How to Heal a Workplace

CHAPTER 7Industry Challenges: Known problem sectors and the quiet achievers

I regularly present at conferences that look at challenges for defence personnel, emergency services and frontline workers. As an industry group, the challenges of being exposed to difficult, and often life and death situations as part of their work naturally lends itself to traumatic experiences in the workplace. There are other elements of exposure to occupational violence that can affect police, paramedics and — perhaps surprisingly — teachers!

In addition, there are some industry sectors that are known to experience high levels of mental health challenges that go unaddressed. Not surprisingly, these are traditionally male-dominated sectors like mining and the resources sector, construction and other STEM-related industries, like information technology (IT).

I have interviewed several senior leaders for this book, including several from within these sectors, and they are often surprised to hear me say that we can prevent traumatic injuries. In defence and the emergency services sectors, there has been a belief that PTSD was just an unfortunate outcome of the job for some members. As a sector, the public safety area has started to change its language around the impact of traumatic exposure at work, but we have a long way to go from the standard ‘put some cement on your cornflakes’ attitudes of the past.

For the most part, these organisations are much more accepting of PTSD as a common consequence ...