Protection of Physical Safety

Staff and faculty feel more secure and engaged when they know their physical health and safety is protected at work. Adequate tools and equipment, training on physical safety and trust that the employer minimizes and controls physical hazards are all part of this. It’s also important that staff and faculty have meaningful input into workplace policies and practices and know their employer will respond quickly and effectively to health and safety risks and incidents. 

Staff and faculty who do not feel protected are more vulnerable to psychological distress and potential mental health problems. This is in addition to the obvious risk of injury and illness. 

• the organization cares about how the physical work environment impacts mental health; 
• staff and faculty feel safe (not concerned or anxious) about the physical work environment; 
• the way work is scheduled allows for reasonable rest periods; 
• all health and safety concerns are taken seriously; 
• staff and faculty asked to do work that they believe is unsafe, have no hesitation in refusing to do it; 
• staff and faculty get sufficient training to perform their work safely; 
• the organization assesses the psychological demands of the jobs and the job environment to determine if it presents a hazard to workers’ health and safety. 

Our OHS Management System helps the university maintain a safe work environment for all staff, faculty and students.

For more information, please visit the OHS Management System web page!