Psychosocial Risk Management

Psychosocial hazards are factors in the workplace that can negatively impact an employee's mental health, wellbeing, and safety. These include work-related stress, bullying, harassment, fatigue, violence, and poor organisational culture, which can lead to serious psychological and physical health outcomes.

Psychosocial Risk Management Requirements

Effective psychosocial risk management frameworks are essential for ensuring workplace safety and mental health. These frameworks provide structured processes for identifying, assessing, and controlling psychosocial hazards that can impact workers' mental health and overall wellbeing. Psychosocial hazards include factors such as high job demands, poor support, workplace bullying, violence, harassment, and poor organisational change management.

In Australia, employers have a legal duty under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (WHS Act) to eliminate or minimise risks to workers’ health and safety, including psychological health, so far as is reasonably practicable. Codes of Practice and guidelines, such as the Safe Work Australia Model Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks, offer guidance on implementing appropriate measures. Additionally, Safe Work NSW has introduced specific requirements for managing psychosocial risks, mandating businesses to actively identify and control these hazards through formal risk management processes.

A good psychosocial risk management framework involves a systematic approach that integrates both proactive and reactive measures.

This includes:

Risk Identification: Identifying psychosocial hazards through methods such as employee surveys, focus groups, incident reports, and workplace audits.
Risk Assessment: Evaluating the likelihood and consequence of identified hazards, considering factors such as work environment, task demands, and organisational culture.
Risk Control: Implementing control measures that follow the hierarchy of controls, prioritising elimination, and minimising risks through redesign, policies, training, and awareness programs.
Monitoring and Review: Regularly assessing the effectiveness of control measures, capturing feedback from employees, and making continuous improvements.
Documentation and Reporting: Ensuring records of risk assessments, control measures, and review processes are maintained and accessible.

A strong framework should be integrated into broader workplace health and safety systems, providing clear accountability, leadership, and communication. It must also involve workers in the consultation process, ensuring that the measures are practical, effective, and culturally appropriate.

Training should be provided to all workers on psychosocial hazards, controls that are in place and other training identified in your risk assessments.

Understanding the Differences: MHFA, PFA and Peer Support

Unsure what training your workers need?

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA): Focuses on recognising the signs and symptoms of mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, psychosis, and substance use disorders. MHFA teaches participants how to provide initial support, guide individuals towards professional help, and respond to mental health crises like suicidal thoughts or panic attacks. It’s structured to address both acute crises and ongoing mental health conditions.
Psychological First Aid (PFA): Designed to provide immediate, short-term support in the aftermath of a traumatic event or crisis. PFA focuses on promoting safety, calming individuals, providing information, connecting them to resources, and encouraging coping strategies. It is intended as practical support, not formal counseling or treatment, and is generally used by frontline workers or peers responding to emergencies.
Peer Support: Involves providing empathetic, non-professional support to individuals experiencing stress or challenges. It emphasises active listening, emotional support, shared experiences, and practical assistance. Peer Support is ongoing and relationship-based, fostering resilience and connection within teams or communities. Unlike PFA, it is not limited to immediate crisis response but supports individuals through longer-term challenges.