HR Magazine – How should HR respond to fears that poor psychological safety is increasing physical risks?

While 96% of employees feel safe at work, this masks underlying issues such as low levels of psychological safety, the Dräger Safety and Health at Work Report 2025 found.

The top three contributing risks to psychological safety outlined in the report are: high workload or time pressures (48%), stresses in other areas of life, such as financial issues (42%), and a lack of supportive leadership (30%).

Psychological safety means individuals feel comfortable asking for help and communicating concerns, including mental health concerns, without fear of negative consequences. 

According to David Head, head of safety marketing at Dräger Safety UK, over recent years, “it has become increasingly recognised and accepted that awareness of psychological safety and mental health and wellbeing issues are critical elements in creating safer workplaces”, he told HR magazine. 

Read more: HR professionals more than twice as likely to experience depression, report finds

Eight in 10 (80%) of those surveyed stated that mental health and wellbeing are intrinsically linked to safety at work, so they should be managed together. 

Head outlined some of the “more obvious links” between psychological and physical safety such as “ensuring staff who may be overly reliant on alcohol or taking drugs, whether illegal or prescription medicines, are not impaired and therefore safe to operate machinery or drive a vehicle” and “less obvious issues around creating a workplace culture where people feel able to raise safety or health issues, without fear of blame or recrimination”.

Working with leaders is a constructive approach for HR to build a culture of psychological safety in the workplace, beyond surface-level metrics, explained Henry Stewart, chief happiness officer at Happy, a training provider that helps senior leaders build a culture of trust and freedom.

Stewart said: “HR should work with executives and managers to model vulnerability: admitting mistakes, asking for feedback and listening without defensiveness.”

Managers should be trained to view mistakes as opportunities for learning rather than signs of failure, to approach situations with curiosity instead of judgment, and to embrace challenge and disagreement, Stewart explained.

Read more: Transforming employee health from repair to prevention

Magnus Magnusson, programme manager for ‘Vision Zero’ at Dräger Safety, explained that psychological safety is not a “soft issue” and if employees don’t address risks or seek help, dangers can go undetected.

He said: “It is particularly alarming that, despite perceived safety, many see the psychological component as a weak point. High pressure to perform, personal stress and a lack of support from managers are key risk factors.

“A clear attitude is needed: mental health and occupational safety are inextricably linked and must be strategically promoted together. Responsibility for this must not increasingly be shifted onto employees; employers have a duty to create a trusting, supportive environment.” 

This research was conducted via interviews with 1,000 respondents (750 employees/250 managers) in UK organisations with 50-plus employees during March 2025. The research was commissioned and funded by Dräger Safety UK and conducted independently by Insight Avenue UK.