Health and safety professional, heal thyself… as well as others

Psychosocial safety continues to dominate academic and peer discussion for OSH professionals, and the focus shows no sign of abating.

The health impacts of exposure to psychosocial hazards are well documented², with the International Labour Organization estimating psychosocial risk factors to be responsible for more than 840,000 deaths annually, nearly 45 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost each year, and an estimated annual loss equivalent to 1.37 per cent of global GDP³. While exposure to psychosocial hazards is commonly associated with mental health effects such as stress, anxiety and depression, it is also proven to increase the risk of musculoskeletal disorders⁴. 

These outcomes are not insignificant in themselves, but a longer-term lens is critical: stress, anxiety, depression and musculoskeletal disorders are all associated with a greater likelihood of cardiovascular disease ^{5, 6, 7, 8}.

Professionals at risk?

Over the course of a career, OSH professionals may have to challenge and negotiate with operational leaders to keep other workers safe. They may find themselves being met with argument, unacceptance, and disregard for their competence – leading to potential feelings of humiliation.

They may even find themselves facing professional consequences, such as being kept out of discussions or overlooked for opportunities.

The combined effect of these experiences may contribute to them feeling a lack of psychological safety. Professional OSH careers may also involve being exposed to a wide range of psychosocial hazards. In an evolving landscape⁹, role ambiguity is commonplace; this may be accompanied by conflicting demands, a lack of managerial support and job insecurity. In high-risk sectors, OSH professionals may experience vicarious trauma as a result of incident investigation.

While daily exposure to hazards and risks associated with machinery and chemicals, for example, or work at height, may become less likely as OSH professionals become more senior, continued exposure to psychosocial hazards will see health risks persist.

The demographic of the OSH profession is a relevant factor when calculating health risks. While there is evidence of younger professionals and other genders joining the sector, the last IOSH salary survey (2024) showed 29 per cent of respondents were aged 55 and above and 69.5 per cent identified as male¹⁰. Although multiple factors are relevant in determining the prevalence of heart disease, research consistently shows that men are at greater risk than women and that age increases risk¹¹.

The combination of greater vulnerability due to age and sex, and the likely presence of multiple psychosocial hazards in the workplace, could suggest that OSH professionals have a personal reason for controlling psychosocial hazards and risks – there is the potential for their own health to suffer.

Collaborative, evidence driven risk control

So how can OSH professionals control psychosocial risk factors? 

Hazard identification and risk assessment are key. Psychosocial hazards within an organisation are unlikely to only affect one person, but they may not be universal, especially in larger businesses. 

When assessing risks, establishing who could be (or is being) harmed is a strong starting point for developing a collaborative approach to risk control. As highlighted, exposure to psychosocial hazards does not reduce with seniority. Other people professionals, such as those in human resources (HR) teams and management teams, may face similar risks to those faced by the OSH professional and will be keen to support continuous improvement in controlling those risks. Senior managers and business leaders are also likely to be male and aged 55 and above^{12, 13}, so they may be open to being convinced about the value of psychosocial risk control when it comes to heart health.

Academic evidence and internal statistics relating to engagement, absence, and attrition can also be collated to demonstrate associations between different risk types, subsequently proving that psychosocial risk management is critical for operational effectiveness as well as occupational safety and health. The greater the evidence base, and the wider the support from colleagues, the stronger the business case for investment in risk control. 

Collaboration, knowledge provision, and evidence-driven risk mitigation are all fundamental principles of good OSH; they are proven to drive improvement in occupational safety, health and wellbeing¹⁴. While OSH professionals’ primary focus may be on controlling risks to others, continuously improving the control of psychosocial risks may help to reduce their own likelihood of weakened heart health. 

References

1. IOSH. (n.d.). Preventing and managing psychosocial risks
   https://iosh.com/about/what-we-do/policy-positions/preventing-and-managing-work-related-psychosocial-risks
2. EUOSHA (n.d) Psychosocial risks and mental health at work, OSHA.
    Available at: https://osha.europa.eu/en/themes/psychosocial-risks-and-mental-health (Accessed: 24 September 2026)
3. Azzi, M. (2026). The Psychosocial Working Environment: Global developments and Pathways for action. International Labour Organization
   https://doi.org/10.54394/00033223
4. Bezzina, A., Austin, E., Nguyen, H., & James, C. (2023). Workplace psychosocial factors and their association with musculoskeletal disorders: A Systematic review of longitudinal studies. Workplace Health & Safety, 71(12), 578–588.
   https://doi.org/10.1177/21650799231193578
5. Ogunmoroti, O., Osibogun, O., Allen, N. B., Okunrintemi, V., Commodore‐Mensah, Y., Shah, A. J., & Michos, E. D. (2024). Work‐Related stress is associated with unfavorable cardiovascular health: The Multi‐Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. Journal of the American Heart Association, 13(22), e035824.
   https://doi.org/10.1161/jaha.124.035824
6. Celano, C. M., Daunis, D. J., Lokko, H. N., Campbell, K. A., & Huffman, J. C. (2016). Anxiety disorders and cardiovascular disease. Current Psychiatry Reports, 18(11), 101. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-016-0739-5
7. Dhar, A. K., & Barton, D. A. (2016). Depression and the Link with Cardiovascular Disease. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 7, 33. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00033/full
8. Williams, A., Kamper, S. J., Wiggers, J. H., O’Brien, K. M., Lee, H., Wolfenden, L., Yoong, S. L., Robson, E., McAuley, J. H., Hartvigsen, J., & Williams, C. M. (2018). Musculoskeletal conditions may increase the risk of chronic disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies. BMC Medicine, 16(1), 167.
   https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-018-1151-2
9. IOSH (2023) The evolving OSH profession.
   https://read.iosh.com/future-of-work/the evolving-osh-profession/
10. IOSH (2024, May). Decoding your payslip. IOSH.
    https://www.ioshmagazine.com/2024/04/29/decoding-your-payslip
11. NHS (2026, July). Cardiovascular disease. nhs.uk.
    https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cardiovascular-disease/
12. McKinsey (2025, December). Women in the Workplace 2025
    https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organization/our-insights/women-in-the-workplace
13. Denominator. (n.d.). Leadership age distribution in the S&P 500: Is experience crowding out age diversity? | Denominator.
    https://www.denominator.com/facts/age-leadership-distribution-s-p500
14. IOSH (2023). The road to safe and healthy work Principles of gssood occupational safety and health IOSH.
    Available at: https://iosh.com/about/what-we-do/osh-principles [Accessed 8 Sept. 2026].