Work Health and Safety (Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work) Code of Practice 2024

I, Murray Watt, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, make the following Code of Practice.

Dated 27 October 2024    

Contents

1  Name.....................................................................2

2  Commencement..............................................................2

3  Authority...................................................................2

4  Definitions..................................................................2

5  Code of Practice Approval........................................................2

1  Name

  This instrument is the Work Health and Safety (Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work) Code of Practice 2024.

2  Commencement

  This instrument commences on the day after registration on the Federal Register of Legislation.

3  Authority

  This instrument is made under section 274 (Approved Codes of Practice) of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011.

4  Definitions

In this instrument:

WHS Act means the Work Health Safety Act 2011.

WHS Regulations means the Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011.

5  Code of Practice Approval

 (1) I approve the Work Health and Safety (Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work) Code of Practice 2024. I am satisfied that the code of practice was developed by a process described in section 274(2) of the WHS Act.

Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work

Code of Practice 2024

Contents

Foreword.............................................................5

1 Introduction........................................................6

1.1 Psychosocial hazards at work.....................................6

1.2 Work health and safety duties.....................................7

1.3 Consultation.................................................12

2 Overview of the process to manage psychosocial risks..................17

3 Identify psychosocial hazards........................................19

3.1 Common psychosocial hazards..................................19

3.2 How to identify psychosocial hazards..............................23

4 Assess the risks...................................................27

4.1 When should a risk assessment be conducted?.....................27

4.2 How to assess psychosocial risks................................27

5 Control the risks...................................................28

5.1 Matters to consider when controlling risks..........................29

5.2 Eliminating risks..............................................30

5.3 Minimising risks...............................................31

5.4 Combining risk controls.........................................34

5.5 Implementing control measures..................................35

6 Review control measures............................................37

7 Recording the risk management process and outcomes..................38

8 Responding to reports, complaints, or incidents ........................39

9 Conducting WHS investigations......................................43

Appendix A – Job characteristics, design and management.................45

Job demands.......................................................45

Fatigue............................................................48

Low job control.....................................................49

Job insecurity.......................................................51

Poor support.......................................................52

Lack of role clarity...................................................54

Poor organisational change management................................56

Inadequate recognition and reward.....................................57

Poor organisational justice............................................58

Traumatic events or material...........................................59

Remote or isolated work..............................................61

Intrusive surveillance.................................................62

Poor physical environment............................................63

Appendix B – Harmful behaviours.......................................65

Identifying harmful behaviours.........................................65

Controlling risks from harmful behaviours.................................67

Appendix C - Risk register..............................................71

Appendix D: Case studies..............................................72

Foreword

This Code of Practice on managing psychosocial hazards at work is an approved code of practice under section 274 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth) (the WHS Act).

An approved code of practice provides practical guidance on how to achieve the standards of work health and safety required under the WHS Act and the Work Health and Safety

 Regulations 2011 (Cth) (the WHS Regulations), and effective ways to identify and manage risks.

A code of practice can assist anyone who has a duty of care in the circumstances described in the code of practice. Following an approved code of practice will assist the duty holder to achieve compliance with the health and safety duties in the WHS Act and WHS Regulations, in relation to the subject matter of the code of practice. Like regulations, codes of practice deal with particular issues and may not cover all relevant hazards or risks. The health and safety duties require duty holders to consider all risks associated with work, not only those for which regulations and codes of practice exist.

Codes of practice are admissible in court proceedings under the WHS Act and WHS Regulations. Courts may regard a code of practice as evidence of what is known about a hazard, risk, risk assessment or risk control and may rely on the code in determining what is reasonably practicable in the circumstances to which the code of practice relates. For further information see the Safe Work Australia Interpretive Guideline: The meaning of ‘reasonably practicable’.

Compliance with the WHS Act and WHS Regulations may be achieved by following another method if it provides an equivalent or higher standard of work health and safety than the code.

An inspector may refer to an approved code of practice when issuing an improvement or prohibition notice.

Scope and application

This Code is intended to be read by a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU). It provides practical guidance to PCBUs on how to manage psychosocial health and safety risks at work.

This Code may be a useful reference for other persons interested in the duties under the WHS Act and WHS Regulations.

This Code applies to the performance of work and to all workplaces covered by the WHS Act.

How to use this Code of Practice

This Code includes references to the legal requirements under the WHS Act and WHS Regulations. These are included for convenience only and should not be relied on in place of the full text of the WHS Act or WHS Regulations. The words ‘must’, ‘requires’ or ‘mandatory’ indicate a legal requirement exists and must be complied with.

The word ‘should’ is used in this Code to indicate a recommended course of action, while ‘may’ is used to indicate an optional course of action.

1                    Introduction

Psychosocial hazards can cause psychological and physical harm. On average, work-related psychological injuries have longer recovery times, higher costs, and require more time away from work. Managing the risks associated with psychosocial hazards not only protects workers, it also decreases the disruption associated with staff turnover and absenteeism, and may improve broader organisational performance and productivity.

1.1                         Psychosocial hazards at work

The WHS Act defines ‘health’ as both physical and psychological health. This means that where the WHS Act imposes a duty in relation to ‘health’, PCBUs must manage risks to both physical and psychological health, so far as is reasonably practicable.

Psychosocial hazards are hazards that: 

a) arise from or relate to:

1.             the design or management of work
2.             the working environment
3.             plant[1] at a workplace, or
4.             workplace interactions or behaviours; and

b) may cause psychological and physical harm (whether or not it may also cause physical harm)[2].

Psychosocial hazards and the appropriate control measures may vary between workplaces and between groups of workers, depending on the work environment, organisational context and the nature of work.

Workers are likely to be exposed to a combination of psychosocial hazards, some hazards may always be present, while others only occasionally. Common psychological hazards that arise from, or are related to, work may include:

A ppendix A Job characteristics, design and management and A ppendix B Harmful behaviours provide further guidance and examples for each hazard.

Workers from diverse backgrounds may be exposed to different psychosocial hazards. For example, women, young workers, those from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers, LGBTQI workers and workers with disability are more likely to experience workplace sexual harassment and should be provided with the opportunity to participate in these consultations (which may take different forms), along with all workers who are likely to be directly affected.

Psychological harm or injuries from psychosocial hazards include conditions such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and sleep disorders.

Physical injuries from psychosocial hazards include musculoskeletal injury, chronic disease, and physical injury following fatigue related workplace incidents.

1.2                         Work health and safety duties

Person conducting a business or undertaking 

A PCBU must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, workers and other persons are not exposed to risks to their psychological or physical health and safety. A PCBU must eliminate psychosocial risks in the workplace, or if that is not reasonably practicable, minimise these risks so far as is reasonably practicable.

A PCBU must manage psychosocial risks in accordance with Part 3.1 of the WHS Regulations.

Under the WHS Regulations, to manage psychosocial risks, a duty holder must:

-          identify reasonably foreseeable hazards that could give rise to psychosocial risks

-          eliminate risks, so far as is reasonably practicable

-          if it is not reasonably practicable to eliminate the risks – minimise the risks so far as is reasonably practicable

-          maintain implemented control measures so they remain effective, and

-          review, and if necessary, revise, control measures so as to maintain, so far as is reasonably practicable, a work environment that is without risks to health and safety.

In determining control measures to be implemented, a PCBU must have regard to all relevant matters, including:

-          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:

o        safe means of entering and exiting the workplace

o        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.

PCBU duties – what is reasonably practicable?

The standard of ‘reasonably practicable’ in health and safety duties applies to a PCBU. Other duty holders are required to meet different standards, for example officers must exercise ‘due diligence’ and workers and others at a workplace must take ‘reasonable care’.

‘Reasonably practicable’, in relation to a duty to ensure health and safety, means that which is, or was at a particular time, reasonably able to be done to ensure health and safety, taking into account and weighing up all relevant matters including:

-          the likelihood of the hazard or the risk concerned occurring; and

-          the degree of harm that might result from the hazard or the risk; and

-          the availability and suitability of ways to eliminate or minimise the risk; and

-          what the person concerned knows, or ought reasonably to know, about the hazard or risk, and about the ways of eliminating or minimising the risk; and

-          after assessing the extent of the risk and the available ways of eliminating or minimising the risk, the cost associated with available ways of eliminating or minimising the risk, including whether the cost is grossly disproportionate to the risk.

The greater the risks, the more that is required to be done to eliminate or minimise it. This may mean using more than one, or a combination of control measures.

Where psychosocial hazards are only present for short periods, infrequently and are not severe, it may not be reasonable to implement expensive and time-consuming control measures. It may, however, be reasonable to apply less expensive controls.

Multiple control measures may be required. The aim must be to keep trying to lower the likelihood and degree of harm until further steps are not reasonably practicable in the circumstances.

Psychosocial hazards can interact or combine with other psychosocial hazards to increase the risks. This means controlling the risks associated with one hazard can also minimise the risks from other psychosocial hazards.

When considering each control or combination of controls, a duty holder must take into account the likelihood of a particular control being effective.

Cost of control measures

Cost is a matter to be taken into account and weighed up with other relevant matters to identify what is reasonably practicable, but this must only be done after assessing the extent of the risk and the ways of eliminating or minimising it.

Where the cost of implementing control measures is grossly disproportionate to the risks, it may be that implementing them is not reasonably practicable and therefore not required. This does not mean that you are excused from doing anything to minimise the risks. A less expensive way of minimising the risks must instead be used. If two control measures provide the same level of protection and are equally reliable, you can implement the less expensive option.

The question of what is reasonably practicable is determined objectively, not by reference to your particular business or undertaking’s capacity to pay, or other individual circumstances. You cannot provide workers with a lower level of protection simply because you are in a lesser financial position than another PCBU facing the same hazards or risks in similar circumstances.

Your goal to produce a product or provide a service at a particular price cannot override your duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of your workers and others.

