No matter the size or industry it belongs to, all businesses need to regularly audit workplace hazards to ensure they have effective plans and protocols in place to reduce the risks employees are exposed to – subsequently, protecting the business.

Low-risk workplaces, such as offices, may only need to perform thorough checks for hazards annually, whereas high-risk workplaces, such as construction sites, require hourly checks to quell any hazards that can arise at any given moment.

Safety auditing has traditionally focused on physical hazards such as trip-free walkways, locked chemical cabinets and unobstructed exits. As mental health becomes a greater focus in society, workplaces need to move with the times and treat mental health with as much scrutiny and consideration as any physical hazard.

Here are three tips for getting mental health auditing up and running:

Keep it short and simple

Ask your employees a limited number of questions, and often. There are plenty of freely available survey tools out there from safety authorities in Australia and internationally which you can use as a basis for your audits:

• WorkSafe
• Health and Safety Executive
• Guiding Minds @ Work

Don’t be overwhelmed by the length and complexity of some of these. If a question appeals to you, and you’d like to know how your employees would respond to it, load it into your survey tool of choice and find out the answer.

Keep it anonymous

You will only ever get a true sense of the extent of mental health risk in your business if you provide your employees with an anonymous channel through which they can tell you what they really think.

Mental health hazards are sensitive by nature and you can’t expect forthright discussions about workload, team conflict or lack of support to take place in team meetings and one-on-ones.

Whether it is an email with a survey link, a drop box for a paper survey or a QR code on the bathroom door, employees must be able to let you know what the issues are under the cover of anonymity.

Keep it regular

2020 has shown us how rapidly the workplace, relationships and society can change, and an effective manager needs to be across the mental health hazards affecting the team in real time.

Mental health hazards change rapidly, and your business should have flexible, agile data to stay across the greatest areas of risk.

Help and support

The Victorian Chamber’s Health, Safety and Wellbeing team offer a comprehensive range of mental health training and consulting services to help you get your mental health strategy right in 2021.

For more information, HSW consulting, training and other support please contact us on 03 8662 5333 or hsw@victorianchamber.com.au to discuss your needs.