Scope note
The requirements for psychosocial risk, and the codes or regulations that give effect to them, differ by jurisdiction and have changed in several over recent years. This template asserts only the structure: that these hazards must be identified, assessed and controlled. Record the specific instrument that applies to you below, confirmed with Safe Work Australia and your state WHS regulator, rather than relying on what applies elsewhere.
Assess the work, not the worker. The duty is about how work is designed and managed. Resilience training for individuals is not a substitute for fixing a workload, a roster or an exposure to aggression.
Assessment details
Step 1 - Identify the hazards present
Tick what is actually present for this work group. Anything ticked goes into the risk table.
- High job demands: workload, time pressure, emotionally demanding work
- Low job demands: monotonous or under-stimulating work
- Low job control: little say over how or when work is done
- Poor support: inadequate supervision, training, resources or equipment
- Low role clarity: unclear or conflicting expectations
- Poor organisational change management
- Inadequate reward and recognition
- Poor organisational justice: inconsistent or unfair application of policy
- Traumatic events or material, including vicarious exposure
- Remote or isolated work, including working alone and out of hours
- Exposure to violence and aggression from clients, patients, students or the public
- Harassment, including sexual harassment
- Bullying
- Conflict or poor workplace relationships
- Poor physical environment: noise, heat, cramped or unsafe conditions
- Fatigue arising from rosters, shift patterns or on-call arrangements
Step 2 - Gather evidence, not impressions
Psychosocial hazards are easy to argue about and harder to deny with data. Pull what you already have before you start debating.
| Evidence source | What it shows | Period covered | Reviewed (Y/N) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incident and hazard reports, especially aggression | |||
| Absence and turnover patterns by team | |||
| Workers compensation or ill-health claims | |||
| Survey results and exit interviews | |||
| Overtime, on-call and roster data | |||
| Complaints, grievances and investigations | |||
| Direct worker consultation for this assessment |
Step 3 - Assess each hazard
Consider the duration, frequency and severity of exposure, and whether hazards combine. Several moderate hazards together often produce more harm than one severe hazard alone.
| Hazard | Who is exposed | Frequency and duration | Existing controls | Risk rating | Further action needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Step 4 - Control, starting with the work itself
Work through this order. Individual-level supports are the last layer, not the first answer, and an assessment whose only controls are training and an employee assistance program will not satisfy Safe Work Australia and your state WHS regulator.
- Eliminate: remove the hazard, for example by ending a task that exposes workers to abuse
- Substitute or redesign: change the work, the roster, the caseload or the process
- Isolate: separate workers from the source, for example screens, layout changes or restricting access
- Engineering and environment: safer physical setup, better lighting, duress alarms, reliable communications
- Administrative: staffing levels, clear procedures, escalation paths, supervision, debriefing after incidents
- Individual supports: training, employee assistance, counselling, as the final layer only
| Hazard | Control chosen | Level in the hierarchy | Owner | Due date | How effectiveness will be measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Step 5 - Review
Set a review date, and review sooner after a serious incident, a restructure, a significant change in workload or staffing, or when workers raise a concern. Record the review even when nothing has changed.
Measure whether controls worked rather than whether they were implemented. A new escalation procedure that nobody uses has been implemented and has changed nothing.