For further information see the Safe Work Australia Interpretive Guideline: The meaning of ‘reasonably practicable’.

Designers, manufacturers, importers, installers and suppliers of plant, substances, and structures

Designers, manufacturers, importers and suppliers of plant, structures or substances can influence the safety of these products before they are used in the workplace.

These duty holders must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, these products are without risks to the health (including psychological health) and safety of workers or others who are at or near the workplace.

Officers

Officers, such as departmental secretaries or company directors, have a duty to exercise due diligence to ensure the PCBU complies with its duties under the WHS Act and WHS Regulations. For psychosocial risks this means the officer must take reasonable steps to:

-          acquire and keep up-to-date knowledge of psychosocial work health and safety matters

-          gain an understanding of the nature of the operations of the business or undertaking of the PCBU and generally of the psychosocial hazards and risks associated with those operations

-          ensure the PCBU has available for use, and uses, appropriate resources and processes to eliminate or minimise psychosocial risks from work carried out by the business or undertaking

-          ensure the PCBU has appropriate processes for receiving and considering information regarding incidents, psychosocial hazards and risks to health and safety and responding in a timely way to that information

-          ensure the PCBU has, and implements, processes for complying with any duty or obligation they have under the WHS Act and WHS Regulations, and

-          verify the provision and use of the resources and processes mentioned above and that they are performing effectively.

For information on officers and their duties see the Safe Work Australia Interpretive Guideline: The health and safety duty of an officer.

Workers

Workers must take reasonable care for their own psychological and physical health and safety and to not adversely affect the health and safety of other persons. Workers must comply with reasonable health and safety instructions, as far as they are reasonably able, and co-operate with reasonable health and safety policies or procedures that have been notified to workers.

A person is a worker if the person carries out work in any capacity for a PCBU including work as an employee, a contractor or sub-contractor or their employees, a labour hire worker, an outworker, an apprentice or trainee, a work experience student, or a volunteer.

Other persons in the workplace

Other persons at the workplace, like visitors, must take reasonable care for their own psychological and physical health and safety and must take reasonable care not to adversely affect other people’s health and safety. They must comply, so far as they are reasonably able, with reasonable instructions given by the PCBU to allow them to comply with the WHS Act and WHS Regulations.

For example, a customer in a customer service centre must not behave violently, nor abuse or harass staff. Other persons may be persons such as visitors, delivery people, customers, clients, patients and their families.

Other relevant duties

Other relevant duties under WHS laws are set out throughout this Code of Practice. See

C’ onsulting workers’, ‘C onsulting, cooperating and coordinating activities with other duty

h olders’, I’ nformation, training, instruction and supervision’, and ‘Remote or isolated work’.

WHS laws do not operate in isolation and other laws may also apply. For example, industrial relations, criminal, anti-discrimination, privacy and workers’ compensation laws.

1.3                         Consultation

Consulting workers

A PCBU must consult, so far as is reasonably practicable, with workers who carry out work for the business or undertaking and who are (or are likely to be) directly affected by a WHS matter.

If you and your workers have agreed procedures for consultation, it must be conducted in accordance with those procedures.

Effective consultation with workers improves decision-making about health and safety matters and assists in reducing work-related injuries and illness. Workers can identify tasks or aspects of their work that cause or expose them to psychosocial hazards and may have practical suggestions or potential solutions to address those hazards. For example, workers may have ideas to improve work design to minimise the risks of psychological harm.

The definition of ‘worker’ under the WHS Act is broad. In addition to employees, it includes anyone working for the business or undertaking, including contractors and their employees, labour-hire workers, outworkers, apprentices, trainees, work experience students and volunteers.

You must consult with workers when assessing risks or making decisions about the psychosocial risks to health and safety including what control measures are implemented.

Workers from diverse backgrounds may be exposed to different psychosocial hazards. You must consult with all workers, in particular workers with vulnerabilities, who are likely to be directly affected by particular psychosocial hazards. For example, women, young workers, those from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers, LGBTQI workers and workers with disability are more likely to experience workplace sexual harassment and should be provided with the opportunity to participate in these consultations (which may take different forms), along with all workers who are likely to be directly affected.

All consultation must include any Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs) representing your workers. A HSR is a worker who has been elected by a work group under the WHS Act to represent them on health and safety issues. References to consultation with workers in this Code includes consultation with any HSRs.

You must provide workers with a reasonable opportunity to raise psychosocial health and safety issues, express their views and contribute to decision-making. You must consider whether existing consultation arrangements are appropriate for psychosocial risks. You must consult with workers and their representatives on implementing new consultation arrangements if required.

When consulting with your workers you must:

-          share relevant information

-          give workers a reasonable opportunity to express their views, raise health and safety issues and contribute to the decision-making process

-          take those views into account before making decisions on health and safety matters, and

-          advise workers of the outcome of consultations in a timely manner.

Management commitment and open communication between managers and workers is important in achieving effective consultation. Your workers are more likely to engage in consultation when their knowledge and ideas are actively sought and concerns about psychosocial health and safety are taken seriously. You should encourage workers to:

-          share their knowledge and experience, and

-          report psychosocial hazards so risks can be managed before an injury occurs.

Effective methods of consultation can vary according to the needs of your workers, workplace size, worker distribution across sites and shifts, the nature of the work and the type of hazards in a workplace.

You and your workers should agree the form consultation will take. If your workplace has an agreed procedure for consultation which was decided in consultation with workers, this procedure must be followed.

Each consultation method has benefits and limitations. For example, some forms of consultation are better for workers who do not have regular access to computers, while others allow workers to raise sensitive issues anonymously, or to provide detail and context.

CALD and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers may need, or benefit from, different forms of consultation. For example, providing materials and conducting consultation in workers’ preferred language(s) and using culturally appropriate people and messages.

You may need to use multiple methods of consultation for psychosocial hazards. The form and methods of consultation must be decided in consultation with workers.

As a PCBU you must consult with workers when:

-          identifying hazards and assessing risks to health and safety arising from the work carried out or to be carried out

-          making decisions about ways to eliminate or minimise those risks

-          making decisions about the adequacy of facilities for the welfare of workers

-          proposing changes that may affect the health or safety of your workers, and

-          making decisions about procedures for consulting with workers; resolving health or safety issues at the workplace; monitoring health of your workers; monitoring the conditions at the workplace under your management or control and providing information and training for your workers.

However, it may be useful to also consult workers about matters not listed above.

Regular consultation is better than consulting only as issues arise on a case-by-case basis, or as a reaction to a particular event, because it allows you to identify and fix potential problems early. Further guidance is available in the Code of Practice: Work health and safety consultation, cooperation and coordination.

Consulting, cooperating and coordinating activities with other duty holders

More than one person can have the same WHS duty at the same time. The WHS Act requires that where more than one person has a duty for the same matter, each person retains responsibility to meet their duty in relation to the matter and must do so to the extent to which they can influence and control the matter.

Duty holders cannot transfer their duty to another person or contract out their health and safety duties. Duty holders can make arrangements or agreements with other duty holders to assist with meeting their duties.

Duty holders must consult, cooperate and coordinate activities with all other persons who have a WHS duty in relation to the same matter, so far as is reasonably practicable. Where you share a duty (e.g. you share a workplace or are involved in the same activity), each duty holder should:

-          exchange information

-          find out who is doing what about their respective WHS obligations, and

-          work together in a cooperative and coordinated way so risks are eliminated or minimised.

Consulting, cooperating and coordinating with other duty holders can help you more easily and effectively control risks, and assist each of you to comply with your duty.

2                    Overview of the process to manage psychosocial risks

To meet your duties to ensure health and safety, you must eliminate or minimise psychosocial risks so far as is reasonably practicable. To achieve this, just as for any other hazard, you can apply the risk management process described in the Code of Practice: How to manage work health and safety risks.

The risk management process involves four steps:

1.       Identify hazards - find out what could cause harm (Chapter 3).
2.       Assess risks, if necessary - understand the nature of the harm the hazard could cause, how serious the harm could be and the likelihood of it happening. This step may not be necessary if the risks and controls are known (Chapter 4).
3.       Control risks - implement the most effective control measures that are reasonably practicable in the circumstances and ensure they remain effective over time. This means:

-          you must eliminate risks, if reasonably practicable to do so

-          if it is not reasonably practicable to eliminate the risks, implement the most effective control measures to minimise the risks so far as is reasonably practicable in the circumstances, and

-          ensure those control measures remain effective over time (Chapter 5).

1.       Review control measures to ensure they are working as planned and make changes as required (Chapter 6).

All of these steps must be supported by consultation (see Section 1.3 of this Code).

Risk management requires planning and is an ongoing process. However, considering risks early prevents costly changes later and allows for more effective control measures to be used, resulting in less harm to workers. For example, you should consider psychosocial hazards at the design phase when planning an organisational restructure.

The risk management process may be implemented in different ways depending on the size and nature of your business or undertaking. Larger businesses and those in sectors where workers are exposed to more or higher risks are likely to need more complex, sophisticated risk management and consultation processes.

Before you start the process:

-          explain the process

-          get commitment and engagement from senior leaders and managers

-          identify who needs to be involved, for example managers, workers, HSRs and subject matter experts, and

-          decide how the process and its outcomes will be recorded and communicated.

Leadership and management commitment

Genuine commitment by the PCBU, officers, and other organisational leaders is essential. These leaders, through their governance arrangements and resourcing decisions, actively shape the organisation and the way work is undertaken. These decisions will, directly and indirectly, impact how effectively you can control psychosocial risks.

This commitment can be built by ensuring leaders understand their duties under WHS laws, the risk management process these require, the business case for effectively managing psychosocial hazards, and the roles of various organisational leaders (e.g. human resources and WHS managers).

