Psych Health and Safety Podcast USA

International standards identify “Inadequate equipment availability, suitability, (and) reliability” as a psychosocial hazard. OSHA requires personal protective equipment to be “provided, used and maintained in a sanitary and reliable condition.” The word reliable means “suitable or fit to be relied on.” However, it’s difficult to feel safe, rely upon, or trust PPE that doesn’t fit. The guest for this episode Amy Roosa is the founder of Iowa Women in Safety and “The Safety Rack.” She’s a tireless advocate for women in the trades, and women in safety, with a specific focus on PPE for women.

In addition to focusing on physical health, the mind, will, and emotions can also play a role in one’s psychological health and safety. For the past two decades, Pastor Warren Henry has been helping public sector employees in his community, primarily in the public safety space, through his involvement in and leadership of a local government-supported chaplaincy. This episode will highlight how he has attempted to assist others in times of emotional and mental crisis, and he’ll share some of the challenges he’s faced personally, as well as his thoughts about how Chaplaincy can play a role in an organization’s psychological health and safety efforts.

A veteran of the U. S. Air Force, Subena Colligan started her safety journey as an Industrial Hygienist prior to moving into a corporate HSE position. Following a psychosocial hazard exposure, she began to focus on several mindfulness-focused strategies. She also focuses her management consulting practice on not only organizational development but on assisting safety professionals to deal with the challenges associated with the profession.

Christin Peeples shares the story of her exposure to 10 years of workplace bullying and abuse, and how it affected her both emotionally and physically, as well as how this experience led her to form a non-profit that focuses on assisting others that are facing similar circumstances. Her perspective is that often, abusive behavior is directed not at those who are weak and incompetent, but at those that are strong and highly competent. Christin uses her story to share practical tips and strategies to help targets of abusive workplace behavior deal with the impacts and find a path to better psychological health and safety. Her lived experience has transformed her from the target of abuse to an advocate for dignity in the workplace.

Dr. Namie will discuss his journey as a workplace bullying researcher and advocate over the past 25 years and his efforts to change the nature of work through the adoption of the Healthy Workplace Bill. From his experience of vicarious exposure to his wife’s experience of bullying, through their formation of an organization to train and develop anti-bullying advocates across the United States, supporting bullying targets and consulting with organizations, unions, and leadership groups as well as serving as an expert witness. Dr. Namie, his wife Dr. Ruth Namie, and the Workplace Bullying Institute have been pursuing healthier workplaces for years. He will discuss a number of important concepts that are essential in establishing a psychologically healthy and safe environment.

In this episode, we’ll be talking about discussing ISO 45003;2021, the international standard on psychological health and safety at work from an American perspective. The guest is Kahlilah Guyah, a Certified Environmental, Health & Safety Consultant, Speaker, and CEO of EHS Compliance Services, Incorporated in Austin, Texas. Kahlilah discusses the use of international standards such as 45003 and 45001 in occupational health and safety management systems in her work across the United States. From her perspective addressing psychological health and safety is similar to managing other health and safety hazards. Organizations that take health and safety seriously can use very similar methods to address psychosocial hazards.

In this episode, we’ll speak with one of the top safety professionals and academics in America about the state of safety and the fact that Sometimes Safe, Is Not Safe Enough. We’ll talk about some of the reasons why this is the case and what needs to be done to make the workplace safer, including the importance of recognizing the impact that psychosocial hazards have on work in the United States.

In the first episode of Psych Health and Safety USA, we’ll be talking to a group of global psych health and safety podcast hosts about the world of work and what it looks like in their respective countries. We’ll discuss their experiences and their perspective on how the U. S. compares and what can be done to bridge any gaps. We’ll talk about the various standards and policies that have been implemented to improve psych health and safety.

The goal of the Psych Health and Safety USA podcast is to increase awareness of the importance of psychological health and safety, grow the community of psych health and safety advocates, and help reduce exposure to psychosocial hazards in workplaces in the United States. Each episode will feature not only guests with expertise in health and safety, psychology, academia, policymaking, and thought leadership but others with lived experience involving exposure to psychosocial hazards in a variety of work settings and environments.