Psychosocial and WHS Hazards
Resources to help you protect mental health at work
Ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of employees is paramount in today's employment landscape. As businesses strive to create inclusive and productive work environments, they must navigate the complexities of work health and safety regulations and address psychosocial hazards effectively.
ABLA understands the multifaceted nature of workplace health and safety, including the intricate interplay of legal obligations, human psychology and organisational dynamics. With our knowledge and experience, we are committed to assisting businesses in safeguarding their employees and mitigating risks associated with psychosocial hazards.
We offer a comprehensive training course and toolkit designed to equip your business with the key skills necessary to navigate this complex area effectively.
All employers are required to identify and manage hazards in the workplace that arise from or relate to:
- the way work is managed
- the work environment
- the equipment that is used for the job and
- workplace interactions or behaviours.
These hazards can cause stress and, if ignored, may lead to psychological or even physical injury.
Let’s be clear: stress is not the hazard or the injury. Stress is your warning signal to ask is everything OK?
The technical term for these hazards is “psychosocial hazards”. However, because this word might cause some confusion or uncertainty, we will keep it simple and call them “mental health hazards”.
We have created a set of templates and resources to help you identify and manage these hazards. We encourage you to complete them in this order:
- Mental Health Hazard Identifier
- A resource to help you identify and record mental health hazards in your workplace.
- Mental Health Risk Register and associated resources (including discussion planner)
- This register is a document you can use to record details of the hazards you have identified, as well as how you have assessed and managed the risks arising from those hazards. An example is provided to give you confidence in completing it. Use the discussion planner included to brainstorm ideas and make a ‘plan to lower risk’ in your workplace.
- Review Record
- A tool to help you review control measures (once they’ve been implemented). An example is provided to give you confidence in completing it.
Why do you need to do this?
Every business needs to be ready to demonstrate to the safety regulator that they have taken steps to ensure the health and safety of workers and others by identifying, assessing, managing and reviewing mental health hazards and risks. These templates and resources can be used to show the regulator you are taking steps to eliminate or minimise risks arising from mental health hazards in your workplace. Using these templates may also assist in reducing the occurrence of psychological injuries and associated workers compensation claims.
If you'd like to get these tools to use in your business, get in touch at
info@ablawyers.com.au for details on pricing.
Training: WHS and Psychosocial Hazards
ABLA's online training course is suitable for Senior HR executives, HR Managers, Business Owners, People and Culture Managers, Directors, HR Business partners and anyone responsible for managing employees. If you are looking to train your team or would like to book into the next available course, email us at
info@ablawyers.com.au and register your interest.
Duration: Half-day
Key learning outcomes
- Understanding the WHS legal framework and the legal duties of PCBUs, directors/officers and workers
- Upskill in identifying WHS hazards and the associated risks
- Gain clarity on identifying and addressing workplace psychosocial hazards
- Learn practical strategies to eliminate or minimise harm caused by psychosocial and other hazards in your workplace
- Learn the steps you need to take to create a safe and positive work environment and discharge your duty of care
Course Overview
With increasing legislative and regulatory focus on the psychological safety of workers while at work, now is the time for employers to review their existing hazard identification and risk management frameworks, and to determine whether they are taking all reasonably practicable steps to ensure they are providing a safe working environment.
Psychosocial hazards are those which could cause psychological harm to employees and include things like a poor physical environment, inadequate support, job demands and stress, bullying and harassment, as well as sexual harassment. Ensuring the psychological health and safety of workers is your responsibility as an employer and if a risk management system for psychosocial hazards is not proactively implemented you may be exposing your business to criminal liability.
However, management of these hazards presents unique challenges for employers, and traditional approaches to risk management are likely to fall short of the standards now expected by regulators.
To find out how we can help train your team get in touch at info@ablawyers.com.au or call 1300 565 846.