Consulting workers through the risk management process

At each step of the risk management process you must consult workers who are, or are likely to be, directly affected by a WHS matter and any HSR(s). For example, on proposed changes affecting work health and safety such as:

-          new policies, procedures and systems of work

-          organisational restructures, changes to staffing levels, new reporting arrangements and work locations

-          changes to tasks, workload, duties and working arrangements, including rosters

-          new technology, plant, equipment, substances, structures and production processes

-          the redesign of existing workplaces, or

-          changes to the way information, training, instruction and supervision is provided.

Consultation on changes that may affect work health and safety should occur as early as possible.

See Section 1.3 for more information on consultation.

Further guidance on the risk management process is available in the Code of Practice: How to manage work health and safety risks.

3                    Identify psychosocial hazards

The first step in the risk management process is to identify psychosocial hazards. This involves identifying the aspects of work and situations that could potentially harm your workers or others at your workplace and why these may be occurring. This step should also assist PCBUs to identify where and when workers are exposed to psychosocial hazards, and if controls are not adequately eliminating or minimising risks from known hazards.

3.1                         Common psychosocial hazards

Below is a list of some common examples of psychosocial hazards you should consider when identifying psychosocial hazards in your organisation. The list and the examples in the descriptions are not exhaustive. Workers are likely to be exposed to a combination of psychosocial hazards; some risks may be constantly present, while others arise sporadically.

Some hazards by themselves may cause serious harm, such as experiencing workplace violence. In most circumstances, it will be a combination of psychosocial hazards which together may cause harm. Harm can be caused by a single instance or over time with repeated or prolonged exposure.

Hazards can be grouped or described in different ways. How they are categorised is less important than ensuring you and your workers have the same understanding of what is happening and how it may be causing harm.

Appendix A and Appendix B provide further examples of these hazards

Factors that may put some workers at higher risk

Like for physical hazards, some workers may be at greater risk from psychosocial hazards due to their lived experience or their confidence or experience participating in health and safety or other organisational processes. This means there is a greater likelihood or severity of harm for these workers. For example, workers with:

-          limited experience in the workplace (e.g. young workers)

-          barriers to understanding safety information (e.g. literacy or language)

-          perceived barriers to raising safety issues (e.g. power imbalance or stigma)

-          previous exposure to a hazard

-          culturally and linguistically diverse workers, or

insecure or precarious forms of employment.

For example, inexperienced workers may not identify harmful behaviours or have the confidence to report them. You could address this by providing more detailed induction training and greater support and supervision until they gain experience and understand these hazards.

Consulting your workers will assist you to identify any groups who are at greater risk, and whether there are additional reasonably practicable controls you must implement to eliminate or minimise the risks for these workers.

Addressing risks to individual workers

It may also be reasonably practicable to accommodate the needs of an individual worker to prevent harm where the worker has disclosed those needs or the PCBU is aware. For example, a worker with an injury or disability may need a quiet work area or different equipment to do their work or a worker experiencing family or domestic violence may benefit from adjustments or modifications.

As well as making changes for individual workers you must still eliminate or minimise psychosocial risks for all workers so far as is reasonably practicable.

These changes may include, but are not limited to, changing workload and work hours, the nature of work, the work environment, or support and supervision.

3.2                         How to identify psychosocial hazards

You must identify all reasonably foreseeable psychosocial hazards arising from the work carried out by your business or undertaking.

As well as identifying common hazards, ensure your process identifies hazards for less common but serious incidents, such as sexual or physical assault.

Examples of psychosocial hazards are included in Appendix A and Appendix B.

Psychosocial hazards can arise from organisation-wide systems, work practices, work environments and workplace behaviours, or they can be specific to a task or job.

Consult your workers

You must consult with your workers (see Section 1.3 of this Code) when identifying hazards to health and safety arising from the work they carry out or are going to carry out.

If your workers are represented by HSRs you must include them in this consultation. HSRs may have specific training in work health and safety which can assist you to manage risks. HSRs can also provide workers some anonymity which may encourage better engagement on psychosocial hazards.

Your workers may use different terms to describe exposure to psychosocial hazards. For example, they might say they feel:

-          stressed, burnt-out or emotionally exhausted about their workload

-          anxious or scared about talking to or dealing with an aggressive person

-          humiliated, degraded or undermined by sexual harassment or discrimination

-          angry about policies being applied unfairly

-          confused about what their role involves, torn between competing priorities or ‘feeling like a failure’ for not being able to meet unrealistic expectations, or

-          distressed, unable to sleep, or traumatised by exposure to traumatic situations or content.

Good consultation should allow for differences in how workers may describe hazards and seek to identify the underlying cause. You should provide your workers with information to help them understand and recognise psychosocial hazards.

Use surveys and tools

You can use surveys to gather information from workers, HSRs, supervisors and managers. Surveys are particularly useful when:

-          anonymity is important, this is because anonymous surveys or tools protect workers from stigma or other adverse outcomes when reporting hazards or concerns

-          workers are physically dispersed. For example, they work across multiples sites or shifts

-          you need to consult with a large number of workers

-          workers need time to consider your questions and their response, or

-          workers may struggle to understand or otherwise participate in other forms of consultation.

Surveys must not replace agreed consultation procedures unless agreed with your workers, however they can be used as an additional tool for consultation.

You can seek advice on the tools available, including evidence-based psychosocial risk assessment processes, from the WHS regulator, industry associations, unions, technical specialists and safety consultants.

Observe work and behaviours

Psychosocial hazards may be identified by observing:

-          the workplace (e.g. are workers isolated or exposed to poor conditions)

-          the work and how work is performed in practice (e.g. are workers rushed, is work delayed, do certain tasks result in confusion or frequent mistakes), and

-          how people interact with each other (e.g. are workers, customers and clients respectful, or are harmful behaviours present).

In some circumstances, poor workplace behaviours may be caused or contributed to by an inappropriate response to other psychosocial hazards, such as high job demands, lack of role clarity and inadequate support. Also consider whether the workplace culture supports or tolerates harmful behaviours, including lower level (but still harmful) behaviours like name-calling, teasing, sexual or gendered jokes, dark humour and crude language.

Review available information

Review relevant information and records which may include:

-          records of injuries, incidents or workers’ compensation

-          worker complaints and investigations

-          reports from workplace inspections (e.g. HSR or safety officer walk arounds)

-          staffing, resourcing, procurement and refurbishment decisions (e.g. will outsourcing some work increase work demands for another area, like contract managers)

-          work systems, policies, governance arrangements and procedures

-          duty statements and performance agreements

-          records of hours worked (e.g. regular extra hours indicating high work demand)

-          absenteeism and turnover data

-          exit interviews

-          Health and Safety Committee (HSC) meeting records, and

-          previous psychosocial risk assessments and any material feeding into them.

Not all psychosocial hazards will be associated with reported incidents, so it is important to gather additional information.

Information and advice about psychosocial hazards and risks relevant to particular industries and work activities are available from the WHS regulator, industry associations, unions, technical specialists, similar workplaces and safety consultants. Advice is particularly helpful in complex or high-risk situations. For example, where workers are exposed to violence or aggression from a person they owe a duty of care to, such as law enforcement officers.

Look for trends

You may be able to identify trends from the information you collect. Trends may show certain tasks have more hazards associated with them, or some hazards are more common in certain roles. Trends may show workers in a particular location are exposed to more hazards than in other areas, which may indicate a problem with the design of that work area or the way work is carried out there. This can inform your risk assessment.

Have a reporting mechanism and encourage reporting

You should establish a mechanism for workers to report hazards. This should protect the privacy of workers who make reports and allow for anonymous reporting where possible. Your reporting mechanism should suit your business size and circumstances and be proportional to the risks in your business. For example, an agency/organisation could have a board in the communal area for workers to write up hazards they identify, a locked box for making confidential reports, an email address to raise issues and the duty manager taking reports of any hazards posing an immediate risk.

It is important for hazards reported by workers be taken seriously. Workers can be encouraged to report hazards by:

-          making it clear that workers can use work time to report psychosocial hazards treating all reports of psychosocial hazards seriously, appropriately and confidentially

-          using agreed mechanisms, such as HSRs who can raise safety concerns for workers anonymously

-          regularly discussing psychosocial hazards at team meetings or toolbox talks

-          providing workers with support and a range of accessible and user-friendly ways to make a report informally, formally, anonymously or confidentially

-          making it clear that victimising those who make reports will not be tolerated

-          training key workers (e.g. supervisors, managers, contact persons and HSRs)

-          ensuring processes and systems for reporting and responding to complaints of bullying, harassment or other poor behaviours are appropriate, transparent and well understood, and

-          acting decisively to control the risks your workers identify.

Your hazards and risks reporting system should be appropriate and proportional for your organisation and the risks in your workplace. For example, a large organisation with previous instances of violent behaviour should consider a formal system with documented procedures. In contrast, a small business with no previous instances of violent or aggressive behaviour may not require a formal system and could instead encourage workers to discuss hazards with supervisors as required and have a method of reporting and recording details.

4                    Assess the risks

4.1                         When should a risk assessment be conducted?

Once you have identified psychosocial hazards in your workplace, the next step is to assess the risks they create. This will help you determine what is reasonably practicable in managing the risks.

You should carry out a risk assessment, in consultation with workers and their HSRs if they have them, for any hazards you have identified. However, if you already know what the risks are and how to control them effectively, you can implement the controls without undertaking a risk assessment and then check to confirm these have been effective.

A risk assessment can help you determine how severe risks are, and therefore what is reasonably practicable in managing the risks.

Further information on risk assessments is available in the Code of Practice: How to manage work health and safety risks.

4.2                         How to assess psychosocial risks

To assess the risk of harm, you need to identify the workers affected and consider the duration, frequency and severity of their exposure. Appendix C may assist you to capture this information.

Once you have identified all the hazards you should assess the risks. To do this, consider:

-                           Duration – how long is the worker exposed to the hazards or risks?

-                           Frequency – how often is the worker exposed to the hazards or risks?

-                           Severity – how severe are the hazards and the workers’ exposures?

