Human Resources
MENTAL HEALTH HAZARDS: RESOURCES FOR THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY By Dave Elniski
“I
T COSTS NOTHING TO BE KIND TO SO M E BO DY.” THESE WORDS, SPOKEN BY TRUCKING MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCATE AND PODCAST HOST DAVID HENRY IN HIS VIDEO FOR THE BELL LET’S TALK PROGRAM SUMMARIZE A KEY THEME IN ADDRESSING MENTAL HEALTH HAZARDS IN THE WORKPLACE. The theme is kindness and compas-
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sion, and it is found at the core of any initiative aimed at improving mental health. Workplaces around the world will continue to grapple with the mental health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic for years to come. But the current pandemic did not create psychological danger in a world that was previously psychologically safe. Instead, industries that struggled to address pre-pandemic psychological hazards are now facing considerable additional challenges, and the trucking industry is no exception. The demand for truck drivers is high, thanks to strong consumer spending on goods in North America. But as the industry works to meet this challenge, the demand on those drivers and other workers within the industry grows higher. In an industry characterized by isolation, long hours, and high stress, companies need to
address mental health concerns and not expect workers to remain psychologically healthy without employer support.
WHAT CAN EMPLOYERS DO? Trucking companies, and especially those with long-haul operations, face unique challenges in addressing hazards related to mental health. Furthermore, it is difficult to equitably address these concerns amongst all staff when some workers report to an office during predetermined hours and other workers spend days or weeks away from home, facing considerable uncertainty on a daily basis. According to the Government of Canada and the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, “only 23% of Canadian workers would feel comfortable talking to their employer about a psychological health issue.” What employers
