment to de-stress.

But the key here is listening and having open and honest conversations with employees about what they need as they work through this issue. The best resolution will be unique to each individual, but it's important that everyone feels heard and respected.