Your role in promoting a mentally healthy workplace

On 31 March 2022, the Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws replaced the health and safety elements of the Mines Safety and Inspection laws. For information visit www.demirs.wa.gov.au/whs

All health and safety notifications, forms and guidance for mining and petroleum has moved to the WorkSafe website

The information below has been left for historical compliance reference purposes

 

 

Mentally healthy workplaces: Resources for workers

What can you contribute to a mentally healthy workplace?

Even though your employer has a responsibility to identify and assess the psychosocial hazards of your working environment, you have a very important role in helping to create a healthy workplace.

Workers are directly involved with the requirements of the job, and have expertise and knowledge to contribute to workplace safety and health improvement.

This makes workers invaluable to the process of identifying solutions and driving change for a mentally healthy workplace.

Participating in consultation at work

Effective management of health and safety at work relies on effective consultation between employers and workers.

Contributing your experience, knowledge and ideas increases the likelihood that psychosocial hazards within the workplace will be identified and effective controls put in place. Consultation can help raise awareness of psychosocial hazards and also identify practicable and effective solutions to create mentally healthy workplaces.

You should:

  • ask questions
  • raise safety and health concerns
  • make safety recommendations and suggestions, and
  • be part of the problem solving process.

What is the role of safety and health representatives in consultation?

Safety and health representatives have a responsibility to advise the employer of the views of the workers they represent on safety and health matters. To do this effectively, they are required to seek them, before meeting with the employer. Safety and health representatives can play an important role in the workplace by passing on and discussing relevant information on safety and health matters to workers. However, this is not intended to substitute the employer’s obligation to provide safety and health training to all workers.

Resources

Consultation at work - Code of practice This code of practice outlines the legal requirements under the Mines Safety and Inspection Act 1994 and the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984 relating to consultation in the workplace.

Mines Safety and Inspection Act 1994

Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984

For more information on safety and health representatives responsibilities, see: s. 53 and 63 of the Mines Safety and Inspection Act 1994 or s.33 and 40 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984.