Security and Safety

Promoting a psychologically safe and healthy workplace through proactive, prompt, and effective responses to hazards.

What is security and safety?

Security and safety involves supporting a safe environment through proactive, prompt and effective responses to any threats to psychological, physical or professional safety.

Why is security and safety important?

There are many benefits to having leaders effectively trained in security and safety:

• The risk of critical incidents may be reduced or even eliminated.

• Stress-related absences, illnesses and injuries may be prevented.

• Workforce recruitment and retention may be improved.

FAQs

• As a leader, how can I demonstrate that I support and encourage a healthy work-life balance?

  • Be mindful that colleagues have demands and responsibilities outside of work.

  • If/as appropriate, ask workers how you can best support their other personal roles and commitments.

  • Offer flexibility to workers’ hours and work arrangements, as is necessary and reasonable.

  • Regularly review workloads and priorities with employees.

• How do I respond in an effective and timely manner to any potential risks to worker psychological safety?

  • Engage workers in discussions about the types of potential crises that could occur in your workplace. Help them learn how to understand and plan for their own emotional responses.

  • Prepare, distribute and discuss response plans for critical situations.

  • Create a list of crisis response phone numbers (e.g. distress hotlines, substance use supports, poison control). Ensure the list is posted where workers can quickly access it, in both general spaces like lunchrooms and private spaces like washrooms.

  • Conduct detailed facility tours that show all potential entry and exit points, the location of fire extinguishers and first aid kits. Ensure that workers receive all emergency response training required for their role.

• How do I recognize and address the psychological impacts of workplace bullying, harassment or unresolved conflict on workers?

  • Create and provide zero-tolerance bullying and harassment policies that focus on preventing and responding to behaviours that are offensive or potentially harmful to others.

  • Encourage workers to intervene in situations where bullying and/or harassment is present. This includes going for help if they feel unsure, or if the situation poses a danger to them.

  • Contact the police if you feel that a situation poses a personal danger to you or anyone else in the workplace.

  • If conflict resolution is used, ensure it recognizes the problem and then focuses on solutions and next steps.

  • Appoint a contact person for informal inquiries, concerns or complaints to deal with incidents before they escalate. Ensure workers know who to speak to in the event they are being harassed or bullied.

Next Steps

We invite you to complete the Psychologically Safe Leader Assessment (PSLA) to learn more about your current leadership skills with respect to security and safety. By completing this confidential self-assessment, you can identify key areas in which you can improve your psychologically safe leadership skills.

Committing to enhancing security and safety as a leader

• There are many ways that safety and security skills can be improved and expanded, including:

  • Actively listening and following up when workers are distressed or in crisis.

  • Fostering a culture where workplace issues, challenges and problems can be openly raised and discussed.

  • Providing information or education to all workers on the signs and symptoms of mental health issues (including anxiety, depression, substance use and burnout).

  • Proactively addressing and responding to bullying and harassment concerns and behaviours.

  • Responding to traumatic incidents in a timely fashion, to help reduce the potential negative effect on mental health.

  • Taking thoughtful action and preventive measures to develop the best possible responses to serious incidents and occurrences when they occur, to reduce stress for all involved.

  • Taking proactive steps to reduce the impact of burnout on workers and workplaces by recognizing workplace factors that contribute to burnout.

  • When incidents arise, proactively developing an effective workplace plan by leaders and workers to support employee success.

  • Enhancing personal resilience and skills to manage one’s own emotions to better deal with stressed out, angry or emotional workers.

Downloads

View example action plan

Complete the action plan worksheet

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