Purpose

To provide OSHA personnel with awareness and guidance to support themselves and coworkers when there are indications a work-related event may have had a negative impact on their mental health and well-being. The intent is to support OSHA personnel in maintaining their mental well-being and identifying available resources.

Scope

The program applies to all OSHA Personnel within a regional, area, district, and satellite OSHA office or other OSHA organizational units (i.e., OSHA Technical Center (OTC), and Office of Training and Education (OTE)) covered by the OSHA SHMS Manual.

Definitions

Anxiety: A feeling of unease, such as worry or fear, that can be mild or severe. It is a natural human emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and physical changes such as increased blood pressure, sweating, trembling, dizziness, or a rapid heartbeat.

Burnout: A condition whereby an individual experiences extensive physical, emotional, and mental fatigue. This condition is often the result of sustained exposure to stressful scenarios, especially within occupational settings.

Depression: A condition marked by persistent sadness, irritability, loss of interest in activities, and a range of emotional and physical problems which can interfere with everyday life.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP): A voluntary, work-based program that offers free and confidential assessments, short-term counseling, referrals, and follow-up services to federal employees who have personal and/or work-related problems. See FOH4YOU for more information.

Mental Health (or mental well-being): A state of well-being in which an individual realizes their own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to contribute to their community.

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA): A training program that teaches participants how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illnesses. It provides skills to reach out and provide initial support to someone who may be developing a mental health concern and help connect them to appropriate care.

Mental Health and Wellness Professional (MHP): A healthcare practitioner who offers services for the purpose of improving an individual's mental health or to treat mental disorders. This broad category includes psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, clinical social workers, psychiatric nurses, mental health counselors, and others with specialized training in psychotherapy.

Mental Health and Wellness Coordinator: Directorate of Technical Support and Emergency Management (DTSEM) Office of Occupational Medicine and Nursing (OOMN) representative that provides expertise to the agency for matters related to workplace mental health concerns.

Occupational Psychosocial Hazard: A factor in the work environment that affects an employee's mental health or social well-being and causes stress, strain, or interpersonal problems. This may include, but is not limited to, job stress, traumatic incident investigations, vicarious trauma, long working hours, harassment, discrimination, little control over their work and the decisions that affect them, and poor work-life balance.

Stigma: Negative, often unfair, judgmental, and/or discriminatory attitudes toward mental health challenges and those who live with them.

Stress: The body's reaction to any change that requires an adjustment or response, which can be physical, mental, or emotional.

Stressor: Anything that causes stress. In the workplace, this could include workloads, physical environment, and social aspects of work, as well as organizational and/or individual factors that could cause physical or emotional stress.

Support Mechanisms: Processes or resources available to employees to assist with mental health concerns, including counseling services, employee assistance programs, stress management programs, and support groups.

Trauma: An emotional response to a disturbing, scary, or shocking experience that overwhelms an individual's ability to cope.

Traumatic incidents: Highly distressing events in the workplace, such as injuries, illnesses, or violence, that can lead to severe emotional and psychological distress.

Trigger: Any stimulus that sets off a memory or flashback transporting the individual back to the event of their original trauma, or that elicits an intense emotional or psychological reaction.

Vicarious trauma: The emotional response to learning about or witnessing the trauma of others occurring via traumatic stories or experiences through work or other means. It occurs when a person empathizes with the victim or their families and takes on some of their emotional burden, even though the person was not directly involved in the traumatic event.

References

SHMS Chapter 10: Violence in the Workplace

SHMS Chapter 24: Employee Assistance Program

Roles and Responsibilities

1. Managers

   All personal identifying information (PII) related to any affected or exposed OSHA personnel must remain confidential and be handled in accordance with departmental policies and regulations.

   1. National Office
      1. Directorate of Technical Support and Emergency Management (DTSEM): Office of Occupational Medicine and Nursing (OOMN) – Mental Health and Wellness Coordinator:
         1. Offer specialized guidance on mental health-related concerns.
         2. Identify and provide resources to promote mental health and well- being awareness among staff.
      2. DTSEM: Office of Science and Technology Assessment (OSTA) – Safety and Occupational Health Manager:
         1. Collaborate with the Mental Health and Wellness Coordinator on incidents related to mental health concerns.
         2. Promote the implementation of this program and mental health and wellness activities among the OSHA field offices.
   2. Region, Area, and District Offices and Directorates
      1. Regional Administrator (RA) and Directorate Directors:
         1. Promote the mental health and wellness of OSHA personnel in each office. Encourage the development of voluntary activities across the region, OTC, and OTE. Ideas include:
            1. Encourage open dialogue and awareness on mental health and wellness (e.g., vicarious trauma, anxiety, depression, etc.) of OSHA employees.
            2. Encourage physical activity for health and stress reduction, e.g., regular walking groups.
            3. Create wellness bulletin boards in common areas where staff can share tips, articles, and personal stories related to mental health and wellness.
            4. Encourage social interaction and community building, e.g., periodic office potlucks.
            5. 5Dedicate time each quarter to focus on mental health awareness. This could involve sharing EAP resources/webinars, guest speakers, workshops, or sharing resources (e.g. sending an email to all staff in support of mental health awareness and on-going support activities).
      2. For incidents related to mental health, please reference 29 CFR 1904 - Recordkeeping. Area Directors or office equivalent:
         1. Promote the mental health and well-being of OSHA personnel in the office by implementing the elements of this program and encouraging wellness activities and stress management techniques.
         2. Complete Mental Health First Aid training or equivalent.
         3. Consult the Mental Health and Wellness Program Coordinator when guidance is needed to address a potential mental health concern impacting OSHA personnel.
         4. For incidents related to mental health, please reference 29 CFR 1904 Recordkeeping.
         5. Incorporate mental health and wellness into the office SHMS program:
            • Promote mental health and wellness awareness and activities.
            • Support Mental Health Awareness Month (May) and Suicide Prevention Month (September) within the office.
            • Ensure OSHA personnel know and understand the types of mental health and wellness resources available.
            • Ensure that the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) contact information and other related resources are posted and readily available. For more information see FOH4YOU.
2. All OSHA Personnel
   1. Complete the Mental Health and Wellness Awareness training on this chapter. See section VII. Training and Recordkeeping for more information. This training will include the findings and recommendations from surveys and best practices from OSHA.

