Your worker's mental health is your concern

Get up to speed with the Work Health & Safety Amendment Regulation 2022 that took affect 1st October 2022.

Content based on Safe Work Australia Code of Practice: Managing psychosocial hazards at work. July 2022.

1 What is a psychosocial hazard?

Psychosocial hazards is anything that can cause psychological and physical harm.

A definition of psychosocial hazards has been added to the regulations. It says:

Psychosocial hazards:

• arise from or in relation to:

  • the design or management of work

  • the working environment

  • machinery, equipment, appliances, containers, implements and tools, any part of those things or anything fitted or connected to those things at a workplace, or

  • workplace interactions or behaviours; and

• may cause psychological and physical harm.

2 Why does it matter?

Typically, work-related psychological injuries have:

• longer recovery times,

• higher costs, and

• require more time away from work.

Managing the risks associated with psychosocial hazards can:

• protect workers

• decrease disruption associated with staff turnover and absenteeism, and

• improve your company's overall productivity.

Examples of psychological harm or injuries from psychosocial hazards include:

• anxiety,

• depression,

• post-traumatic stress disorder, and

• sleep disorders.

Examples of physical injuries from psychosocial hazards include:

• musculoskeletal injury,

• chronic disease, and

• physical injury following fatigue-related workplace incidents.

3 A PCBU MUST manage psychosocial hazards

A PCBU must implement control measures to ELIMINATE and/or MINIMISE these risks.

A PCBU must consider:

• the duration, frequency and severity of the exposure of workers and other persons to the psychosocial hazards

• how the psychosocial hazards may interact or combine

• the design of work, including job demands and tasks

• the systems of work, including how work is managed, organised and supported

• the design and layout, and environmental conditions, of the workplace, including the provision of:

  • safe means of entering and exiting the workplace

  • facilities for the welfare of workers - the design and layout and environmental conditions of workers’ accommodation

• the plant, substances and structures at the workplace

• workplace interactions or behaviours, and

• the information, training, instruction and supervision provided to workers.

4 How to manage psychosocial risks

Apply the risk management process described in the Code of Practice: How to manage work health and safety risks.

Also check out People at Work.

People at Work is a free and validated Australian psychosocial risk assessment survey. The survey assesses a number of the most common psychosocial hazards and factors.