Minister of Manpower: Work Environment Must Safeguard Workers' Mental Health
If humans are the centre of occupational safety and health, then what needs to be protected is not only the physical aspect. Mental health is an inseparable part of true occupational safety and health.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Minister of Manpower (Menaker) Yassierli has emphasised that the work environment is not sufficient to be safe only physically, but must also be capable of maintaining the welfare and mental health of workers.
In his statement in Jakarta on Tuesday, the Minister said this aligns with the global trend that places well-being as a basic need in the workplace.
“If humans are the centre of occupational safety and health, then what needs to be protected is not only the physical. Mental health is an inseparable part of true occupational safety and health,” said Yassierli.
He further explained that attention to mental health is becoming increasingly important due to the significant psychosocial risks in the workplace, such as excessive work pressure, long working hours, workplace conflicts, and lack of support.
In Indonesia, similar challenges also occur. Data from the Ministry of Health’s Basic Health Research (Riskesdas) in 2018 recorded that more than 19 million workers experience emotional mental disorders and more than 12 million experience depression.
Workers in the informal sector, such as labourers, drivers, and domestic workers, are the most vulnerable groups.
Therefore, the Minister emphasised that mental health is now an important part of the Occupational Safety and Health Management System (SMK3).
This oversight, he continued, not only covers physical safety aspects but also workload, working hours, and workers’ psychosocial conditions.
In addition, the Ministry of Manpower is also optimising the role of six Occupational Safety and Health Centres (Balai K3) in various regions as centres for socialisation, promotion, and SMK3 certification, as well as testing sites to strengthen the implementation of occupational safety and health standards in the business world.
Minister Yassierli also encouraged labour offices throughout the regions to accelerate the implementation of SMK3 in companies and government agencies, including through increasing the number and capacity of K3 assessors.