A question of the psyche

Ehe stand presentations at the trade fair for occupational safety, health protection and health promotion at the workplace were complemented by a varied supporting programme: keynote speakers Niklas Baer (Psychiatrie Baselland), Andi Zemp (Privatklinik Wyss AG, on the subject of preventing mental stress), Andreas Speh (DuPont de Nemours Germany) and Dr. Manuela Jacob-Niedballa ("Myth of Stress - Ways to Achieve Performance instead of Performance Frustration") were certainly among the highlights of the lecture programme. In addition, trade visitors were able to experience a height rescue show, organised by Swiss Safety and the SHRV (Schweizerischer Höhenarbeiterund Rigging-Verband), and the safety course. At the exhibition's MeetingPoint, the focus was also on exchanges between colleagues. As part of the Swiss Corporate Fashion theme area, suppliers of workwear presented innovations in terms of materials, tips on care and maintenance, and the latest design trends.

Stressful situations with employees
One theme ran like a red thread through the programme of presentations in the practical forums: psychosocial risks. While a great deal is already being done to prevent accidents in the workplace, the situation is very different with regard to mental illness. Since statistics have shown that more and more invalidity insurance withdrawals are due to mental illnesses and that absences due to mental illnesses are increasingly being charged to health insurance companies, the topic has gained more attention. However, too little is still being done in the executive suites of companies, as keynote speaker Niklas Baer explained. More than 90 percent of managers have already experienced stressful situations with employees. But far fewer managers have received training in the management of employees with psychological problems. And in general, external help is still called in far too late when dealing with a "case". Niklas Baer therefore called on managers not to spend a long time looking for evidence of a possible psychologically induced decline in work performance, but to address the problems of "difficult" employees at an early stage. Offering support, understanding the problem and, if necessary, also setting guidelines so that cooperation can continue at all are further points. Bringing in external support from experts and creating a company culture job advertisement in order to be able to understand psychological problems, training HR and other staff units are steps that should be taken so that the "solution to the problem" does not simply consist of terminating the employment relationship. "Being able to work contributes greatly to shortening a treatment of mental illness", Niklas Baer explained the therapeutic aspect.

Promoting personal responsibility instead of "security actionism
However, employees' difficulties do not always have to be caused by themselves. Often enough, it is an inadequate working environment that promotes psychosocial risks. Specialist psychologist Andi Zemp from Privatklinik Wyss AG spoke about this. In an interview with the Internet platform of the trade fair, he named leadership and work organisation as the main fields of action for the prevention of psychosocial risks. It is important to define clear processes and responsibilities and to ensure that these are adhered to. And when selecting managers, attention should be paid first and foremost to the emotional and social skills of the person, and only secondarily to their professional qualifications. If, in addition, the creation of an appreciative working atmosphere is successful, a great deal is already gained, according to Zemp.

Another well-attended presentation dealt with the topic "From safety actionism to qualitative further development of our safety culture". There is a lot of talk about "safety culture" and "personal responsibility" - but often only when an incident occurs. "Then there is immediate safety actionism", said the speaker Jörg Wieja, Managing Director IBW, Institute for Continuing Vocational Training, from Munich. But often this actionism leads in the wrong direction, namely in immediate measures, prohibitions and commandments with short-term effect. It would be better to declare a fundamental change in the safety culture with adapted behaviour as the goal. The prerequisite for this is a cultural framework. 95 percent of what we do is adequate and safe. According to the speaker, it is precisely this 95 percent that needs to be cultivated, among other things through appreciative communication. "So no 'You did that well, but...'", as Jörg Wieja put it. However, consistent action is also part of it, which should have a protective, not punitive effect. And last but not least, there is also the personal responsibility mentioned with regard to personal health. Those who do not succeed in using "the formative forces of their own biography" run the risk of falling into depression. Self-confidence can be generated through behavioural changes with the consistent setting of achievable goals, which ultimately leads to successful self-management. Such - psychologically stable - people are usually less susceptible to risks.

Fashionable workwear as an eye-catcher
The actual main topic of the trade fair on the part of the exhibitors was certainly the area of workwear. The impression was clear: protective and work clothing today not only meets the required safety demands, but should also be fun to wear. Fashionable colours and cuts, functionality, easy care and high product quality are increasingly important factors today. From this point of view, the following equation can also apply to workwear: "Work better = work better".