Psychological Health And Safety In Forestry

Working in forestry can be challenging, not just physically, but psychologically as well. That’s why WorkSafeBC is advising forestry employers and workers about the importance of paying attention to psychological health and safety.

Managing psychological health and safety in the workplace is as important as managing physical health and safety. A psychologically healthy and safe workplace prevents harm to workers’ mental health and promotes mental well-being. While many factors outside the workplace can affect mental health, it is an employer’s responsibility to address the factors that are within the control, responsibility, or influence of the workplace.

Psychological health and safety involve how people interact with each other daily, how working conditions and management practices are
structured, and how decisions are made and communicated.

Table of Contents

Understanding psychological health and safety in the forestry sector

In the forestry sector, workers face unique psychological challenges, including financial stress from an unstable market, job instability, social isolation, and the impact of climate change and severe weather conditions. Additionally, the high-risk nature of the industry, with 695 serious injuries and 43 fatalities in B.C. alone over the past five years, means forestry leaders and colleagues often provide grief and bereavement support.

“There is a lot of grief and stress for forestry workers to cope with, and some might turn to unhealthy coping tools like drinking or other forms of self-medication,” said Amenda Kumar, manager of consultation and education services at WorkSafeBC.

A survey by Deloitte showed that each week, about 500,000 people in Canada miss work due to psychological health issues, leading to an annual economic cost of at least $50 billion and indirect costs related to lost productivity as high as $6 billion.

In addition to lost productivity, psychological ill health can cost employers through burnout, staff turnover, and workers’ compensation claims.

Building a foundation for psychological health and safety

These three principles help to create, support, promote, and maintain a psychologically healthy and safe workplace:

Show leadership commitment.
Develop supportive managers and supervisors.
Ensure worker participation.

Many employers already operate according to these principles, which are outlined in detail in WorkSafeBC’s framework for success. Those who effectively promote psychological health and safety have greater productivity and employee engagement. Their workers experience less conflict and higher morale and are less likely to leave.

Forestry workers face unique psychological challenges, including financial stress, job instability and social isolation.
Photo: © wpw / Adobe Stock

Start with a risk assessment

The approach to managing psychological health and safety is similar to the approach for managing risks to physical health and safety: understand the risks, implement safety measures, communicate safety information, and monitor measures for effectiveness.

Step 1: Identify psychosocial hazards in your workplace, such as:

Unclear job expectations.
High or low job demands.
Toleration of disrespectful behavior.
Lack of harassment prevention policies.
Exposure to violence or trauma.
Inadequate support for psychological health.

Consult workers, possibly through anonymous surveys, to assess risks at each location. Prioritize the highest risks and involve safety committees or workers.

Step 2: Implement controls, including:

Developing a psychological health and safety policy.
Preventing and responding to harassment and violence.
Encouraging open communication.
Addressing mental well-being in return-to-work plans.
Providing peer support programs.

Step 3: Communicate safety information

Ensure workers are aware of your psychological risk management program.
Train managers, supervisors, and workers on control measures.
Establish a process for reporting psychosocial hazards.
Inform workers about filing mental health condition claims.

Step 4: Monitor and update

Regularly monitor and improve control measures.
Identify new risks with changing work conditions.
Include psychosocial hazards in safety inspections.

Early intervention is key to preventing injuries — both physical and psychological. By following these steps, employers can create a supportive work environment that addresses both physical and psychological health needs.

Creating a culture of psychological health and safety

Work is central to mental health. For many, work is a primary source of well-being and community that is critical to financial and emotional security. While a psychologically healthy and safe workplace can protect and enrich mental health, the inverse is also true: a psychologically unhealthy or unsafe workplace can contribute to or cause poor mental health.

“It can be difficult to overcome the stigma associated with psychological health,” says Kumar. “Workers might feel ashamed and hesitant to seek help. It often seems easier to explain a physical injury like a broken arm than to speak up about psychological stressors in the workplace that are impacting someone’s ability to work.”

Challenging the stigma starts with leadership from employers and fostering a culture that encourages seeking help and ensures workers are connected to available social support.

Prevention is a joint responsibility

It is important to note that psychological injuries can be prevented and treated effectively. For employers, early awareness, access to resources and support, and appropriate and timely response can greatly reduce the impact of symptoms, promote mental well-being, and help people remain at work.

WorkSafeBC’s role as a regulator is to lead British Columbian employers in promoting and supporting psychological health and safety in the workplace — through training and education, by involving workers in the discussion of risks and solutions, and by preventing psychological injuries — just as we work to prevent physical injuries.

For more information, visit WorkSafeBC.com.