Queensland Refines Psychosocial Guidance for Inspectors

Queensland regulators are now making psychosocial risk management a core part of workplace safety obligations, and inspectors are paying attention to how duty holders document and act on these risks.

Workplace Health & Safety Queensland has published updated practical guidance on managing workplace psychosocial risks aimed at helping PCBUs take a structured approach to identifying, assessing, controlling and monitoring hazards that could harm psychological health. The update makes clearer the steps to integrate psychosocial risk management into your WHS system and aligns with the existing risk management framework under the Work Health and Safety Act and Regulation.

The regulator’s psychosocial hazards hub defines psychosocial hazards as aspects of work design, work management, workplace environment and interactions or behaviours that can cause psychological or physical harm. Common examples include high or low job demands, low job control, poor support, low role clarity, poor organisational change management, bullying and harassment, remote work isolation and violence or aggression.

Inspectors will look for evidence that you have systematically applied a risk management process to these hazards. That means documented hazard identification, risk assessment outcomes, consultation records with workers, hierarchy‑of‑controls decisions, implementation of control measures and regular review after incidents or changes. Showing how this links to return‑to‑work and claims data demonstrates that you are tracking both prevention and outcomes rather than just ticking boxes.

The updated guidance complements the Queensland Managing the risk of psychosocial hazards at work Code of Practice 2022, which sets out how to embed the WHS obligations for psychosocial risks into your systems and practices and is enforceable under the Act.

Key practical points you should be able to show to an inspector include:

• How hazards were identified with worker input (consultation and feedback loops).

• How did you assess the level of risk and prioritise controls.

• What control measures were chosen and why, using the hierarchy of controls.

• Records of implementation and monitoring, including after relevant incidents.

Taking a proactive, documented approach makes compliance defensible and improves workplace well‑being.