Contributor: Carli Frugé – Digital Content Coordinator, VPPPA
It’s week three of NSC’s National Safety Month, which focuses on the importance of holistic health in the workplace. Poor mental and spiritual health can quickly lead to feeling unenthusiastic in the workplace. In the safety industry, a worker’s mental health and capacity can make the difference in identifying a hazard and ultimately keeping someone safe.
Dr. Vikram Kapur, Senior Leader/EHS/Mental Health & Well-Being at Pacific Gas and Electric Company, shared a personal connection to how mental health affects workplace safety. At a time in his life when he was struggling with his mental health, he realized that he was dissociated and not mentally present. He recognized that he was responsible for employee safety, and if he was unable to be present mentally at work, that put his team at risk.
“When people are depressed or going through challenges in their life, it impacts their physical attributes,” said Dr. Kapur. “Their heart rates, their blood pressure, insulin levels, all of it gets impacted. It doesn’t matter what task you’re doing. When you’re distracted, you leave yourself out for incidents.”
Dr. Kapur shares the importance of understanding the correlation between mental health and focus, highlighting how the two impact workplace safety. Workers may have been trained and provided with the tools to remain safe on the job, but if they are not mentally present, risk increases.
“Think of muddy water in a cup,” said Dr. Kapur. “The mud is there, it’s very cloudy, it’s not clear at all. Our thoughts are not clear. They’re all over the place. But if we give ourselves some time, either going on a walk or taking a break or having a cup of tea, we settle our emotions down. The mud will settle down, and the water gets clear on top. Give it time and your emotions will settle.”
To help settle his emotional cup, Dr. Kapur began taking walks and talking with his boss. He also incorporated breathwork and mindfulness meditations into his routine, even hosting group meditation sessions during COVID to bring his community together. He feels his footsteps on the ground, the sun on his skin, and takes notice of the world around him during these walks. This mindfulness practice helps him stay present and focused on the job.
An active volunteer and advocate for mental health, Dr. Kapur continues to be a voice highlighting that best mental health practices are intertwined with best safety practices. As a mental health champion, he aims to bring mental and physical wellbeing into the picture of overall worker safety.
“What we need to do is bring everyone back into presence and self-care. We’ve got to put our own oxygen mask on,” said Dr. Kapur. “When we do that, everything around us gets focused and back on track.”