The aim and intended outcomes of the OH&S management system are therefore to prevent work-related injury and ill health to workers: Mental Health Thesis, NUI, Ireland

The aim and intended outcomes of the OH&S management system are therefore to prevent work-related injury and ill health to workers, and to provide safe and healthy workplaces. Consequently, it is critically important for the organization to eliminate hazards and minimize OH&S risks by taking effective preventive and protective measures, which include measures to manage psychosocial risks. Psychosocial hazards are increasingly recognized as major challenges to health, safety, and well-being at work.

Psychosocial hazards relate to how work is organized, social factors at work, and aspects of the work environment, equipment, and hazardous tasks. Psychosocial hazards can be present in all organizations and sectors, and from all kinds of work tasks, equipment, and employment arrangements.

Psychosocial hazards can occur in combination with one another and can influence and be influenced by other hazards. Psychosocial risk relates to the potential of these types of hazards to cause several types of outcomes on individual health, safety, and well-being and on organizational performance and sustainability. It is important that psychosocial risks are managed in a manner consistent with other OH&S risks, through an OH&S management system, and integrated into the organization’s broader business processes.

Psychosocial risks affect both psychological health and safety, and health, safety, and well-being at work more broadly. Psychosocial risks are also associated with economic costs to organizations and society.

There is a range of terms that are used in relation to what psychosocial risks affect, including “psychological health” and “mental health”. These terms are considered interchangeable and to have the same meaning for the purposes of this document. This document is concerned with all types of impacts on health, safety, and well-being at work.

Negative outcomes for workers can include poor health and associated conditions and associated poor health behaviors, as well as reduced job satisfaction, commitment, and productivity. Managing psychosocial risks can result in positive outcomes, including improved job satisfaction and increased productivity.

Although numerous factors can determine the nature and severity of outcomes of psychosocial risks, organizations have a significant role to play in eliminating hazards or minimizing risks. Both the organization and workers have a shared responsibility for maintaining and improving health, safety, and well-being at work.

For the organization, the impact of psychosocial risks includes increased costs due to absence from work, turnover, reduced product or service quality, recruitment and training, workplace investigations and litigation, as well as damage to the organization’s reputation.

Effective management of psychosocial risk can lead to benefits such as improved worker engagement, enhanced productivity, increased innovation, and organizational sustainability.

This document outlines examples of psychosocial hazards arising from work organization, social factors, work environment, equipment, and hazardous tasks, as well as a range of control measures that can be used to eliminate hazards or minimize associated risks.

Organizations are responsible for identifying hazards and minimizing the risks associated with them. The participation of workers, in all stages of the process, is critical to the success of managing psychosocial risks.

This document also includes information on what is important for organizations to consider in relation to raising awareness of psychosocial risks, developing competence in the management of psychosocial risks, supporting the recovery and return to work of affected workers, and planning for and responding to emergency situations.

The success of psychosocial risk management depends on commitment from all levels and functions of the organization, especially from top management.