Consider psychosocial hazards collectively rather than in isolation. Workers and others may be exposed to more than one psychosocial hazard at any time and hazards can interact or combine. For example, a worker exposed to aggressive customer behaviour is more likely to be harmed if at that time they do not have other workers present to support them and do not have the control to alter the way they work to de-escalate the situation. Assessing risks collectively may also assist you to identify more effective control measures.

Psychosocial risks increase when exposure to hazards is more severe (e.g. exposure to a traumatic incident), more frequent (e.g. regularly performing tasks without adequate support) or is longer in duration (e.g. high job demands over weeks or months).

The risks also increase when workers are exposed to a combination of the above mechanisms. For example, short term but severe exposure to a psychosocial hazard (e.g. a violent incident) is more likely to harm workers if they are also exposed to chronic (long duration), but less severe hazards (e.g. ongoing low support).

Psychosocial risks can cause both physical and psychological injuries. The severity of psychological injuries varies, but in comparison to physical injuries, on average, they require longer off work and are more costly.

5                    Control the risks

Once you know which psychosocial hazards are present and you have assessed the risks they create, you are in a position to control them.

You must eliminate risks to health and safety if it is reasonably practicable to do so.

If it is not reasonably practicable to eliminate the risks, you must minimise risks so far as is reasonably practicable.

To identify what can be done you should, in consultation with your workers, identify as many possible control measures as you can. This gives you the greatest scope to choose and apply the most effective control measures to eliminate or minimise risks. Consultation with workers will assist you to identify control measures you might not otherwise think of.

When deciding what control measures to use, a PCBU must have regard to all relevant matters and utilise the hierarchy of controls (see sections 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3 of this code).

5.1                        
Matters to consider when controlling risks

How long (duration), how often (frequency) and how significantly (severity) your workers are exposed to psychosocial hazards impacts the level of risks. Hazards interacting or combining with each other may also change the risks.

As you work through the risk management process you must consider things that may give rise to hazards, influence the level of risks workers are exposed to, or could be changed to help control those risks, including:

-          the design of work, including job demands and tasks involved

Considering how the work is designed will support you to eliminate hazards at the source and at the organisational level.

Control measures for psychosocial hazards should predominantly be considered at an organisational, work and system design level (e.g. organisational resilience) rather than at an individual level (e.g. individual resilience and stress management), although some circumstances may require responses at both levels.

Focusing on higher level control measures that address work design will ensure the risk of harm is addressed at the source, rather than inferior measures that only reduce the impact of harm after it has occurred.

Effective work design considers:

o                         the work: how work is performed, including the physical, mental and emotional demands of the tasks and activities, the task duration, frequency, and complexity, and the context and systems of work

o                         the physical working environment: the plant, equipment, materials and substances used, and the vehicles, buildings, structures that are workplaces

o                         the workers: physical, emotional and mental capacities and needs.

Your workers should have an appropriate amount of work to match their skills and experience. For example, a job designed with too much work for a worker of that skill level to complete with the resources provided, or tasks that do not match that worker’s skillset will create hazards. Matching tasks to workers’ skills and scheduling non-urgent tasks for times of lower demand may assist to control risks.

See the Safe Work Australia Handbook: Principles of Good Work Design for more information about how to achieve good work design and work processes.

-          systems of work, including how work is managed, organised and supported

Systems of work are organisational rules, policies, procedures and work practices used to organise, manage and carry out work. These systems can introduce psychosocial hazards, but if carefully considered can also help control them.

For example, a system of work that does not allow workers to seek assistance from supervisors, sets unrealistic targets or timeframes or that allocates tasks without regard for other work demands may introduce hazards. A system of work which provides for support and manages job demands may assist to control risks.

-          the design and layout and environmental conditions, of the workplace, including safe means of entering and exiting the workplace and welfare facilities

A poor physical working environment can be a psychosocial hazard, however the way a workplace is set up can also control other psychosocial hazards.

For example, ensuring workers can get away from aggressive customers or can observe when another worker may need assistance.

-          the design and layout, and environmental conditions of workers’ accommodation

Like the working environment, accommodation provided for workers can introduce or control psychosocial hazards.

For example, worker accommodation which does not provide adequate privacy or security can contribute to the risk of violence or harassment. Well-designed accommodation can help control these risks

-          plant, substances and structures at the workplace

Plant (e.g. machinery, equipment, appliances and tools), structures and substances used at work can introduce psychosocial hazards where they create a physical hazard that is not adequately controlled. For example, plant can create loud noises, dust and vibrations which creates poor physical environments and contributes to psychosocial risks.

Well designed and maintained plant can prevent these hazards but can also be used to control other psychosocial hazards. For example, safe plant that allows work to be performed more efficiently can reduce high work demands.

-          workplace interactions or behaviours

The way workers interact with each other and other persons in the workplace, their behaviour and relationships can introduce psychosocial hazards. However, supportive leadership, positive relationships and professional and respectful interactions can help to minimise a range of psychosocial hazards.

Poor organisational culture can hamper efforts to improve work health and safety by preventing workers seeking and providing support and discouraging workers from reporting hazards and participation in consultation. Leaders demonstrating poor behaviour are likely to contribute to poor organisational culture.
 

-          information, training, instruction and supervision provided to workers

Information, training, instruction and supervision may be necessary to implement control measures effectively. They may also assist in controlling some psychosocial risks, for example where low role clarity is creating a risk, information and training on the worker’s role will assist in controlling the risks.

5.2                         Eliminating risks

Eliminating risks is the most effective control measure and PCBUs must always consider elimination before anything else. For psychosocial risks, elimination means completely removing the psychosocial hazard and associated risks through good work design and systems of work design.

It may not be reasonably practicable to eliminate the risk, for example, if doing so means a product cannot be made or a service cannot be delivered. Where a risk cannot be eliminated, PCBUs must minimise the risk so far as is reasonably practicable.

5.3                        
Minimising risks

The hierarchy of controls must be followed if it is not reasonably practicable to eliminate psychosocial risk.

The hierarchy of controls (see below) ranks control measures from the highest level of protection and reliability to the lowest and requires duty holders to minimise risks by one or more of the following methods:

-          Substitution—minimise the risk by substituting (wholly or partly) or replacing a hazard or hazardous work practice with something that gives rise to a lesser risk.

-          Isolation—minimise the risk by isolating or separating the hazard or hazardous work practice from any person exposed to it.

-          Engineering controls—minimise the risk by implementing engineering controls as a physical control measure.

If the risk remains, it must be minimised by implementing administrative controls, so far as is reasonably practicable.

Any further remaining risk must then be minimised with suitable personal protective equipment (PPE), so far as is reasonably practicable. This could include personal distress alarms or hearing protection or headphones used to reduce stress caused by high background noise.

Administrative control measures and PPE do not control the hazard at the source. They rely on human behaviour and supervision and, used on their own, tend to be the least effective in minimising risks.

Step 1 – Substitution, isolation and engineering controls

PCBUs must minimise the risk of psychosocial hazards by either substituting or isolating the hazard from the person or implementing engineering controls, so far as is reasonably practicable.

• Substituting a hazard means substituting (wholly or partly) hazardous ways of working with less hazardous alternatives.
• Isolation of a hazard involves physically separating the source of harm from people by distance or using barriers, and
• Engineering controls include physical controls such as a mechanical device or process..

Substitution, isolation and engineering controls for psychosocial hazards can be achieved through changing the design of work (see section 5.2 - Eliminating Risks) or system of work (e.g. rostering, working hours, task rotation and breaks to allow opportunities for rest and recovery).

Step 2 – Administrative controls

If risk remains after applying substitution, isolation or engineering control measures, PCBUs must minimise the remaining risk by implementing administrative controls, so far as is reasonably practicable. Administrative controls are less reliable at minimising risk because they rely on human behaviour and should be used in conjunction with higher order controls, so far as is reasonably practicable.

Administrative controls commonly include organisational policies and standard operating procedures that are designed to minimise exposure to a hazard, as well as the information, training and instruction needed to ensure workers can work safely.

If your workplace has agreed policies, those policies relating to psychosocial hazards must be developed in consultation with workers and their HSRs (if elected), and all workers must be made aware of the policies and what is expected of them.

Step 3 - Personal protective equipment

If risk remains after applying substitution, isolation, engineering and administrative control measures, PCBUs must minimise the remaining risk by ensuring the provision and use of suitable PPE, so far as is reasonably practicable. For psychosocial hazards, PPE can assist by controlling physical hazards that give rise to psychosocial risks, such as when using plant, substances etc or working in certain environments.

Protecting workers with PPE is a last resort and should only be used where there are risks that cannot be minimised using higher order controls. If PPE is selected as last resort, it should be used in conjunction with administrative controls (e.g. the provision of information, instruction and training to workers and/or the implementation of safe work procedures).

5.4                         Combining risk controls

A combination of control measures may be used to minimise risk if a single control is not sufficient to eliminate or minimise psychosocial risk. In most cases, a combination of control measures will be the most effective approach.

5.5                         Implementing control measures

It is important to ensure a particular control measure will work before relying on it. You may need to test control measures, provide information, training or instruction to workers and supervise work to ensure control measures are effective.

Test control measures

Testing control measures allows you to ensure they are suitable for your workplace, operate as intended and do not introduce new risks.

You should allow enough time for your workers to adjust to changes (e.g. new work processes) before assessing the effectiveness of control measures. At this stage, you should frequently check with your workers on how they think the improvements are working and supervise workers to ensure controls are implemented effectively.

Information, training, instruction and supervision

As you are planning to implement control measures, you must consider what information, training, instruction or supervision is required to ensure the control measures are effective.

Training must be suitable and adequate, having regard to:

-          the nature of the work to be carried out

-          the associated psychosocial hazards and risks and

-          the control measures to be implemented.

