Wellbeing Belongs in Every Workplace Safety Conversation

What comes to mind when you think of workplace safety? For many, it’s hard hats, machine guards and hazard signs. But what about grief, stress or fatigue? These too can affect our ability to work safely.

Imagine showing up to work after a sleepless night caring for a sick child or trying to concentrate while navigating a personal crisis. Maybe you’re dealing with anxiety, substance misuse or a medical condition like hypoglycemia. Each of these circumstances has the potential to impact safety – your own, and that of those around you.

It’s Time to Expand What We Mean by “Safety”

Safety professionals must look beyond physical hazards and consider the invisible ones. Comprehensive safety involves identifying the root causes of injury. Increasingly, these causes are related to worker wellbeing.

Workplace wellbeing is about more than just wellness programs or fitness challenges. It creates environments where employees thrive physically, mentally and emotionally. It recognizes that workplaces can play a critical role in protecting or putting people at risk.

What Is Workplace Wellbeing?

According to the U.S. Surgeon General’s Framework for Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing, “Wellbeing means building safe workplaces that are also engines for health and wellness, that show workers that they matter, that their work matters and that they have the resources and support necessary to be safe and flourish.” 

Workplace wellbeing considers the whole person, not just the hazards around them. Unlike the popular TV series, “Severance,” it takes into consideration that workplaces influence workers and vice versa. Initiatives like Total Worker Health^®, total employee health and human-centered safety aim to take a holistic approach to reducing injuries and deaths.

How Wellbeing Impacts Safety

In a survey NSC conducted, we found that over half of employers reported impairment – whether due to fatigue, stress substance use or other factors– decreases workplace safety. Wellbeing-related risks come in many forms, including:

● Fatigue: About 13% of work injuries stem from sleep problems

● Mental distress: Moderate to severe distress is linked to a higher workplace incident risk

● Substance use and misuse: Alcohol and other substances increase errors and injuries

● Workplace overdose: Accounts for 10% of workplace fatalities

● Workplace violence: Assaults rank the fourth leading cause of work-related deaths

● Psychological safety: When workers feel safe to speak up, they’re less likely to be injured

Wellbeing-related risks can be both direct (i.e., overdose, assault) and indirect (i.e., fatigue, mental distress), but all can be causes or contributors of injury on and off the job. 

Integrate Wellbeing into Safety Programs

Prioritizing wellbeing benefits both people and organizations. Improved morale, retention, productivity and health outcomes strengthen workplace cultures. It also saves money: A preventative, systems-based approach to wellbeing can help reduce long-term healthcare, lost productivity and workers’ compensation costs.

Here are some ways organizations can begin addressing wellbeing-related risks: 

● Acknowledging human limits: None of us operate at 100% all the time

● Treat wellbeing like any other risk: Use assessment tools to identify and prioritize wellbeing-related risks and integrate them into existing safety management systems

● Partner across departments: Collaborate with HR, health and medical teams, making sure to also seek feedback from frontline workers

● Start small, think big: Employee assistance programs, paid time off and flexible work policies can make a difference

● No one-size-fits-all: Tailor your efforts to meet your organization’s unique needs and make sure to avoid the check box mentality 

Take the First Step to Greater Wellbeing

The National Safety Council is here to help. Our Workplace Wellbeing Hub is packed with tools, data and resources to support your journey at any stage.

Let’s make wellbeing a core part of the safety conversation.