Australasian Mine Safety

23 www.amsj.com.au / Summer 2015 / AUST R A L AS I A N M I N E SA F E T Y J O U R N A L BUSINESS FOCUS ON MENTAL HEALTH R esearch reveals Australian businesses lose $10.9 billion each year through failing to address mental health issues in the workplace. It's a staggering figure that accounts for absenteeism, presenteeism, and costly compensation claims linked to mental illness. But it's a figure that can easily be reduced. In fact, studies prove not addressing mental health in the workplace doesn't make business sense. For each $1 invested in mental health in the workplace, there is a $2.30 return on investment. And, given that one in three workers in the mining and resources sector will experience a mental illness this year, according to the Australasian Centre for Rural & Remote Mental Health, there's little chance any company will escape its impact. It's not just the financial impact either. A WA parliamentary inquiry into FIFO suicides was recently told that in the first nine months of 2014, nine male FIFO workers took their own lives. An early discussion paper published by the Committee investigating the issue and additional pressures a FIFO lifestyle can inflict on individuals and families, has stated: "it is clear…the resources industry has an issue with mental health within its workforce." a SaFeR SITe With safety a round-the-clock concern, turning a blind eye to the mental health of their employees is even more risky for mining companies. Employees experiencing mental health issues (including anxiety, substance misuse, depression etc) due to personal or professional circumstances, will carry these issues with them, to varying degrees of impact, throughout their day; including in the workplace. Managing mental health is therefore good not only for the bottom line, but also for safety. On top of this, it can foster better morale and better communication and create a workplace more staff want to be part of, for longer, reducing the costs associated with re-training new team members when existing employees leave. With so many benefits to companies and their staff, simply adopting a "toughen up" attitude is clearly not the solution. Mine sites and employers need to give mental health a much greater level of investment, in the same way that physical health and safety is managed on-site. IT'S THe laW In Australia, it is illegal for companies to discriminate against people experiencing mental health issues. the law stipulates reasonable workplace adjustments must be provided in the workplace to support staff with mental illness. Alarmingly, a 2013 SANE Australia survey suggests only four in 10 managers have an understanding of mental illness. If nearly six out of 10 of managers don't understand the signs, symptoms and indicators of mental illness, they're unlikely to respond appropriately, unlikely to support staff and – critically – are likely to increase the personal impact on the worker involved, as well as the economic impact on the organisation. ONlINe MeNTal HealTH TRaINING: A FLExIBLE SOLuTIOn teaching supervisors and managers how to recognise developing mental health problems or how to appropriately support an employee with mental illness is critical to boosting the mental health, and therefore safety, of a workplace. to help combat this, Blooming Minds has launched an online course that: • Demystifies mental illness • Boosts mental health literacy • Ensures supervisors, managers & team leaders understand their roles and legal responsibilities • Provides appropriate strategies to approach staff with mental health issues • Details how to have appropriate conversations with staff; and • Explains how to develop reasonable workplace adjustments for mental illness. Our self-paced and individually assessed online course can be done in your lunch breaks, on Barrow Island, or on the bus on your way to work. the goal should be to recognise the impacts of mental illness in the workplace and to help organisations balance the employees' needs Managing Mental Health A Safety Must writes workplace Mental health Consultant & Blooming Minds Director, Tasha broomhall For more information on blooming Minds' services visit www.bloomingminds.com.au, call +61 (0)447 619 506. CONNeCT SEARCh 'BLOOMIng MInDS' P R O F I L E Tasha Broomhall director tasha is the Director of Blooming Minds. Experienced, energetic and engaging, she has been providing mental health and wellbeing professional development programs and keynote conference presentations throughout Australia for more than 14 years. Holding a Principal Master trainer status from the MHFA Australia program, tasha delivers presentations on serious topics in a warm, relatable and humorous style. She is the author of "Bloom! Mental Health & Wellbeing," a must-have resource worth adding to the library of all HR personnel and those interested in mental wellbeing. tasha has a keen interest in removing the stigma surrounding mental illness and has devoted herself to increasing mental health literacy in our communities and workplaces. She has developed Blooming Minds workplace wellbeing programs to assist people in taking responsibility for their own mental health and wellbeing and to act proactively in supporting the mental health of those around them. to see tasha presenting at tEDx visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-9YXxD4v20 with business operational needs. Blooming Minds can help you strike that delicate balance. Proudly partnering with OneLife Suicide Prevention Strategy and Manna Inc. puzzled about workplace mental health? For more info check out bit.ly/143hm4P

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