Training should require workers to demonstrate they are competent in performing the task. It is not sufficient to simply tell a worker about the procedure and ask them to acknowledge they understand and can perform it. Training may include formal training courses, in-house training or on the job training.

For example, if supervisors and managers have a role in implementing workplace policies on addressing harmful behaviours, you must provide them with any training necessary to ensure safety. This may include training so they know what to do if they witness, experience or have a worker approach them about violence and aggression, bullying or sexual harassment at work or know who to seek guidance from if they have questions.

Information, training and instruction must be provided in a form all workers can understand, for example training may need to be provided in other languages. Information and instruction may also need to be provided to others who enter the workplace, such as customers or visitors.

The level of supervision required will depend on the risks and the experience of the workers involved. High levels of supervision are necessary where inexperienced workers are expected to follow new procedures or carry out difficult and critical tasks.

Maintenance

You must ensure that control measures are maintained so that they remain effective, including by ensuring they are fit for purpose, suitable for the nature and duration of the work; and set up and used correctly. You should decide what maintenance a control measure will require when you implement the control and establish a schedule for routine checks and maintenance. You may prepare a risk register identifying the hazards, what action needs to be taken, who will be responsible for taking the action and by when.

Workplace policies

Workplace policies can provide important information and help ensure everyone involved understands the business or undertaking’s processes for managing psychosocial risks. Policies alone should not be relied on to control psychosocial risks, but they can detail responsibilities and help set clear expectations, particularly about behaviours at the workplace and during work-related activities.

You may have separate policies or one policy which covers several work health and safety issues.

Where you have policies relating to psychosocial risks these must be developed in consultation with your workers and any HSRs. All workers must be made aware of the policies and what is expected of them.

Controlling risks arising from management action

6                    Review control measures

The last step of the risk management process is to review the effectiveness of the implemented control measures to ensure they are working as planned. If a control measure is not working effectively it must be reviewed and modified or replaced.

Reviewing control measures should be done regularly and is required:

-          when the control measure is not eliminating or minimising the risks so far as is reasonably practicable

-          before a change at the workplace that is likely to give rise to a new or different health and safety risk that the control measure may not effectively control

-          if a new hazard or risk is identified

-          if the results of consultation indicate a review is necessary, or

-          if an HSR requests a review because they reasonably believe one of the above has occurred and it has not been adequately reviewed already.

Reports, complaints (including informal complaints) or grievances from workers may identify new psychosocial hazards or risks that are not adequately controlled. This should trigger a review of whether your existing control measures are effective, if your response procedures worked the way they were supposed to and whether new risks have been identified that also need to be managed.

Common review methods include inspecting the workplace, consultation, and analysing records and data. You can use the same methods as in the initial hazard identification step to check control measures. You must also consult your workers and their HSRs.

The person reviewing your control measures should have the authority and resources to conduct the review thoroughly and be empowered to recommend changes where necessary. Questions to consider may include:

-          Are control measures working effectively, without creating new risks?

-          Have workers reported feeling stressed or are they showing signs of harm?

-          Have all psychosocial hazards been identified?

-          Have risks changed or are they different to what you previously assessed?

-          Are workers actively involved in the risk management process?

-          Are workers openly raising health and safety concerns and reporting problems promptly?

-          Has instruction and training been provided to all relevant workers?

-          Are there any upcoming changes that are likely to result in a worker being exposed to psychosocial hazards?

-          Are new control measures available that might better control the risks?

-          Have risks been eliminated or minimised as far as is reasonably practicable?

If the effectiveness of the control measures is in doubt, go back through the risk

management steps, review your information and make further decisions about control measures.

7                    Recording the risk management process and outcomes

You should record your risk management process and the outcomes, including your consultation with workers. This allows you to demonstrate you have met your WHS duties and will assist you when you need to monitor or review the hazards you have identified and controls you have put in place.

Your records may include the outcomes of consultation, the hazards you identified, how you assessed the risks, the control measures implemented, and the training provided.

You should select a method of recording the risk management process and outcomes to suit your circumstances. For example, you can use a risk register such as the one in the Code of Practice: H ow to manage work health and safety risks or in A ppendix C.

It is also useful to have a record of the processes used to investigate and resolve issues. You could choose to include only high-level information in the general risk register where you are concerned about the need to maintain confidentiality.

A WHS inspector may ask to see a copy of records relating to the risk management processes if they visit your workplace. If you do not have a written record, you will need to demonstrate by other means how you have met your duties.

8                    Responding to reports, complaints, or incidents

Encouraging workers to raise concerns regarding psychosocial hazards, and in turn effectively responding to those concerns, can assist PCBUs to not only identify hazards, but also review whether control measures are working. To facilitate this, PCBUs can investigate reports, complaints or incidents involving psychosocial hazards to determine what happened, why, and what can be done to improve controls to eliminate or minimise recurrence. The formality and comprehensiveness of any investigation and response can be proportional to the level of risk, the seriousness of actual or potential harm, the number of workers affected, and the size of the business.

The process for investigating or responding to reports, complaints or incidents involving psychosocial hazards should be proactive, fair, objective, conducted in a timely and impartial manner, applied consistently to all workers, and ensure procedural fairness for all parties involved. This is particularly important where there is an allegation about work-related bullying, work-related violence or aggression, or work-related sexual harassment.

Where a HSR has been advised of a complaint or incident involving a worker in their workgroup, they are entitled to investigate the complaint. This can include:

-          inspecting the workplace, or any part of the workplace, the worker works at any time after giving reasonable notice to the PCBU, or without notice if the incident or situation involves a serious risk to health and safety emanating from an immediate or imminent exposure to a hazard

-          accompanying an inspector during an inspection of the workplace or part of a workplace where the worker works

-          with the consent of a worker, or one or more workers, the HSR representing and being present at an interview between the worker(s) and an inspector or PCBU (or the PCBUs representative)

-          receiving information concerning the work health and safety of workers in the workgroup

-          wherever necessary, requesting the assistance of any person.

It will not always be appropriate to consult work groups or their representative HSR(s) if the initiating report or subsequent investigation includes sensitive and confidential information about other workers. In this case, it is still useful to provide HSRs with general information about the process and outcomes including:

-          how the psychosocial hazard will be managed

-          updates on the progress actions in response to the report, complaint or incident and likely timeframes, and

-          WHS actions and improvements which have or will be introduced in response to the issue (within the limits of confidentiality).

Principles that can be applied, so far as is reasonably practicable, when responding to complaints, incidents or reports involving psychosocial hazards are set out in the below table.

If it is likely that responding to the complaint, incident or report will be sensitive or complex, input from organisational psychologists, human resources, WHS or other experts, such as security professionals, may assist.

Where the incident relates to work-related bullying or sexual harassment, a response procedure can be used to ensure reports, complaints or incidents of these hazards are dealt with consistently. The procedures can be used each time a report or complaint is made. The response procedure can:

-          outline how issues will be dealt with when a report or complaint is made, including broad principles to ensure the process is objective, fair and transparent

-          clearly state the roles of individuals such as managers and supervisors

-          outline the process for how vexatious complaints or reports will be handled

-          identify avenues of psychological support for persons involved, and

-          identify external avenues available to workers where reports of work-related bullying, sexual harassment or racial and other forms of harassment have been unable to be resolved internally noting the procedures for external complaint mechanisms may differ from the procedures for an internal investigation.

Where response procedures are developed, this must be done in consultation with workers and HSRs (if elected).

9                    Conducting WHS investigations

Any WHS investigations into reports of incidents involving psychosocial hazards should primarily aim to identify hazards or new or improved control measures.

Investigations must maintain appropriate privacy and confidentiality of all workers involved to the extent permitted by law. For example, do not discuss reports in public areas or with anyone not involved in the investigation. Ensuring confidentiality should not prevent the parties involved from seeking support.

Nature of investigation

The nature of your investigation should be proportional to the risks and suit the circumstances. When deciding the nature of an investigation consider the:

-          level of risks involved

-          complexity of the situation, and

-          number of workers involved or affected.

A formal investigation may not always be the most effective option. For example, the best response to a single low-level incident may be immediate informal discussions with the workers involved and changes to the relevant control measures. The earlier problems can be identified and addressed, the less likely a formal and complex investigation will be required.

Small businesses may require assistance if a matter is complex or high risk. You can seek advice from the WHS regulator, your industry body or a WHS expert.

Selecting an investigator

It is important to find an investigator who has the confidence of all parties involved where possible. They should be impartial and have the skills and knowledge to identify psychosocial hazards, assess the risks and recommend appropriate controls.

An external investigator may be required if an impartial internal investigator is not available, for example where a matter involves a senior manager.

Balancing a fair and transparent process

The investigation should be fair, transparent and timely to ensure due process for both those who raised the issue and any workers who have had allegations made about them.

Throughout the investigation affected workers should be:

-          informed of their rights and obligations during the process

-          provided with the opportunity to respond to any allegations made against them

-          provided with a copy of relevant policies and procedures

-          kept informed about possible outcomes, timeframes, rights of appeal and reviews, and

-          provided with adequate and fair support.

Concurrent investigations

Harmful behaviours, such as bullying and harassment can be inappropriate responses from workers exposed to other hazards, for example high job demands and poor support. Where these behaviours breach employment codes of conduct or professional standards you may require a separate investigation into these breaches as a disciplinary matter, as well as a systematic WHS investigation looking at any hazards present and ensuring they are controlled.

Where breaches of a code of conduct or professional standard are not proven there may still be an underlying WHS risk which needs be controlled.

Appendix A – Job characteristics, design and management

This appendix provides examples of control measures for psychosocial hazards related to job characteristics, design and management, and the working environment and equipment including:

-          high or low job demands

-          fatigue

-          low job control

-          job insecurity

-          poor support

-          traumatic events or material

-          remote or isolated work

-          intrusive surveillance

-          lack of role clarity

-          poor organisational change management

-          inadequate recognition

-          poor organisational justice, and

-          poor environmental conditions.

