Traumatic Events or Material

Witnessing, investigating or being exposed to traumatic events or material. A person is more likely to experience an event as traumatic when it is unexpected, is perceived as uncontrollable or is the result of intentional cruelty. This includes vicarious exposure and cumulative trauma.

Being exposed to a traumatic event, or being witness to a traumatic event is a psychological risk and hazard in itself as exposure to such events will cause overwhelming physiological stress response.

Psychological trauma is an emotional response caused by severe distressing events that are outside the normal range of human experiences, with extreme examples being natural disasters workplace violence and sexual violence, workplace fatality or severe injuries. Some workers such as first responders will be exposed to these events as part of the conditions of employment and organisations will need to have proactive strategies to manage staff exposure to traumatic events.

Let’s Look at an Example

Ned works at a large mining company and does onsite driving. The workplace takes health and safety very seriously but recently there was a serious accident where his colleague was hit by a truck that Ned was driving.

Ned has been unable to sleep and having nightmares about the accident for a couple of months now and is wondering if he should let his manager know.

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Risk Factors For Traumatic Events or Material

Traumatic events can occur in any workplace, but they are more likely to occur in certain industries, such as healthcare, education, and social services. Taumatic events can have a significant impact on employees, both physically and emotionally.

The following are some of the risk factors for traumatic events in the workplace:

• Experiencing fear or extreme risks to the health or safety of themselves or others.
• Exposure to natural disasters, or seriously injured or deceased persons.
• Reading, hearing or seeing accounts of traumatic events, abuse or neglect.
• Supporting victims or investigating traumatic events, abuse or neglect.

Consequences

The consequences of traumatic events or material in the workplace can include:

• Psychological trauma
• Increased stress levels
• Decreased productivity
• Increased absenteeism
• Increased turnover

How To Mitigate and Respond To Traumatic Events

There are a number of things that can be done to prevent traumatic events in the workplace, including:

• Training employees on how to identify and respond to potential threats
• Implementing security measures, such as security cameras and access control
• Creating a workplace culture that is respectful and supportive
• Providing employees with resources, such as counselling and support groups

If a traumatic event does occur in the workplace, it is important to have a plan in place for responding to the incident. This plan should include steps for:

• Protecting employees and customers
• Investigating the incident
• Providing support to employees who have been affected

Traumatic events can have a significant impact on employees, both physically and emotionally. It is important to identify and assess the risks for traumatic events in the workplace and to take steps to prevent these events from happening. If a traumatic event does occur, it is important to have a plan in place for responding to the incident.