Psychological health and safety definitions
Mental health (psychological health)
A state of well-being where people understand their abilities, cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively, and contribute to their community.
Psychological safety
The absence of harm, or the threat of harm, to a worker's psychological well-being.
Psychological health and safety
The policies, practices, and workplace conditions that support workers' psychological well-being and help prevent psychological harm.
Psychologically healthy and safe workplace
A workplace where workers' psychological well-being is supported, and psychological harm is actively prevented.
Psychological Health and Safety Management System (PHSMS)
A set of policies, procedures, and practices that help an organization create, maintain, and continually improve a psychologically healthy and safe workplace.
Psychological risks
The potential for workplace hazards to negatively affect workers' psychological health and safety.
Psychosocial hazards
Aspects of work, workplace relationships, or the work environment that have the potential to cause psychological or physical harm.
Psychosocial risk factors
Workplace conditions, management practices, or organizational factors that increase the likelihood of psychological harm or injury.
Psychological harm
Negative effects on a person's psychological well-being caused by harmful workplace experiences, conditions, or relationships.
Psychological injury
A work-related mental health condition caused by exposure to traumatic events or other workplace stressors.
Gradual onset psychological injury (GPI)
A gradual onset psychological injury is caused by repeated, significant stressors at work—most often ongoing bullying or harassment. Feeling stressed about things like missing deadlines, difficult tasks, or not getting along with a co-worker is normal—and not usually covered by WCB.
Traumatic psychological injury (TPI)
A traumatic psychological injury most often results from 1 sudden, traumatic event at work involving a threat of serious harm or an overwhelming experience.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in first responders
PTSD is a medical diagnosis that can result from 1 traumatic event or repeated exposure to traumatic events. A diagnostic assessment by a psychologist or psychiatrist is required to provide a PTSD diagnosis for a compensable claim.
For first responders with a PTSD diagnosis, the law presumes the injury is work-related. This applies to police officers, firefighters (both paid and volunteer), paramedics, nurses, correctional officers, continuing care assistants, emergency response dispatchers, and sheriffs.
