The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has reiterated its belief that a people-focused work culture is key to reducing and preventing work-related mental health problems.
The leading professional health and safety body spoke out after the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) published their annual statistics on work-related ill-health and workplace injuries for 2022-23. The data revealed that half of all cases of work-related ill-health in Great Britain last year were due to mental health problems.
Work-related stress, depression and anxiety were reported to affect 875,000 workers last year, with millions of working days lost as a result.
People-focused work culture can proactively manage mental health risks
IOSH’s Senior Policy and Public Affairs Manager, Corey Edwards, said the international body continued “to advocate a prevention-first approach, encouraging employers to prioritise a people-focused work culture that proactively adopts psychosocial risk management strategies.”
He added:
“Every £1 invested by employers in mental health yields a £5 return, with increased productivity, reduced staff turnover and a prevention of absenteeism and presenteeism. Investment in occupational safety and health must therefore not be misperceived as an unnecessary cost.
“Whilst the Chancellor announced in his Autumn statement a drive to return people with long-term illnesses back to work – with more than a quarter of working-age Britons currently unemployed or economically inactive – equal support for keeping people in work remains imperative.”
IOSH highlighted how cases of work-related ill-health and workplace injuries were having an economic impact.
HSE figures suggest that the annual costs of workplace injuries and new cases of work-related ill-health reached £20.7 billion in 2021-22, representing a £1.9 billion increase on the previous year.
The Chief Executive of the HSE echoed IOSH’s sentiments by stating that “tackling work-related stress can provide significant benefits to employees, improving their experience of work and their overall health; and also to employers including increased productivity, decreased absenteeism and reduced staff turnover.”
IOSH also pointed to a recent report from Deloitte which revealed that the cost of poor mental health to UK employers had reached up to £45 billion.
Download the summary statistics for Great Britain 2023 at the HSE’s website.
Training to prevent work-related ill-health and workplace injuries
First Response Training (FRT) is one of the UK’s largest and leading national training providers.
They deliver a wide and diverse range of training for businesses and organisations across all industry sectors and throughout the UK. Their course range includes training in the fields of health and safety, first aid, fire safety, manual handling, mental health, food safety, health and social care and more.
Their health and safety training is mapped to UK standards and legislation and follows HSE guidelines. The portfolio includes courses such as Health and Safety, Managing Health and Safety, Risk Assessment, Accident and Incident Investigation, Working at Height, Asbestos Awareness and many more.
An accredited Mindful Employer themselves, FRT’s specialist mental health training courses include Understanding Mental Health, Mental Health Awareness in the Workplace, Managing Stress, Anxiety and Phobias Awareness, Self-Harm Awareness and Suicide Awareness.
They can also provide qualified, approved trainers to deliver accredited Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training courses, including the Adult, Youth and Lite versions.
A trainer from FRT says:
“We believe in creating safer working environments with people who care. This is our vision and central to our services. It means providing training that helps to protect people’s physical and mental health, safety and welfare.
“Any life lost at work is obviously one too many, and non-fatal injuries can also have significant, life-altering impacts on workers. Additionally, while stress is not recognised as a diagnosable mental health condition, it can lead to more serious mental health problems such as depression and anxiety, and can also have physiological effects.
“It’s important to recognise the severity of stress and to learn proactive and positive ways for managing, minimising and preventing stress, both in the workplace and in our personal lives and to ensure that we regularly undergo essential training in health, safety and welfare across all organisations and industries.”
Helpful resources
A brief summary of our mental health training can now be downloaded as an infographic.
We also have a number of other free infographics available to download which provide simple tips for helping to manage your mental and emotional wellbeing and proactively manage your stress levels. These include:
- 8 Steps to a Good Start to 2023
- Manage Your Stress
- Support Your Mental Health
- Connect With Nature
- Work Well From Home
You can also download our free Guide to Mental Health Training from our website.
For more information on the training that FRT can provide, please call them today on freephone 0800 310 2300 or send an e-mail to info@firstresponsetraining.com.