Scottish Businesses Urged to Make 2015 the Year of a Healthier Workplace
Employers are being challenged to play their part in improving mental health in their workplaces.
IOSH is
partnering with
Healthy Working Lives (HWL) for "Training 2015," an initiative to get more businesses providing their staff with help to combat stress and other mental health problems. The goal is for at least 2,015 people across Scotland to receive the training throughout 2015.
The country's business leaders have been invited to find out more about the initiative during four roadshow events in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Inverness.
"It is probably safe to say that the 'H' in health and safety is generally forgotten, however, mental health issues can affect anyone at any time. Just like physical health conditions, the earlier mental health issues are diagnosed, the better the prognosis," said David Allan, chair of the IOSH West of Scotland Branch. "The training being offered to companies and their employees really are a positive step that we hope will help with early diagnosis, and result in effective treatment that will improve people's lives."
The initiative is being funded by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) and aims to provide staff with the knowledge required to deliver stress and mental health training to their colleagues.
"There still seems to be an issue around stress in the workplace and the whole concept of managing psychosocial problems, even though the impact on organizations and employees can be substantial," said Robert Atkinson, occupational health and safety development manager for HWL.