From Health and Safety to Mental Health: Why the Workplace Needs Both

A note on audio quality: This episode was recorded with some technical challenges, so the audio isn't as crisp as usual. The conversation is well worth sticking with.

In this episode of Inside Out: Mental Health at Work and in Life, I'm joined by Iain Kennedy, Health and Safety Manager at the University of Edinburgh, based at Western General Hospital and a trained Mental Health First Aider.

Iain brings a perspective you don't hear often enough: what happens when health and safety meets mental health in a large organisation. We talk about what a mentally healthy workplace actually looks like, and Iain feels many organisations have good systems in place but there's still a long way to go, particularly around stress risk assessments, which are a legal requirement but something many managers lack the skills or confidence to carry out.

We get into the misconceptions around stress, especially in academia, where being stressed was long seen as a rite of passage. Iain talks about the gap between training and action, describes how he put operational guidance in place for mental health first aiders after his own training, and makes a case for why culture change happens through small, consistent steps rather than big one-off initiatives.

We also talk about who supports the managers, why leaders relaying wellbeing messages carries more weight than they realise, and why regular five-minute breaks can make a bigger difference than people think.

🔑 Key Topics

• What a mentally healthy workplace looks like in a large organisation
• Stress risk assessments: a legal requirement most managers don't know how to do
• The "stress as a rite of passage" culture in academia
• The gap between Mental Health First Aid training and what happens afterwards
• Who supports the managers? The hidden pressures of line management
• Moving from tick-boxing to real culture change through small, consistent steps
• Why leaders relaying wellbeing messages has more impact than they realise
• The power of regular breaks and disconnecting from work

💡 Did You Know?

Stress risk assessments are a legal requirement under UK health and safety law, yet many managers have never carried one out and don't know where to start. The Health and Safety Executive has improved its guidance in recent years, but organisations often don't reach out for support until things have already gone wrong.

📝 Actionable Takeaways

• Take a five-minute break away from your workstation every hour, even just to walk, stretch, or chat to a colleague
• After Mental Health First Aid training, ask: "What are the next steps?" and put simple operational guidance in place
• If you're a senior leader, don't underestimate the impact of personally relaying a wellbeing message rather than delegating it
• Support your Mental Health First Aiders with regular peer-to-peer sessions where they can discuss what they're seeing and support each other
• Remember that culture change takes time, focus on small, consistent steps rather than big one-off initiatives
• If stress risk assessments aren't yet embedded in your workplace, start with the HSE's guidance and reach out for support

🗣️ Join the Conversation

After your last workplace training, did anyone ask "what now?" and actually get an answer? What would change if every training course came with a follow-up plan? Share your thoughts and connect with us on social media.

Connect with Iain: LinkedIn

1. https://www.linkedin.com/in/iain-kennedy-bsc-hons-dipnebosh-cmiosh-7aa25475/