Good afternoon.
In 2006, CSA Group published a national standard of Canada entitled Z1000 Occupational Health and Safety Management that is used by many jurisdictions across Canada. This standard defines occupational health and safety as the promotion in the workplace of the physical, mental, and social well-being of workers, and the protection of workers from, and the prevention of, workplace conditions and factors adverse to their health and safety. The occupational health and safety management standard provides a model for establishing, implementing, and maintaining an occupational health and safety management system. Such a system increases awareness of health and safety, and encourages a more systematic approach to meeting defined health and safety objectives.
The CSA Z1000 standard was utilized as a model framework when, in 2011, CSA Group and the Bureau de normalisation du Québec were contracted by the Mental Health Commission of Canada to develop a standard to address psychological health and safety in the workplace. The project was funded in part by the Government of Canada through Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, Health Canada, and the Public Health Agency of Canada, as well as through a financial contribution from the Great-West Life Centre for Mental Health in the Workplace and Bell Canada.
This internationally renowned national standard of Canada was published in 2013 and was entitled Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace—Prevention, promotion and guidance to staged implementation. The standard provides a set of voluntary guidelines, tools, and resources intended to guide organizations in promoting mental health and preventing psychological harm in the workplace. It has been downloaded more than 42,000 times since its publication, and it is currently being considered as a seed document by the International Organization for Standardization for the development of an international standard on this very important topic.
The psychological health and safety in the workplace standard includes information on topics such as identification of psychological hazards, assessment and control of the risks associated with hazards that can't be eliminated, implementation of practices that support and promote psychological health and safety, growth of a culture that promotes psychological health and safety, and implementation of systems of measurement and review to ensure sustainability of the overall approach.
The psychological health and safety standard provides information to help organizations implement key components of the standard, including scenarios to suit organizations of all sizes, an audit tool, and other resources and references. To date, the workplace standard has been heavily downloaded: 21% by the health care sector; 20% by the government, judicial, and policing sectors; and 11% by the education sector.
Using the psychological health and safety in the workplace standard as a basis, this month CSA will be publishing a new sector-specific national standard of Canada to be called the “Psychological Health and Safety in the Paramedic Service Organization” standard, commissioned by the Paramedic Association of Canada and supported through funding from the Ontario government's occupational health and safety prevention and innovation program. This standard has been developed by paramedics for paramedics, and it is a truly collaborative and consensus-based product.
There are approximately 40,000 paramedic workers in Canada, making them the third-largest group of health care providers in the country. The unique responsibilities and challenges faced by paramedic workers and the significantly increased risk of exposure to psychological stress are well recognized. The psychological hazards that paramedics are routinely exposed to at work can be acute or chronic in nature and can include, but are not limited to, operational stressors such as trauma, severe injuries and illness, child health crises, death, violence, and threats to their very lives.
In addition, organizational stressors common to many other work environments, such as poor communication, issues related to pay and compensation, high emotional demands, lack of social support from colleagues and management, physical strains, and poor job autonomy can be associated with adverse outcomes. It has also been shown that a link exists between these stressors and the potential development of various types of mental health problems.
These acute and chronic stressors faced by paramedic workers put them at risk for a wide range of mental health issues, including, but not limited to, acute stress disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, anger, and burnout. Such problems can lead to or be coincident with other negative outcomes such as suicide, substance misuse, addictive behaviours, relationship difficulties, and absenteeism. In fact, in 2017, 56 first responders in Canada took their lives through suicide.
This important new standard provides paramedic service organizations and other key stakeholders with guidance on good practice for the identification and assessment of hazards and management of psychological health and safety risks faced by paramedic professionals and the promotion of their overall improved psychological health and safety.
You may have hear on January 29 of this year, the Bell "Let's Talk" program. Moreover, the Rossy Family Foundation also announced a joint donation for the creation of a national standard for post-secondary student mental health, with the objective of supporting student success on campuses across Canada. These organizations have engaged the Mental Health Commission of Canada once again to lead the project, and CSA Group is currently in discussions with them to apply our accredited standards development process to this important new standard. Similar to the workplace standard, this important document will provide guidance for Canadian universities, colleges, and institutes to promote student successes through a collaborative approach to mental health among staff, faculty, and students. It will include guidance on strategies, processes, policies, and shared responsibilities of various players throughout the tenure of a student's post-secondary institution career. It will take into consideration the perspective of the student at various stages of their tenure at the institution, consider and gain input from various voices represented within the school system, and address all key elements of a psychological health and safety management system.
As illustrated throughout this presentation, CSA Group has a rich history of collaborating with government parties and industry stakeholders to ensure that we develop timely, relevant, and impactful standards solutions across the tapestry of sectors that comprise the Canadian landscape, including health care, worker safety, and public safety.
Given the emerging knowledge of the potential negative impact of jury duty on some Canadians, we believe there is the potential to improve the lives of those who are summoned to perform their civic duty by perhaps taking a similar systematic approach to their psychological health and safety that has been embraced by other sectors. While not all hazards can be eliminated from the important duty performed by jurors, a psychological health and safety management system approach could be focused on minimizing risk, addressing early awareness, and ensuring evidence-informed intervention practices and appropriate support throughout the process.
This management system approach could be the basis for a standard or a best practice guide on the psychological health and safety for jurors. If such a document would be a useful tool, and should CSA Group become involved, our accredited standards development process would ensure that a balanced representation of relevant stakeholders would serve on the committee charged with developing such a document, including health and safety experts, mental health specialists, and members of the legal profession.
Thank you for your attention.
Doug and I would now be happy to answer any questions you might have.