   2. Understand their rights to report any work-related mental health illness in the DOL injury and illness reporting system (e.g., Employees' Compensation Operations & Management Portal (Ecomp)) per 29 CFR 1904 Recording and Reporting Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.

      Note: OSHA personnel can reach out to their RSHM/SHMS representative for more information about their recordable work-related incidents.

   3. Promote mental health awareness among employees.
   4. Foster a stigma-free, supportive, and responsive workplace environment.

Actions

1. Notification Options

   Note: All personal identifying information (PII) related to any affected or exposed OSHA personnel must remain confidential and be handled in accordance with departmental policies and regulations.

   OSHA personnel may notify a supervisor, colleague, union representative, SHMS representative, EAP representative, primary care provider, family member, or other relevant persons about a mental health concern.

   OSHA personnel may, but are not required to, encourage an individual to meet with their supervisor, union representative, SHMS representative, primary care provider, or contact EAP or similar resources, as mentioned in section VI. Actions, D. Strategies for Support.

   If OSHA personnel find themselves or others to be in danger, they should immediately notify a supervisor and/or call local law enforcement. For more information, see SHMS Chapter 10 – Violence in the Workplace.

2. Strategies for Support

   Offer Mental Health First Aid (MHFA), or similar, training.

   MHFA is optional aid that trained OSHA personnel can provide. It is:

   • A strategically employed measure that acts as an extension of the concept of traditional first aid to cover mental health conditions.

   • MHFA's main purpose is to recognize and respond promptly and effectively to signs of a mental health concern within OSHA personnel.

   • It serves as an initial response to maintain temporary mental health stability until professional help or resources can be secured.

     OSHA personnel may refer to the SHMS Intranet page for Conversation Guides related to mental health concerns. The guides may be used for general training or as an aid to provide on-the-spot support at the earliest possible opportunity when a staff member is in distress.

   1. Provide Resources

      There are a variety of resources, support measures, training courses, and services for OSHA personnel. For instance, managers can request a Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Team through EAP when a traumatic event, including death of a colleague, occurs. See FOH4YOU for more information. Additional resources, including EAP, are listed below:

      Resources
      Employee Wellness Programs	Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Dial 988    TTY users: use your preferred relay service or dial 711 then 988
      American Heart Association Workplace Health Solutions	Reasonable Accommodations for Employees and Applicants with Disabilities | U.S. Department of Labor (dol.gov)
      National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)	Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
      Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Workplace Health Promotion	Federal Occupational Health 1-800-222-0364 TTY 888-262-7848
      The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention	Health Insurance resources: e.g. Blue Cross/Blue Shield
      Personal medical provider	OSHA Workplace Stress Public Page

      The above listed resources are not intended to replace any necessary intervention or treatment by licensed medical professionals. These resources are available for any mental health concern, whether it is new, recurring, long-term, or exacerbated. These resources are readily available.

      OSHA personnel should:

      • Encourage and support use of services referenced in this program when an individual may be experiencing personal concerns impacting their work.

      • Encourage the individual to voluntarily seek counseling, referrals, and information through this program, regardless of the status of their work, if they are experiencing personal challenges. See examples below:

      Examples of Personal Challenges
      Childcare and Parenting	Adult Care and Aging
      Financial and Legal	Addictions (e.g. Gambling, Food, Drug, and Alcohol)
      Health (e.g. serious or terminal illnesses)	Major Life Event (Birth, Death, Adoption, Divorce/Separation)

Training and Recordkeeping

1. Training OSHA personnel:
   1. Shall be trained on SHMS Chapter 29: Mental Health Awareness, at least biennially. Training must be conducted by an individual capable of answering questions on this Program.
   2. Shall be offered Mental Health First Aid training or equivalent.
2. Recordkeeping

   Employers must record work-related injuries and illnesses.

   Employers are not required to record mental illness in all cases.29 CFR 1904.5(b)(2)(ix), Mental illness will not be considered work-related, and are therefore not recordable, unless the employee voluntarily provides the employer with an opinion from a physician or other licensed health care professional with appropriate training and experience (psychiatrist, psychologist, psychiatric nurse practitioner, etc.) stating that the employee has a mental illness that is work-related. 29 CFR 1904.5(b)(2)(ix).

Note: The guidance in this chapter is purely for informational purposes and not intended to bind personnel to any legal obligation unless otherwise noted.

For additional information on training schedules and records, refer to SHMS Chapter 2: Safety and Health Management System.