However, it is not an exhaustive list and you should use the process outlined in this Code to ensure you identify all hazards in your workplace and assess and control the associated risks.

A single or irregular exposure to these hazards may not create psychosocial risks, or the risks may be very low. However, if workers’ exposure to a hazard (or a combination of these hazards) is frequent, prolonged or severe it can cause psychological and physical harm.

The controls provided are examples. You must consider what is reasonably practicable to eliminate or minimise the risks in your workplace.

Job demands

Note: Some of these examples of hazards may not create psychosocial risks on their own but may do so if combined with other hazards. Some hazards may only create risks on their own when severe. Consider all hazards present and the circumstances to determine what is reasonably practicable to manage the risks.

Controlling job demands

Note: These are examples only. You must identify and implement control measures that eliminate or minimise the risks in your workplace, so far as is reasonably practicable.

Fatigue

Note: Some of these examples of hazards may not create psychosocial risks on their own but may do so if combined with other hazards. Some hazards may only create risks on their own when severe. Consider all hazards present and the circumstances to determine what is reasonably practicable to manage the risks.

Fatigue may include:

-          Physical exhaustion due to work that involves high physical demands (see Job demands listed above in this Code for examples of high physical demand)

-          Physical exhaustion due to working in poor environmental conditions (see poor physical environments listed below in this Code for examples).

-          Mental exhaustion due to work that involves high mental or cognitive demands (see Job demands listed above in this Code for examples of high mental or cognitive demands), and

-          Emotional exhaustion due to work that work involves high emotional demands (see Job demands listed above in this Code for examples of high emotional demands).

Controlling Fatigue

Note: These are examples only. You must identify and implement control measures that eliminate or minimise the risks in your workplace, so far as is reasonably practicable.

Low job control

Note: Some of these examples of hazards may not create psychosocial risks on their own but may do so if combined with other hazards. Some hazards may only create risks on their own when severe. Consider all hazards present and the circumstances to determine what is reasonably practicable to manage the risks.

Low job control may include:

-          requiring permission or sign-off before progressing routine or low risk tasks (e.g. before ordering standard monthly supplies or sending routine internal emails)

-          workers’ level of autonomy not matching their abilities (e.g. inexperienced and highly skilled workers are given the same level of autonomy)

-          prescriptive processes and not allowing workers to apply their skills or judgment (e.g. work is tightly scripted and workers cannot adapt to the specific situation)

-          lack of consultation about changes impacting their work (e.g. changing processes for interacting with clients)

-          limited scope for workers to adapt the way they work to changing situations or adopt efficiencies in their work (e.g. not allowing workers to adapt processes which do not suit the situation)

-          workers have little influence on how they do their work, when they change tasks or take breaks (e.g. work is machine or computer paced)

-          workers are unable to avoid dealing with aggression or abuse (e.g. police or healthcare services)

-          workers do not have control over their physical environment (e.g. working in uncomfortable temperatures), and

-          Where workers are engaged insecure, precarious and contingent work arrangements (e.g. casual work, labour hire, fixed-term contracts, gig economy workers).

Controlling low job control

Note: These are examples only. You must identify and implement control measures that eliminate or minimise the risks in your workplace, so far as is reasonably practicable.

Job insecurity

Note: Some of these examples of hazards may not create psychosocial risks on their own but may do so if combined with other hazards. Some hazards may only create risks on their own when severe. Consider all hazards present and the circumstances to determine what is reasonably practicable to manage the risks.

Job insecurity may include:

• Work that involves uncertainty over the extent and length of their employment, such as casual, labour hire or rolling fixed-term contract work.
• Workers coming to work sick or injured (presenteeism) to maintain a positive impression with the employer so as to secure future shifts and employment contracts
• No paid leave, leading to presenteeism
• Workers taking on more hazardous job tasks
• Workers do not have control over their pay and work process
• Workers performing extended hours of work when jobs are available
• Ongoing fatigue when long hours of labour are on offer or required, and
• Isolated work resulting in physical and social isolation

Controlling Job insecurity

Note: These are examples only. You must identify and implement control measures that eliminate or minimise the risks in your workplace, so far as is reasonably practicable.

Poor support

Note: Some of these examples of hazards may not create psychosocial risks on their own but may do so if combined with other hazards. Some hazards may only create risks on their own when severe. Consider all hazards present and the circumstances to determine what is reasonably practicable to manage the risks.

Poor support may include:

-          insufficient, unclear or contradictory information (e.g. necessary information is not passed on or is communicated poorly)

-          not having the things to do their job properly or on time (e.g. not having the necessary tools, systems, equipment or resources)

-          frequently needing to compete for the things needed to do the job (e.g. where multiple workers need to use equipment at the same time)

-          poorly maintained or inadequate tools, systems and equipment (e.g. tools are broken or IT systems do not work as intended)

-          inadequate training for the task (e.g. new workers are asked to do complex tasks or workers are expected to use new tools without training)

-          jobs where supervisors are unavailable to make decisions or provide support (e.g. they work from a different location or are frequently in meetings)

-          inadequate guidance from supervisors or assistance from other workers (e.g. other workers are not available to help safely complete tasks)

-          workers cannot ask for help when needed (e.g. workers are not able to pause work, leave their workstations or are working remotely without means to contact supervisors)

-          workplace cultures that discourage supervisors or co-workers supporting each other (e.g. highly competitive, insecure, critical, uncooperative or uncollaborative workplaces)

-          working environments that discourage discussion (e.g. lack of suitable spaces to discuss sensitive issues or where workers are physically separated)

-          limited emotional support or unempathetic leadership (e.g. supervisors do not notice when workers are struggling, do not take issues seriously or provide a safe space to raise issues), and

-          infrequent or poor performance feedback and discussions (e.g. feedback is unclear, unhelpful or not provided).

Controlling poor support

Note: These are examples only. You must identify and implement control measures that eliminate or minimise the risks in your workplace, so far as is reasonably practicable.

Lack of role clarity

Note: Some of these examples of hazards may not create psychosocial risks on their own but may do so if combined with other hazards. Some hazards may only create risks on their own when severe. Consider all hazards present and the circumstances to determine what is reasonably practicable to manage the risks.

Lack of role clarity may include:

-          unclear, inconsistent, or frequently changing jobs or role responsibilities

-          overlap in responsibilities between workers (e.g. workers are given the same task and are not clear who is responsible for what)

-          conflicting, uncertain, or frequently changing expectations and work standards (e.g. workers are given conflicting deadlines or instructions)

-          conflicting, unclear or changing reporting lines

-          missing or incomplete task information

-          a lack of clarity about work priorities (e.g. which tasks or stakeholder relationships are most important).

Controlling lack of role clarity

Note: These are examples only. You must identify and implement control measures that eliminate or minimise the risks in your workplace, so far as is reasonably practicable.

Poor organisational change management

Note: Some of these examples of hazards may not create psychosocial risks on their own but may do so if combined with other hazards. Some hazards may only create risks on their own when severe. Consider all hazards present and the circumstances to determine what is reasonably practicable to manage the risks.

Poor organisational change management may include:

-          not consulting workers on changes in the workplace (e.g. not talking to workers or genuinely considering their views)

-          poor consideration of WHS risks or performance impacts of a change (e.g. not considering health and safety risks when downsizing, relocating or introducing new technology or not allowing for drops in productivity while workers learn new processes)

-          poorly planned changes (e.g. changes are disorganised, do not have a clear goal or do not account for workers’ needs; inadequate communication with stakeholders causing disruption)

-          poor communication about planned changes (e.g. allowing rumours to spread without providing timely, authoritative information)

-          insufficient information is provided regarding changes (e.g. information is unclear or does not provide enough guidance for workers to understand and engage with the change)

-          inadequate support for workers through the change process (e.g. not allowing time for workers to learn new tasks), or

-          providing insufficient training to support changes (e.g. how to perform a new role or use a new process).

Controlling poor organisational change management

Note: These are examples only. You must identify and implement control measures that eliminate or minimise the risks in your workplace, so far as is reasonably practicable.

Inadequate recognition and reward

Note: Some of these examples of hazards may not create psychosocial risks on their own but may do so if combined with other hazards. Some hazards may only create risks on their own when severe. Consider all hazards present and the circumstances to determine what is reasonably practicable to manage the risks.

Inadequate recognition and reward may include:

-          receiving unfair negative feedback (e.g. criticism on things workers cannot control or on things for which they have received insufficient training and support)

-          receiving insufficient feedback or recognition (e.g. workers do not receive feedback on their work or are not given information to help them improve; workers are not acknowledged or rewarded for high effort or supporting colleagues)

-          unfair, biased, opaque, or inequitable distribution of recognition and rewards (e.g. workers being rewarded for the efforts of others)

-          limited opportunities for development (e.g. a lack of job training or development), or

-          not recognising workers’ skills (e.g. closely supervising or directing an experienced staff member on simple tasks).

Controlling inadequate recognition and reward

Note: These are examples only. You must identify and implement control measures that eliminate or minimise the risks in your workplace, so far as is reasonably practicable.

Poor organisational justice

Note: Some of these examples of hazards may not create psychosocial risks on their own but may do so if combined with other hazards. Some hazards may only create risks on their own when severe. Consider all hazards present and the circumstances to determine what is reasonably practicable to manage the risks.

Poor organisational justice may include:

-          failing to treat workers’ information sensitively or maintain their privacy (e.g. having performance discussions in front of others or using information for a purpose it was not disclosed for)

-          policies or procedures that are unfair, biased or applied inconsistently (e.g. promotion based on favouritism, or applying disciplinary policies inconsistently or discriminatorily)

-          penalising workers for things outside their control (e.g. for not producing a sufficient number of products when they did not have access to the required materials)

-          failing to recognise or accommodate the reasonable needs of workers (e.g. failing to provide an accessible workplace)

-          discriminating against particular groups or not applying policies fairly to some groups

-          failing to appropriately address (actual or alleged) underperformance, inappropriate or harmful behaviour, or misconduct (e.g. not investigating allegations of sexual harassment or not providing procedural justice for workers accused of bullying)

-          allocating work, shifts and opportunities in a discriminatory or unfair way (e.g. giving ‘good’ shifts based on friendships with supervisor), or

-          no or inadequate processes for making decisions affecting workers (e.g. policies and processes do not set out the key considerations for disciplinary decisions).

