Role of a HSC in psychological health and safety
Traditionally, the health and safety committee provides managers and workers the opportunity to work together to identify health and safety issues and develop solutions to mitigate and prevent them. The focus is no longer solely on physical hazards and risk, but also on cognitive risks that can negatively impact workers’ focus and attention.
This page includes sample questions that can be asked at committee meetings. Each question is intended to help open up dialogue and increase understanding of how Psychosocial factors and hazards are impacting workers. Some questions also help the committee choose strategies to embed psychosocial hazard identification into existing processes.
Every reasonable precaution: The legal duty to prevent psychological harm
Canadian occupational health and safety laws require employers to take reasonable precautions to protect workers’ health and safety. This duty applies to hazards that may cause psychological harm, including harassment and other work-related risks, even where psychological hazards are not explicitly named in legislation.
You can choose just one question per meeting or schedule a session where you will explore several or all of them at once.
If you have not already done so, we recommend starting with questions aimed at improving the psychological safety of committee members before your committee begins the processes to protect the psychological health and safety of others.
Sample questions to use in your committee meetings
Hazard identification and inspection
- What observable indicators or trends might suggest the presence of psychosocial hazards and related risks at work? Some examples could include complaints, reports, or comments about high stress and fatigue, incident reports, absenteeism rates, employee turnover, work refusals, or conflict reports.
- Which psychosocial hazards, such as harassment, bullying, violence, excessive workload, or unclear expectations may be contributing to these indicators?
- Do our HSC inspection forms, checklists, and reports allow for the identification and documentation of observable indicators or trends that may suggest exposure to psychosocial hazards? This can include harassment, bullying, violence, excessive workload, or unclear role expectations.
- How does the HSC protect private and confidential information and ensure workers feel safe to report concerns related to psychological strain, fatigue, or emotional distress?
- For more information see Psychological health and safety for health and safety committees.
- What patterns in incident, complaint, or near-miss reports could suggest the presence of unrecognized or contributing psychosocial hazards, such as workload pressures, role clarity issues, or harassment, bullying, or violence at work?
- Are there particular job tasks, departments, or work schedules that consistently show patterns or trends in indicators of distress or other psychosocial risks?
- When reviewing hazards, does the HSC also note environmental contributors to stress such as noise, vibration, lighting, temperature and humidity, air quality, congestion or overcrowding, lack of privacy, workstation or ergonomic design, frequent interruptions or alarms, and access to adequate rest or break spaces?
Review of existing controls and programs
- Has the HSC reviewed whether violence and harassment prevention policies are current, communicated regularly to workers, and being applied consistently and effectively?
- How often does the HSC review the organization’s respectful workplace or civility policies to confirm they remain current and relevant?
- Are there training programs or awareness sessions in place to help workers and supervisors recognize psychosocial hazards, and to respond appropriately?
- What evidence does the HSC have that workers understand how to access help or confidentially report issues related to stress, harassment, bullying, violence, fatigue, or burnout?
- Are corrective actions from current and previous HSC recommendations on psychosocial hazards being tracked and monitored to ensure completion and effectiveness?
- When identifying new controls, does the HSC refer to reputable resources, including but not limited to government, safe work associations, the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, the Mental Health Commission of Canada, the CSA Group, and Workplace Strategies for Mental Health for guidance and tools?
Data review and trend monitoring
- What data does the HSC receive that can help identify trends related to psychosocial hazards and associated risks? This can include overtime hours, absenteeism, short-term disability leave, employee turnover, and Workers Compensation Board or Workplace Safety and Insurance Board claims.
- How does the HSC review and discuss this data to identify patterns or signals that may warrant further attention or recommendations related to psychosocial hazards?
- Are inspection and incident records being reviewed at least quarterly to detect emerging psychosocial hazards and trends?
- Does the HSC have a process to ensure recommendations made to address psychosocial hazards are being communicated to and acted on by management?
Worker consultation and participation
- What opportunities and mechanisms are available for workers to provide input on workload, scheduling, or interpersonal concerns, including options that allow for privacy and appropriate support such as confidential discussions, surveys, inspections, or participation with a representative or interpreter?
- How does the HSC provide opportunities for worker input during HSC meetings or inspections in ways that are voluntary, respectful, and do not compromise privacy or confidentiality?
Continuous improvement and compliance
- How does the HSC evaluate whether the organization’s overall health and safety system meets current regulatory expectations related to protection from psychosocial hazards and the protection of private and confidential information, and what improvements should be recommended next?
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