The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety states that the first full week of May is set aside for Canada, the United States, and Mexico to jointly raise awareness about the importance of workplace health and safety and the prevention of workplace illnesses and injuries.
Safety and Health Week (aka, NAOSH Week — North American Occupational Safety and Health Week) is an important week for many of the corporations, governments, and organizations I work with, as they also prioritize psychological health and safety in the workplace.
There are many ways that safety professionals, leaders, JHSC members, HR professionals, and frontline staff can contribute to a culture of psychological safety at work. Here are a few of the actions I often share with audiences to help them identify practical steps they can take:
- Create meeting courtesies to help meetings stay on track, remain respectful, and foster collaboration and engagement.
- Model the behaviours you hope others will adopt (we teach people how to treat us by how we show up).
- Address and resolve tensions, miscommunications, issues, and conflicts early. Left unaddressed, they often grow in complexity and emotional impact.
Practical Ways to Strengthen Workplace Health and Safety
As you prepare for NAOSH Week, consider the practices, policies, processes, people supports, and professional development you have in place to support worker safety:
- How often are these policies and supports reviewed?
- How do your practices and policies contribute to psychological safety at work?
- Have you included topics such as the ones below in your employee onboarding and professional development? (They have a significant impact on workplace safety, well-being, and the prevention of “near misses.”)
- Communication Essentials
- Navigating Difficult Conversations
- High-Pressure Communication
- Conflict Resolution
These are just a few of the topics I speak on and provide workplace training for. Let’s connect to explore how to strengthen communication, reduce risk, and build a more psychologically safe workplace. My LinkedIn profile includes more than 150 testimonials from clients and workshop participants.
Wishing you and your team all the best for a safe and healthy NAOSH Week.