The hidden hazards: Why psychological safety matters as much as physical safety at work, by Dr. Tammy Lawson

Editor's note: In this piece, Dr. Tammy Lawson, an Occupational Safety and Health Specialist, critiques the neglect of intelligence information successful Nigerian workplaces. She calls for its integration into information frameworks, offering timely commentary successful airy of the planetary observance of Mental Health Awareness Month.

Nigerian workplaces person travel a agelong mode successful prioritising carnal safety. But portion we support the body, we're inactive neglecting the mind, and it’s costing us.

From operation sites to firm offices, information helmets, occurrence drills, and hazard signage person go much visible. Yet, beneath these carnal safeguards, different information lurks: a deficiency of intelligence safety. It’s an invisible but serious workplace hazard—one that erodes productivity, silences innovation, and drives bully people away.

The soundless hazard successful Nigerian workplaces: fear, stress, and silence. Photo credit: Jackyenjoyphotography, Hinterhaus Productions
Source: Getty Images

“Fear, silence, and accent are arsenic unsafe successful the workplace arsenic immoderate carnal hazard.”

What is intelligence safety?

Psychological information is simply a workplace civilization wherever employees consciousness escaped to talk up, inquire questions, study mistakes, and stock ideas without fearfulness of ridicule, blame, oregon punishment. It’s the feeling of being respected and emotionally unafraid astatine work.

In Nigeria, this benignant of information is rare. Deeply hierarchical structures, rigid enactment styles, and taste taboos often discourage employees from speaking up. Many endure successful silence, acrophobic of being misunderstood oregon penalised.

The Invisible Crisis of Workplace Stress

Stress successful Nigerian workplaces is widespread. From overworked health workers to underpaid teachers, burnt-out bankers to frustrated civilian servants, the unit is real. Employees juggle unrealistic workloads, toxic supervision, unclear expectations, and mediocre work-life balance—often without immoderate support.

Yet intelligence wellness is inactive stigmatised. Distress is spiritualised, burnout is misread arsenic laziness, and affectional wellbeing is ignored. Few organisations connection counselling services, stress management programmes, oregon Employee Assistance Plans (EAPs).

The outgo of silence

Psychological information is not conscionable a “soft” issue—it affects hard results. When radical are acrophobic to talk up oregon stock ideas, organisations suffer retired connected aboriginal warnings, originative solutions, and squad synergy. Morale dips. Turnover rises.

In today’s climate, wherever galore young Nigerians are leaving the state for healthier enactment environments, employers who disregard intelligence wellness hazard losing their champion talent. A psychologically harmless workplace is simply a competitory advantage.

It’s clip to grow our presumption of safety

Nigeria’s occupational information laws, similar the Factories Act and the National Policy connected Occupational Safety and Health, absorption mostly connected carnal risks. But planetary standards from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) progressively recognise intelligence wellness arsenic a halfway portion of workplace safety.

If we’re superior astir creating sustainable, inclusive, and high-performing workplaces, we indispensable integrate intelligence information into our policies, enactment practices, and organisational culture.

As Mental Health Month unfolds, Dr. Tammy Lawson advocates for safer, inclusive Nigerian workplaces by integrating intelligence information into existing policies. Photo credit: DMP, Delmaine Donson
Source: Getty Images

How Nigerian Workplaces Can Get Started

1. Encourage Open Communication: Make it harmless for unit to explicit ideas, springiness feedback, and rise concerns without fear.
2. Train Managers connected Empathy and Emotional Intelligence: Leaders indispensable recognise signs of distress and respond supportively.
3. Destigmatise Mental Health: Normalise conversations astir stress, burnout, and affectional wellbeing done consciousness campaigns.
4. Add Mental Health to Safety Policies: Incorporate accent audits, counselling support, and wide reporting channels into Occupational Safety and Health strategies.
5. Celebrate Psychological Safety Champions: Recognise leaders and squad members who foster trust, inclusion, and respect.

Conclusion

Workplace information indispensable beryllium holistic—protecting not conscionable hands and feet, but hearts and minds. In Nigeria, wherever intelligence wellness consciousness is inactive growing, intelligence information is nary longer optional—it’s essential.

Let’s dainty fear, silence, and accent arsenic the workplace hazards they genuinely are. The aboriginal of our workforce depends connected it.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed present are those of the writer and bash not needfully bespeak the authoritative argumentation oregon presumption of Legit.ng.

Dr. Tammy Lawson is an Occupational Safety and Health Professional with implicit 11 years of experience. She is besides a certified psychotherapist, wellness coach, and nationalist speaker, specialising successful holistic health, intelligence wellbeing, workplace safety, and value management.

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Source: Legit.ng