Making mental health in the workplace a priority

Workplace Safety North and Ontario Mine Rescue have been recognized with a platinum award from Excellence Canada for their commitment to mental health in the workplace.

It’s the fourth time the organizations have received this type of award and officials said the recognition reinforces that mental health deserves the same attention as physical safety.

Workplace Safety North and Ontario Mine Rescue have been recognized with a platinum award from Excellence Canada for their commitment to mental health in the workplace. (Alana Everson/CTV News)

Workplace Safety North and Ontario Mine Rescue was awarded for making its workplace a psychologically safe space. It has offices in Sudbury and North Bay, as well as mine rescue stations across the province.

"Being mentally safe, it’s a lot of things big and small," said Cindy Hunter, vice-president of Workplace Safety North.

"It’s about having policies and procedures and workplace supports, but it’s also about teaching your employees that it’s OK to ask for help -- it’s OK to take time off. It’s OK to ask your co-worker if they need a little help."

Workplace Safety North, a health and safety association, also offers training to businesses in northern Ontario on creating, maintaining and improving a psychologically safe culture in the workplace.

"We don’t want to be just providing this training to other employers -- we want to exemplify by achieving this kind of recognition that we are living it, as well,” said Mike Parent, president of Workplace Safety North.

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"It’s important for us to take care of our own employees, but at the same time, it’s our employees who are going into other workplaces mines, forest products industries to teach them how to have a mentally healthy workplace," Hunter said.

"We do training, we do consulting and since the pandemic that line of business has just exploded."

Officials at Workplace Safety North and Ontario Mine Rescue said the award reflects its commitment to mental health in the workplace that's built on a foundation of respect and support.