Psychological Safety is a Health and Safety Issue – And It’s Time We Treated It That Way
When we talk about health and safety at work, we often think about physical risks—safety protocols, fire drills, and injury prevention. But there’s another critical element that’s often overlooked: psychological safety.
The truth is: if people don’t feel safe to speak up, contribute, or challenge, they’re not truly safe.
Psychological safety isn’t a “nice-to-have” or a soft issue—it’s a fundamental requirement for organisations that want to foster inclusion, retain talent, and build trust. And this is where Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) comes into play.
- If people fear being excluded or penalised for raising concerns, EDI efforts fall flat.
- If only certain voices feel safe contributing, innovation is stifled.
- If bias, microaggressions, and exclusion go unchecked, mental health suffers – and so does organisational performance.
These challenges are interconnected. Psychological safety, health and safety, and EDI don’t exist in silos – they’re part of the same system. If one part is weak, the whole system is fragile.
Examples of psychological safety failures illustrate the broader consequences of silence and missed perspectives:
- The “racist soap dispenser”: A soap dispenser that failed to detect darker skin tones due to a lack of diversity in the design team and a culture where raising these issues wasn’t encouraged.
- Accessibility gaps on the Elizabeth Line: Several platforms on London’s flagship transport line failed to accommodate wheelchair users. This wasn’t just a design oversight but an example of psychological safety gaps where team members may have feared challenging decisions during the process.
- Grenfell Tower tragedy: Reports following the fire highlighted that residents repeatedly raised safety concerns but were ignored, demonstrating how a lack of psychological safety can have life-threatening consequences.
- NHS medical errors: Studies have shown that over 70% of mistakes in healthcare could be prevented through better communication. Junior staff often report feeling unable to question senior colleagues – a psychological safety issue with critical implications.
These examples demonstrate how psychological safety, EDI, and workplace health and safety are interconnected. Weakness in one area leaves the entire system vulnerable.
The impact isn’t evenly distributed – individuals from underrepresented backgrounds are disproportionately affected. For example, 45% of women in STEM roles in the UK report experiencing discrimination, yet many remain silent due to fears of being ignored or penalised.
On the other hand, organisations that embed psychological safety see measurable benefits:
- Improved collaboration: Teams with high psychological safety are 12 times more likely to collaborate effectively, according to Deloitte.
- Innovation growth: Employees in psychologically safe environments are 350% more likely to contribute creative ideas, according to McKinsey.
- Retention and engagement: Firms prioritising psychological safety achieve a 50% reduction in turnover and a 76% boost in employee engagement, research by SHRM shows.
Embedding Psychological Safety Into Your Organisation
So, how can organisations make psychological safety a non-negotiable? Here are some key steps:
- Include Psychological Safety in Health and Safety Audits: Assess risks related to communication breakdowns, burnout, and exclusion in the same way you assess physical risks.
- Equip Leaders to Lead Inclusively: Train managers to recognise power dynamics, invite diverse perspectives, and address bias in real time. Leaders set the tone for psychological safety – this can’t be left to chance.
- Create Safe Reporting Mechanisms: Ensure that people feel confident they can report concerns without fear of repercussions. Anonymous reporting systems and transparent follow-up processes build trust and reinforce accountability.
- Normalise Feedback and Failure: Encourage open conversations about mistakes and lessons learned. Organisations that treat setbacks as opportunities, rather than reasons for blame, create cultures where people feel safe to grow.
The Cost of Inaction
Neglecting psychological safety comes at a high cost – higher turnover, lower engagement, increased burnout, and reputational risk. And the impact isn’t distributed evenly: people from underrepresented backgrounds are disproportionately affected by environments where psychological safety is weak:
- Higher staff turnover: A Gallup study found that employees in unsafe environments were 2.5 times more likely to leave.
- Lower engagement: Psychological safety issues lead to a 36% reduction in employee engagement, resulting in significant productivity losses.
- Increased burnout: A 2021 UK survey found that 60% of employees experienced chronic stress, much of which was linked to unsafe or unsupportive work cultures.
- Reputational risk: From diversity scandals to high-profile failures, such as Uber’s toxic culture, weak psychological safety damages an organisation’s credibility and trust with employees and the public alike.
On the other hand, organisations that embed psychological safety see measurable improvements in collaboration, innovation, and resilience. When employees feel safe to bring their whole selves to work, they are more engaged, more productive, and more likely to stay.
What’s Next?
At Included, we work with organisations to embed psychological safety as part of a holistic approach to EDI and wellbeing. We support leaders and teams to create environments where people can speak up, challenge, and grow – without fear.
If you’re ready to make psychological safety a leadership priority, we’d love to partner with you. Let’s have a conversation about how we can help you build a safer, more inclusive workplace where everyone thrives.
Learn more about our work here: