NSWM 2024 week 2 - What is a psychosocial hazard?

A psychosocial hazard is anything that could cause psychological harm (e.g. harm to someone’s mental health) however they can also cause physical harm. Psychosocial hazards are created by:

• the design or management of work
• a work environment
• plant at the workplace, or
• workplace interactions or behaviours. 

Businesses and organisations must eliminate psychosocial risks, or if that is not reasonably practicable, minimise them so far as is reasonably practicable. You can manage psychosocial hazards in the same way you manage physical hazards. Managing psychosocial hazards does not have to be hard. Same process; different hazard. 

Consulting workers on WHS issues is not just a legal duty, it will help you efficiently identify and control risks. Workers will be able to tell you what tasks or aspects of the work create psychosocial hazards and will often have potential solutions to manage those hazards.

The impact of psychosocial hazards

In total, serious claims for mental health conditions in 2021-22 resulted in 584,029 working weeks of time lost from work.

On average, work-related psychological injuries have longer recovery times, higher costs, and require more time away from work.

This week we will look at:

• identifying psychosocial hazards
• common myths
• controlling the risks and the importance of consultation
• managing psychosocial hazards in practice.