Psychological health and safety in the workplace began to be managed with ISO 45003 to prevent psychological harm to employees.
ISO 45003 is a guide for psychosocial risk management within the ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) management system and presents the basic principles for the protection of psychological health in businesses. It aims to prevent organizations, employees and other interested parties from being harmed due to social factors such as the content of the work, the social conditions in which it is carried out, the relationship and management styles. It encourages business management to control these factors, which are called psychosocial risks, to prevent diseases that may arise as a result, and to guarantee the psychological well-being and well-being of employees.
These guidelines are intended to be applied to organizations of all sizes and in all sectors to develop, implement, maintain and continually improve healthy and safe workplaces.
“Departing from the view that employers are responsible for protecting the physical and psychological health of their employees, ISO 45003 is the world's first international standard proposed to manage this issue.
ISO 45003, Occupational health and safety management – Psychological health and safety in the workplace – Guide on the management of psychosocial risks”, this guide aims to provide guidance on the management of psychological health and safety risks within the employee health and safety management system. It addresses many areas that can affect an employee's psychological health, including communication issues, excessive pressure and workload, poor leadership and organizational culture.
In the database, where general introduction information of ISO standards can be accessed, the following principles regarding the scope of ISO 45003 are shared (https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/#iso:std:iso:45003:ed-1:v1:en ):
Definitions
Psychosocial dangers:
- elements related to how the work is organized and carried out, such as the content and design of the work,
- social factors in the workplace,
- includes the work environment, equipment, and psychological effects of hazardous tasks.
Psychosocial risk::
The combination of the likelihood of exposure to work-related psychosocial hazards and the severity of harm and health problems that these hazards may cause.
Well-being/psychological well-being at work:
It is to meet the physical, mental, social and cognitive needs and expectations of the employee related to their job. Well-being at work can also contribute to quality of life outside of work.
ISO 45003 is intended to be used in conjunction with ISO 45001, which contains requirements and guidance for planning, implementing, reviewing, evaluating and improving an OH&S management system. ISO 45001 emphasizes that the organization has responsibilities regarding employee health and safety. 45003 emphasizes that this area of responsibility also includes improving and protecting the psychological health of employees.
The purpose of the OHS management system is to prevent work-related harm and illness of employees and to create safe and healthy workplaces. Psychosocial hazards refer to increasingly critical challenges that threaten health, safety and well-being in the workplace.
Psychosocial hazards can be present in all organizations and sectors and in all types of roles and employment arrangements.
Psychosocial risk relates to the consequences of psychosocial hazards on individual health, safety and well-being, organizational performance and sustainability, and the potential for these to occur. It is important to manage psychosocial risks in a way that is consistent with other OHS risks through an OHS management system and to integrate them into the entire business processes of the organization.
The consequences of psychosocial hazards include cardiovascular diseases, musculoskeletal disorders, diabetes, anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders. Substance abuse can lead to unhealthy behaviors such as an unhealthy diet. It can lead to a decrease in job satisfaction, productivity and a weakening of commitment to the organization. It is possible to prevent these problems by managing psychosocial risks.
The organization and employees have a shared responsibility to protect and promote health, safety and well-being in the workplace. The participation of employees at all stages of the process, the commitment of management and leadership from all levels of the organization, especially senior management, are critical to the success of managing psychosocial risks.
ISO 45003, also;
- Raising awareness about psychosocial risks,
- Developing competence in the management of psychosocial risks,
- Supporting the recovery and return to work of employees exposed to psychosocial hazards,
- Contains information on important information that organizations should consider in planning and responding to emergencies.
