Supporting worker mental health: New videos from OSHA

Washington — Three new videos from OSHA are aimed at helping employers support their workers’ mental health.

Each short video is available with Spanish-language captioning:

• Start the Conversation 
• Tips to Improving Work Relationships 
• Build Your Mental Health Toolkit 

“Mental health touches every aspect of our lives, from the way we make decisions, from how we interact with other people, and also our performance,” Joseph Xavier, senior director of safety for Associated Builders and Contractors, says in one of the videos.

Employees who are experiencing mental health issues may show up to work late or impaired, be distracted on the job, and/or isolate themselves from their co-workers. Regularly asking workers how they and their families are doing can build a one-on-one relationship and, in some cases, get to the root cause of workplace incidents, OSHA says.

Along with NIOSH’s Total Worker Health Program, mental health resources such as ABC’s Total Human Health Toolkit can guide employers and assist workers. The toolkit includes a human health assessment tool; resources to engage workers during Suicide Prevention Month (observed each September); and 12 different worker-focused webpages and printable documents that cover active listening tips, how to upgrade a work-from-home routine and understanding depression.

OSHA published the videos during Safe + Sound Week (Aug. 7-13), which emphasized the importance of addressing mental health as part of every workplace safety and health program.