In manufacturing facilities, safety conversations usually focus on machines, procedures and personal protective equipment. But one safety risk often goes unspoken: mental health challenges.

When employees are weighed down by problems at home or other stressors, critical business elements such as attention, precision and teamwork can suffer.

“If somebody is not in the right frame of mind, that’s going to impact their output and their throughput, which impacts everybody they come in contact with,” says Chris Dalton, director of MRO application specialists for MSC.

With so much at stake, addressing mental health among workers extends beyond human resources to include all aspects of operations.

The Mental Health Effect in Industrial Settings

Manufacturing companies often attract people with differing personalities and backgrounds, Dalton says. The unique blend of character traits can be a strength, but it also adds complexity to the facility floor, especially given the physically demanding, high-risk nature of the work.

“You’re pulling from all walks of life that have so many different outside influences that are following them into the work environment,” Dalton says. “They could bring a lot of heavy baggage. I think that’s always going to be a challenge that employers face.”

Heavy baggage could be a difficult situation happening at home. Without proper resources to get help, a worker who is upset or otherwise distracted has the potential to negatively affect production quality, safety and team morale.

Yet, many employees are reluctant to speak up or seek help.

Why Workers Don’t Ask for Help, and What to Look For

Stigma about mental health is pervasive in our society, and manufacturing and metalworking workplaces are no exception.

Workers may hesitate to bring up a mental health problem because of how it would be perceived, or how it could be used against them.

“I think they’re worried that a phone call in for counseling might come back as weakness or get brought back to their leaders as a potential hazard,” Dalton shares. “I don’t agree with it, but I think that’s the way a lot of people view it—that I’m somehow inferior if I have to ask for mental health help.”

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Instead, workers stay silent, trying to carry on during their shifts but usually giving clues of a problem.

Signs to watch for include a reduction in a person’s output and quality that seem out of character. “Maybe they’re not 100 percent focused on what that quality control looks like,” Dalton says.

“Other things to look at are signs of stress, whether that’s emotional stress or physical stress that’s been imposed on them,” he says. “I would look at the peer-to-peer relationship. If they seem very distant and disconnected from their fellow associates, that’s probably a warning sign that something’s going on.”

If someone has a quick temper when they usually don’t, that’s another warning sign, Dalton adds.

To fight against stigma, employers can create a supportive work culture with mental health at the core.

What a Healthy Manufacturing Culture Really Looks Like

When mental health is supported throughout a company’s culture, everyone feels more comfortable saying, “I’m not OK today.” As with other systemic improvements, support starts at the top.

“It’s all about culture,” Dalton explains. “For all the teams that I’ve led throughout my 13 years with MSC, I’ve always had an open-door policy—I will talk to you about anything and everything that is important to you and the quality of your work.”

When management models the behavior, it encourages workers at every level to do the same. Dalton notices the effect with new hires.

“As we add new associates to the team or upgrade talent,” he says, “you’ll see the legacy peers explain to them: ‘Hey, it’s not just coach-speak that you’re hearing from Chris. This is a reality.’ It becomes true culture and not just words.”

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Fostering relationships is another means to address mental health in the workplace.

“We all go through things differently, and we process things differently,” Dalton says. “It’s looking out for each other. It’s knowing who’s standing beside you or in front of you and what is normal for them, and then being able to understand that something’s just not right.”

If you see something, say something, the popular phrase goes. “If you notice a co-worker who’s struggling or showing some of the signs,” he says, “it’s worth you saying something to your supervisor.”

Supporting Mental Health Without a Big HR Team

If you want to look out for employees’ mental health, start with what you have—you don’t necessarily need large HR departments or expansive budgets. Just make sure people know about resources that are available.

Many companies already offer employee assistance programs, or EAPs, for example, which provide free and confidential counseling and referrals to employees who need help with personal or work-related problems.

EAPs and other mental health resources are often underutilized, however, “and I think that’s a fundamental miss,” Dalton says. “Awareness is big.”

Promoting EAPs and other mental health resources should happen during new employee training but not stop there. Even an annual notice may not be fully effective. Find ways to break up the information into smaller chunks to include in communication throughout the year. Include a tidbit during a safety talk at the start of a shift, for example.

“It’s known that people have to hear things six to seven times before it really sinks in,” Dalton continues. “So, just checking a box and putting out an email or a quick video to watch is not enough. There needs to be more behind it. There has to be follow-up.”

Sharing success stories or anecdotes is a relatable way to get the message across. Explain how easy it is to access mental health resources. Showcase positive outcomes.

“Bringing in a few of those examples will help get people to think: It’s OK for me to reach out and have a conversation,” Dalton says. “I don’t have to check out of the job or miss a day of compensation. But if I want to take a half-hour during my break to call the 800 number and get support, maybe the back half of my day is going to feel a lot better.”