Ensuring employee well-being requires giving consideration to both the physical and psychological well-being of workers.
Psychological well-being represents the “second-half” of the worker, beyond the physical well-being, which has historically been the concern of occupational health and safety. In order to ensure that all aspects of worker health and safety are considered, an OHS professional should demonstrate thorough understanding of the following aspects of worker well-being:

– Chronic and cumulative impacts
– Multifactorial nature of health determinants
– Work-related impacts on health
– Concepts of “healthy work” and “wellness”
– Models of causation of fatigue and stress
– Mental illness in the workplace

Understanding the interaction between physical and mental well-being means that an OHS professional is able to act as an effective resource in their workplace, addressing the full spectrum of worker occupational health and safety.