People, Safety and Health
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Psychological safety: More than a buzzword
Laurie Willett, Senior Management Consultant, 4PS Safety
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sychological Safety is much more than a new “buzzword term”. In fact, psychological safety now plays a huge role in workplaces and is of real relevance, particularly in the resources sector where employees are often separated from their loved ones. The effective management of psychological safety is both a moral and a legal requirement for any business today, regardless of size. Foundational duty of care
The shape of today’s workplaces
Workplace safety has traditionally focused on the Risk Management Process and control hierarchy, around the mandatory duty of care obligations for key stakeholders which are referenced in applicable Acts, Regulations and Codes of Practice.
Jump ahead to 2021 and Australians, particularly in the resources sector, now work more hours than most other developed OECD countries, performing much of this work in isolated and remote locations. The modern business landscape also continues to evolve, including both how and where work is effectively performed.
For clarity, a duty of care is the legal obligation to adopt a reasonable standard of care when performing work activities that could foreseeably cause harm. The term ‘duty of care’ is one of the elements of the common law tort of negligence that’s been incorporated into statutory safety legislation. At its most basic level it means: • • • •
a safe place of work safe systems of work suitable plant and equipment competent staff and adequate supervision.
While access to work information continues to expand as new technologies emerge, these advancements can also potentially distort our work-life balance. Workplace Diversity is also now a well-established hiring practice and yes, psychological injuries in the workplace are also on the rise.
BBMC Yearbook 2021
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