Psychosocial hazards · QLD
Psychosocial hazards at work in Queensland.
Queensland requires employers to manage the risks of psychosocial hazards - and two of the named hazards, remote or isolated work and exposure to violence and aggression, are exactly where lone-worker safety sits. Here's the current instrument and what it means.
- Instrument
- the Managing the risk of psychosocial hazards at work Code of Practice 2022, approved under section 274 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld), alongside the Work Health and Safety (Psychosocial Risks) Amendment Regulation 2022.
- Status
- Both the code and the paired regulation commenced on 1 April 2023 - Queensland was among the most prescriptive early movers.
Queensland operates under the harmonised Work Health and Safety scheme.
Where lone-worker safety fits
Psychosocial hazards are aspects of work that can cause psychological harm. Two of the named hazards are the reason lone-worker safety exists: remote or isolated work (working away from support, with limited means to summon help) and exposure to violence and aggression. A monitored duress system - a reliable way to raise the alarm, a response that arrives, and evidence afterwards - is one control that addresses both of those specific hazards directly.
It is not the whole of compliance: regulators expect a hierarchy of controls, with work-design measures considered first. A duress system is one control within a broader, compliant approach.
This is general information, not legal advice. The authoritative source is Workplace Health and Safety Queensland and the legislation itself - check the current requirements that apply to your workplace at worksafe.qld.gov.au.