Risk Management Model – Addressing Psychological Health and Safety
Just as employers are responsible for maintaining physical health and safety through hazard management and safety protocols, they also have a duty to address factors that impact mental health in the workplace. Managing physical risks is already a key part of an employer’s role, and this responsibility naturally extends to creating a psychologically healthy environment. This involves understanding risks, implementing safety measures, communicating about safety, and monitoring their effectiveness—elements that make up the Risk Management Model.
Risk Management Model
1. Understand the risks
Start by identifying hazards in your workplace, then assessing the risks by considering their likelihood and potential severity. When it comes to psychological health and safety, focus on identifying psychosocial hazards. WorkSafeBC defines psychosocial hazards as social, behavioral, or psychological conditions in the workplace or related to the work itself that can negatively impact both psychological and physical health. To guide this process, consider the five psychosocial categories outlined in WorkSafeBC’s Framework for Success.
- Interpersonal Environment: Lack of respect, open communication, and conflict resolution, leading to issues like harassment, violence, and interpersonal conflict.
- Job Design: Unclear roles, excessive workloads, or lack of growth opportunities, affecting employee control and engagement.
- Workplace Conditions: Unsuitable physical environments or inadequate communication about safety, negatively impacting well-being.
- Need for Employer Supports: Insufficient policies, resources, or leadership support, leaving workers without necessary assistance.
- Exposure to Traumatic Events: Lack of support systems for dealing with trauma, increasing the risk of stress and emotional strain.
2. Implement measures to control risk
Address the greatest risk first, using the hierarchy of controls to effectively manage them.
3. Communicate safety information
Inform everyone about your risk management program, train them to identify and control hazards, and share documented safety procedures and policies.
4. Monitor and update
Regularly assess and enhance control measures, identify new or changing hazards during safety inspections, and closely supervise high-risk activities.
Physical & Psychological Examples
Review the table below for an example of how the Risk Management Model can be applied to both physical and psychological hazards.
Physical Hazards
| Understand the Risks | Control Measures | Communicate | Monitor & Update |
| Identify wet floors as a physical hazard. Assess the risk by considering the likelihood of slips and falls and the potential severity of injuries. | Address the greatest risk first by ensuring wet floors are promptly cleaned and dried. Use controls such as placing warning signs, using non-slip mats, and implementing regular cleaning schedules. | Inform everyone about the risk management program for wet floors. Train employees to recognize wet floor hazards and the procedures to control them. Share documented safety procedures and policies regarding wet floor management. | Regularly assess the effectiveness of control measures for wet floors. Identify new or changing hazards during safety inspections. Closely supervise areas with a higher risk of wet floors to ensure compliance with safety measures. |
Psychological Hazards
| Understand the Risks | Control Measures | Communicate | Monitor & Update |
| Identify absence of psychological health and safety policy as psychological hazard. Assess the risk by considering the likelihood of stress, burnout, conflicts, and the potential severity of impacts on employee well-being. | Develop a psychological health and safety policy with worker input. Outline the importance of a risk management approach to identify, assess, and control psychological hazards. | Inform everyone about the new psychological health and safety policy. Provide a copy to workers, emphasizing its importance to the organization and post it in a visible workplace location for easy access. | Gather feedback from the workplace, track incidents related to psychological hazards and assess the policy’s impact on workplace well-being. Update the policy as needed to address changes in the workplace or regulation. |
Employers must manage psychological risks in the same way they manage physical risks, ensuring a safe and supportive environment for all workers. While many factors outside the workplace can affect mental health, it is the employer’s responsibility to address those factors that fall within their control, responsibility, or influence. By applying the same Risk Management Model used for physical safety, employers can create a workplace that supports both the physical and psychological well-being of their team.