Controlling poor organisational justice

Note: These are examples only. You must identify and implement control measures that eliminate or minimise the risks in your workplace, so far as is reasonably practicable.

Traumatic events or material

Traumatic events involving work-related violence are covered in A ppendix B.

Note: Some of these examples of hazards may not create psychosocial risks on their own but may do so if combined with other hazards. Some hazards may only create risks on their own when severe. Consider all hazards present and the circumstances to determine what is reasonably practicable to manage the risks.

Traumatic events or material may include:

-          witnessing or investigating a fatality, serious injury, abuse, neglect or serious incident (e.g. working in child protection)

-          exposure to seriously injured or deceased persons (e.g. working in an emergency department or as a forensic scientist)

-          experiencing fear or extreme risks (e.g. being in a motor vehicle accident, workplace incident or near miss)

-          exposure to natural disasters (e.g. emergency services workers responding to floods or bushfires)

-          witnessing or investigating terrorism or war (e.g. police officers responding to terrorist attacks or journalists reporting on wars)

-          supporting victims of painful and traumatic events (e.g. providing counselling services)

-          listening to or reading descriptions of painful and traumatic events experienced by others (e.g. lawyers reviewing evidence or advocates helping with victim testimonies)

-          finding evidence of crimes or traumatic events (e.g. customs workers or online moderators), and

-          exposure to events that bring up traumatic memories.

Controlling exposure to traumatic events or material

Note: These are examples only. You must identify and implement control measures that eliminate or minimise the risks in your workplace, so far as is reasonably practicable.

Remote or isolated work

Note: Some of these examples of hazards may not create psychosocial risks on their own but may do so if combined with other hazards. Some hazards may only create risks on their own when severe. Consider all hazards present and the circumstances to determine what is reasonably practicable to manage the risks.

Remote or isolated work may include:

-          working in locations requiring long commutes to work sites

-          significant delays to entering or exiting the worksite (e.g. prisons, tower cranes or confined spaces)

-          limited access to resources (e.g. supplies are delivered infrequently or there are significant delays in getting additional equipment if needed)

-          limited access to recreation or opportunities to escape work issues (e.g. living in workers’ accommodation in remote areas)

-          reduced access to support networks and lower capacity to meet family commitments (e.g. fly-in fly-out or offshore work)

-          working alone (e.g. lone workers on night shift)

-          working away from the usual workplace (e.g. working in clients’ homes, offsite or from home)

-          where there is limited access to reliable communication and technology (e.g. no phone reception or IT systems are frequently offline), and

-          difficulties or long delays accessing help in an emergency (e.g. community nurses in remote areas, working in underground mines).

Controlling remote or isolated work

You must manage the risks associated with remote or isolated work, including providing effective communication with the worker carrying out remote or isolated work.

The Code of Practice: Managing the workplace environment and facilities provides information on how the risks associated with remote or isolated work can be controlled including information on:

-          workplace layout and design

-          communication systems

-          buddy systems

-          movement records, and

-          training information and instruction.

Intrusive surveillance

Note: Some of these examples of hazards may not create psychosocial risks on their own but may do so if combined with other hazards. Some hazards may only create risks on their own when severe. Consider all hazards present and the circumstances to determine what is reasonably practicable to manage the risks.

Intrusive surveillance may include:

-          unreasonable levels of supervision.

-          excessive monitoring of work tasks or breaks.

-          tracking calls made and movements made by workers (using CCTV and trackable devices) for the purpose of work performance monitoring (as opposed to safety or other purposes).

-          GPS monitoring of workers’ geographical location or movement in company vehicles for the purpose of work performance monitoring (as opposed to safety or other purposes).

Controlling intrusive surveillance

Note: These are examples only. You must identify and implement control measures that eliminate or minimise the risks in your workplace, so far as is reasonably practicable.

Poor physical environment

Note: Some of these examples of hazards may not create psychosocial risks on their own but may do so if combined with other hazards. Some hazards may only create risks on their own when severe. Consider all hazards present and the circumstances to determine what is reasonably practicable to manage the risks.

Poor physical environments may include:

-          performing hazardous tasks

-          working in hazardous conditions (e.g. near unsafe machinery or hazardous chemicals)

-          performing demanding work while wearing uncomfortable PPE or other equipment (e.g. equipment that is poorly fitted, heavy, or reduces visibility or mobility)

-          workplace conditions that affect concentration or ability to complete tasks (e.g. high noise levels, uncomfortable temperatures or poor lighting)

-          unpleasant workplace conditions such as poorly maintained amenities, unpleasant smells or loud music

-          working with poorly maintained equipment (e.g. equipment that has become unsafe, noisy or started vibrating), and

-          work-related accommodation, facilities and amenities that cause or contribute to worker fatigue (e.g. conditions are noisy, uncomfortable or stop workers getting enough sleep).

You can find more information on physical hazards and the working environment on the Safe Work Australia website.

Controlling a poor physical environment

Like psychosocial hazards, you must eliminate or minimise physical hazards in the workplace as far as is reasonably practicable. Specific duties may also apply under WHS laws, for information on how to manage a poor physical environment please see the Safe Work Australia website.

Appendix B – Harmful behaviours

This appendix provides information on psychosocial hazards related to harmful behaviours. Harmful behaviours include:

-          violence and aggression

-          bullying

-          harassment including sexual harassment or gender-based harassment, and

-          conflict or poor workplace relationships and interactions.

-           

These can cause physical and psychological harm to the person they are directed at and anyone witnessing the behaviour.

A single or irregular exposure to these hazards may not create psychosocial risks or the risks may be very low. However, if workers are exposed to a hazard (or a combination of these hazards) over a prolonged period or in a severe way they can cause psychological and physical harm.

The controls provided are examples, you must consider what is reasonably practicable to eliminate or minimise the risks in your workplace.

Identifying harmful behaviours

Overt or extreme forms of these behaviours (such as physical violence) may be easier to identify and are not tolerated in most workplaces. However, more subtle forms like crude language, sexist remarks and an overall workplace culture that is degrading or intimidating may not be taken as seriously and can be more difficult to identify.

Some of the things that may increase the likelihood of workers being exposed to harmful behaviours are set out below. This can help you identify when, where and why these behaviours may happen at work. For example, workplaces with low worker diversity (e.g. the workforce is dominated by one gender, age group, race or culture), some workforce characteristics (e.g. new and young workers, casual workers, workers in minority groups) and a workplace culture which tolerates or ignores harmful workplace behaviours are more likely to experience harmful behaviours.

Workers may be more likely to experience harmful behaviours or be more severely affected by it, because of their sex, gender, sexuality, age, migration status, disability and literacy.

The risk of experiencing harm rises when a person faces multiple forms of discrimination. Attributes that make a person more vulnerable to these behaviours can also make workers less likely to report concerns or incidents.

Harmful behaviours can come from a range of sources including:

-            External behaviours from customers, clients, patients, members of the public or from other businesses (e.g. between a plumbing and an electrical sub-contractor at the same work site, or a delivery person and a retail worker).

-            Internal behaviours from other workers, supervisors or managers.

Harmful behaviours may be an inappropriate response to other psychosocial hazards (e.g. high job demands or inadequate support). To effectively control risks, you must control the underlying causes as well as directly addressing harmful behaviours.

Violence and aggression

Things that increase the likelihood of violent or aggressive behaviour include:

-          providing care or services to people who are distressed, confused, afraid, ill, affected by drugs or alcohol or receiving unwelcome or involuntary treatment

-          enforcement activities (e.g. the activities of police, prison officers or parking inspectors)

-          working in high crime areas

-          handling valuable or restricted items (e.g. cash or medicines)

-          poor visibility in the workplace (e.g. poor lighting or barriers)

-          restricted movement in the workplace (e.g. limited exit points)

-          working alone, in isolation or in a remote area with the inability to call for assistance

-          working offsite or in the community

-          working in unpredictable environments (e.g. where other people may pose a risk to workers’ safety such as at a client’s home)

-          interacting with customers, either face-to-face, on the phone or online, or

-          service methods or policies that cause or escalate frustration, anger, misunderstanding or conflict (e.g. low staffing levels, customer service policies, setting unreasonable expectations of the services an organisation or workers can provide).

Bullying

Things that increase the likelihood of bullying include:

-          presence of other psychosocial hazards:

o        high job demands

o        low job control

o        low support

o        organisational change, such as restructuring or significant technological change

o        lack of role clarity, or

o        poor organisational justice

-          leadership or management styles:

o        autocratic behaviour that is strict and directive and does not allow workers to be involved in decision making

o        behaviour where little or no guidance is provided to workers or responsibilities are inappropriately and informally delegated to subordinates, and

o        abusive and demeaning behaviour that may include inappropriate or derogatory language, or malicious criticism and feedback, and tolerance of this behaviour

-          systems of work

o        lack of resources or training

o        inappropriate work scheduling, shift work and poorly designed rostering

o        unreasonable performance measures or timeframes

o        poor workplace relationships

o        poor communication

o        isolation

o        low levels of support, or

o        work group hostility.

Harassment including sexual harassment

Things that increase the likelihood of harassment include:

-          particular cohorts of workers who are more vulnerable such as young workers, workers with a disability, workers from culturally or linguistically diverse backgrounds , workers in insecure or precarious forms of employment, and workers on working visas

-          acceptance of inappropriate behaviour (e.g. racially or sexually crude conversations, innuendo or offensive jokes are part of the accepted culture)

-          power imbalances along gendered lines (e.g. workplaces where one gender holds the majority of management and decision-making positions)

-          workplaces organised according to a strict hierarchical structure (e.g. police and enforcement organisations, medical and legal professions)

-          use of alcohol at work activities and attendance at conferences and social events as part of work duties, including overnight travel

-          workers are isolated, in restrictive spaces like cars or working from remote locations with limited supervision or restricted access to help and support

-          working from home which may provide an opportunity for covert sexual harassment to occur online or through phone communication

-          interacting with customers, either face-to-face, on the phone or online, and

-          poor understanding among workplace leaders of the nature, drivers and impacts of sexual harassment

-          workplaces where racial prejudice and unconscious bias directed towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island workers are present.

While anyone can experience harassment there are certain groups who are more likely to experience it. Some workers may be at greater risk because of their age, gender, race, sexuality, migration status, disability and literacy.

Conflict or poor workplace relationships and interactions

Things that increase the likelihood of conflict or poor workplace relationships include:

-          culture of tolerating swearing, name calling, spreading rumours or rudeness within the workplace

-          lack of policies or processes to handle reports of unacceptable behaviour, and

-          the presence of other psychosocial hazards (workers are more likely to be uncivil when they are stressed).

Controlling risks from harmful behaviours

Behaviours such as those listed above are known to cause harm. You must put control measures in place to eliminate or minimise risks so far as is reasonably practicable.

This section provides examples of control measures for managing the risks of violence, aggression, sexual harassment and bullying at the workplace.

Note: These are examples only. You must identify and implement control measures that eliminate or minimise the risks in your workplace, so far as is reasonably practicable.

Physical work environment and security

The physical work environment can affect the likelihood of violence, aggression, harassment and bullying occurring and the ability to respond if it does happen. Consider the following control measures which may provide the highest protection for workers.

Security 

-          Security personnel or night-time security patrol.

-          Video surveillance.

-          Fixed and portable alarm systems.

-          Communication systems like phones, intercoms and alarm systems are in place, regularly maintained and tested.

-          Ensuring vehicles are fit for purpose (e.g. have central locking devices, tracking devices such as GPS systems to allow drivers in distress to be located, lighting inside the vehicle to allow the driver to be aware of passenger behaviour, vehicles are well maintained so they do not break down in unsafe locations or times).

Access

-          Controlling access to the premises (e.g. electronically controlled doors with viewing panels that allow surveillance of public areas before the doors are opened from the inside).

-          Preventing public access to the area when people are working alone or at night (e.g. via a security card or code, asking guests to leave the room while workers clean).

-          Providing facilities and amenities which give privacy and security (e.g. private and secure change rooms or facilities for workers to use which are separate from customers).

-          Separating workers from the public with fixed or removable barriers (e.g. high counters, furniture, screens on counters or screens between a driver and passenger).

-          Installing a service window for night transactions and systems like pay-at-the-pump.

-          Where practicable, providing a workspace for workers who are not able to work from home.

Visibility

-          Ensuring internal and external lighting provides good visibility, including in car parks.

-          Arranging furniture and partitions within the workplace to ensure good visibility of service areas, improve natural surveillance and avoid restrictive movement.

-          Improving natural surveillance in areas such as offices, storerooms and other segregated areas (e.g. using semi opaque glass or screens).

Environment

-          Ensuring there are no areas where workers could become trapped, such as rooms with keyed locks.

-          Implementing appropriate temperature and noise controls, such as in waiting areas to reduce customer frustration.

-          Securing any objects that could be thrown or used to injure someone.

-          Providing workers and others with a safe place to retreat. In other situations, it may be possible to move the person behaving inappropriately (e.g. an aggressive student could be removed from the classroom while the behaviour continues).

-          Ensuring a safe working environment for workers during travel (e.g. workers being in a vehicle together), at conferences, off site, at client or customer premises, and any other location where work is performed.

Safe work systems and procedures

Some safe work systems and procedures can be administrative controls that should be part of your approach to managing risks at your workplace.

Communication 

-          Communicate with workers when they are working in the community or away from the workplace (e.g. a supervisor regularly checking in with the worker throughout their shift).

-          Clearly define jobs and seek regular feedback from workers about their role and responsibilities.

-          Clearly communicate to clients and customers that any form of violence, aggression harassment or bullying is not tolerated (e.g. in service agreements, contracts or on signs).

-          Clearly communicate to workers that using shared calendars to track a colleague’s movement or daily activities and engage in stalking or other unwanted behaviours is not tolerated.

-          Clearly communicate to workers, clients and customers that using work video communication platforms to take photos without permission or knowledge is not tolerated.

-          Manage expectations of clients and customers by clearly communicating the nature of the products or services you are providing (e.g. online and using signage).

-          Put up signs at the workplace (e.g. zero tolerance of aggression and violence; limits on products or services; security cameras are in use; or limited cash held on the premises).

Procedures

-          Ban or refuse service to persons with a history of poor behaviour (e.g. patrons at pubs or clients at gyms). If service is necessary, such as for medical care, put in place additional measures to protect workers and others.

-          Provide alternative methods of customer service to eliminate face-to-face interactions (e.g. online or click-and-collect services, or no contact delivery drops).

-          Establish procedures for dealing with harmful behaviour from customers or clients and how workers and managers can respond.

-          Limit the amount of cash, valuables and medicines held on the premises and handle them securely (e.g. only accept cashless payments) see the Safe Work Australia Guide for Transporting and Handling Cash for more information.

-          Use face shields where spitting or intentionally coughing is a risk.

-          Avoid the need for workers to work alone where possible (e.g. working in pairs, closing the business with security personnel present, or providing a safe escort to a worker’s transport).

-          Provide supervision of work and support for workers, especially new, young and inexperienced workers.

-          Procedures for working in isolation and uncontrolled environments (e.g. carrying out situational risk assessments to determine at each visit the safety of a client’s home before commencing duties).

-          Provide a sufficient number of workers (e.g. during peak periods of customer attendance and for the level of care needed for clients).

-          Alternate tasks in the workplace - particularly tasks requiring high levels of customer interaction - with other work tasks and ensure workers have regular breaks if aggression or incivility is likely.

-          Encourage workers to keep records and screen shots if harmful behaviour occurs online or through phone communication and report the behaviour to their supervisor.

-          Assess risks of client aggression and violence and whether additional control measures are required for dealings with some clients.

-          Implement management plans where a client is known to have a history of aggression or violence. Develop the plan in consultation with appropriately qualified people and communicate it to all relevant workers.

-          Reduce waiting times and missed calls (e.g. by training ‘relief’ workers to take calls or transferring calls to other areas).

-          Encourage workers to escalate problem calls to senior workers.

-          Encourage workers to report incidents and behaviours of concern.

-          Provide a range of accessible and user-friendly ways to make a report informally, formally, anonymously and confidentially.

Information and training

-          Improve role clarity by ensuring workers have well-defined roles and clear expectations.

-          Provide adequate resources and training to workers so they are able to perform their role confidently and competently.

-          Provide information on the standards of behaviour expected in the workplace, including the use of social media or other technologies.

-          Train workers in how to deal with difficult customers, conflict resolution and

-          de-escalation techniques, when and how to escalate issues to managers or supervisors, and procedures to report incidents.

-          Train managers and supervisors on how to deal with difficult customers and conflict resolution when issues are escalated.

-          Plan for regular handover and information exchange with workers, other agencies, carers and service providers.

-          Understand client condition/disability/triggers/care and behaviour management plans.

-          Ensure workers understand how to make a report, their right to representation and the support, protection and advice available.

-          Make it clear that victimisation of those who make reports will not be tolerated

-          Train key workers (contact persons) to receive reports and give support and advice.

Policies

-          Implement appropriate workplace policies as part of managing WHS risks.

-          Set, model and enforce acceptable behaviour standards for all people in the workplace. Foster a positive and respectful work culture where violence, aggression, harassment and bullying are not tolerated.

-          As power imbalances and inequality increase the risk of gendered and sexual harassment, consider implementing policies and strategies to address gender inequality, lack of diversity and power imbalances at the workplace.

-          For work-related events, reinforce workplace policies and behaviours expected of workers, ensure responsible service of alcohol policies are followed and that workers know who to turn to if they experience or witness inappropriate behaviour at the event.

-          Avoid sexualised uniforms and ensure clothing is practical for the work undertaken.

-          Act in a consistent manner when dealing with reports of violence, aggression, harassment and bullying, including providing sufficient and appropriate feedback to workers who have raised concerns.

-          Allow workers to refuse or suspend service if people fail to comply with the expected standard of behaviour.

-          Ensure processes and systems for reporting and responding to incidents are widely communicated and regularly reviewed.

-          Provide supportive, consistent and confidential responses to reports.

Review

-          Regularly evaluate work practices, in consultation with workers and their representatives, to see if they contribute to poor behaviours.

-          Review control measures after incidents or changes in behaviour.

-          Review and monitor workloads, staffing levels and time pressures.

-          Collect de-identified details of all reports, including those that are not pursued formally by the complainant, to help you identify systemic issues at the workplace.

Appendix C - Risk register

Location: Click here to enter text.

Date: Click here to enter a date.

Appendix D: Case studies

The control measures PCBUs choose must suit the organisational and worker needs, and effectively control the risks to the highest level that is reasonably practicable. The tables below outline five scenarios with common psychosocial hazards and risks, example controls and approaches to maintain, monitor, review and achieve continual improvement of the risk management approach.

[1] WHS laws use the term plant to describe machinery, equipment, appliances, containers, implements and tools, any part of those things or anything fitted or connected to those things

[2] See Regulation 55A of the Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011.

[3] Bullying is defined in Safe Work Australia Guidance and the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth).

[4] Legal definitions of ‘sexual harassment’ may vary in each state and territory.