If you were ever wondering just how relevant the regulator is regarding psychosocial health perhaps read this: New mental health safety inspectors now supporting workers and businesses

Here we have an expansion of ‘inspectors’ as part of the ‘part of the $344 million of the NSW Government’s Workplace Mental Health package for strengthening mental health support and injury prevention strategies.’

And how is this ‘support’ going to be demonstrated? We have this:

• Issuing on-the-spot fines and improving compliance and enforcement.
• Responding to psychosocial incidents reported to SafeWork NSW.
• Developing dedicated resources and promoting psychological injury prevention.
• Giving workers and employers a specialised first point of contact for all mental-health related concerns.
• Helping employers meet their return-to-work obligations to injured workers.

Since when is it ‘supportive’ to ‘issue on-the-spot fines’ and somehow improve ‘compliance’ with ‘enforcement’?

You couldn’t make this sh*t up.

Moreso, we know that psychosocial risk is not really couched in the language of risk. Only Safety could declare anything psychosocial as a ‘hazard’ (https://www.safework.nsw.gov.au/resource-library/list-of-all-codes-of-practice/codes-of-practice/managing-psychosocial-hazards-at-work). What a disaster! (https://safetyrisk.net/what-is-psychosocial-safety/ )

The moment Safety decided to declare anything psychosocial as a ‘hazard’, it instantly became irrelevant. What’s worse, there is no skill development of any of this in any safety qualification. So, let’s bring out a standard and ensure that no-one in safety is qualified or has the expertise to deal with it. Clever stuff.

Of course, if you have a concern, you can download the ‘speakup app’ which no-one will use because no-one uses an app to speak up and neither do people speak up to inspectors who are oriented towards ‘on-the-spot’ fines, ‘compliance’ and ‘enforcement’.

I know let’s send a few inspectors off on empathy training course so they can enforce compliance! This is after an ad campaign that speaks about catching people out and fear of being caught.

None of this approach has any connection to the realities of psychosocial risk and health.

The Minister for health declared:

I am very proud that NSW is leading the way with these specialised inspectors who have incredible skills and experience in mental health.

Really? And what qualifications and expertise is this? Seasoned experts in mental health know that you don’t get the expertise needed by some short course.

If this is something being considered one needs skills in:

• Empathy,
• Compassion,
• Listening,
• Trust,
• Care,
• Helping,
• Critical thinking,
• Social skills
• How to respond to trauma
• Resilience,
• Self-care,
• Cultural competence,
• Adaptability and
• Ethical/professional integrity

(sources: https://www.dptraining.com.au/skills-for-success-essential-qualities-and-abilities-for-thriving-in-a-mental-health-career/; https://www.careers.health.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0021/344604/mental-health-ast-workforce.pdf; https://www.mentalhealthforum.net/forum/)

And, we already know that none of these skills is identified with the work of safety! This is also why safety is not a profession. If you need help in mental health, seek a professional.

What we know from research in mental health is that the last person you would ever speak up to if in need of mental health support, is a ‘regulator/inspector’. Even EAP providers know that very little about mental health will ever be spoken to them. Trust is the key.

The reality is that this initiative from WorkSafe NSW will most likely make things worse, drive under-reporting and push the need for support underground or back onto families and friends. Indeed, most with severe issues in mental health at work resign and find a different job. The last thing a worker wants to do is contact the regulator/inspector about personal issues when the approach is enforcement and compliance. And people don’t speak up just because the regulator runs an ad campaign.

So, if you want to know about mental health, don’t ask safety: https://safetyrisk.net/if-you-want-to-know-about-mental-health-dont-ask-safety/

We also need to understand mental health as a wicked problem: https://safetyrisk.net/understanding-mental-health-as-a-wicked-problem/

If you want to be helpful in mental health (https://safetyrisk.net/effective-strategies-in-mental-health-at-work/) seek professional expert help. This is because playing with mental health by safety is dangerous (https://safetyrisk.net/playing-with-mental-health-in-safety-is-dangerous/).

Psychosocial need is NOT a hazard and should never be treated as such. There is nothing more absurd that thinking psychosocial need can be addressed by the hierarchy of controls! (https://www.healthandsafety.govt.nz/assets/Documents/Hierarchy-of-controls-for-psychological-health-and-safety.pdf). Such a suggestion is nonsense.

We have also provided some helpful advice here: