ISO 45003 Psychological health and safety at work
Psychosocial hazards and legislative compliance
Following the Marie Boland 2018-2019 review of Australia’s model WHS laws there has been an increasing focus on the need for businesses to manage psychosocial hazards in their workplace. This focus is not confined only to Australian workplaces. The Covid 19 pandemic further highlighted impacts on mental well-being throughout the world. In response, SafeWork Australia (a national policy body representing the interests of the Commonwealth, states and territories, as well as workers and employers) has published its model WHS Code of Practice for managing psychosocial hazards at work.
The management of psychosocial hazards in the workplace has become an increasingly important issue in Australia in recent years. In order to ensure the safety and wellbeing of employees, employers must take steps to identify and manage psychosocial hazards in the workplace.
What can Employers do to assist in the management of psychosocial hazards in the workplace?
There are a number of systems that employers in Australia can implement to manage psychosocial hazards in the workplace. Understanding this has been a major shift in thinking for many Australian workplaces as in the past the focus was on the physical issues and not the psychosocial.
Culture: Create a culture of openness and trust in the workplace. This involves creating an environment where employees feel comfortable discussing their mental health and wellbeing with their employer. Employers should also ensure that their policies and procedures are clear and accessible to all employees. This will help to ensure that employees are aware of their rights and responsibilities when it comes to addressing psychosocial hazards in the workplace.
Training and Education: Provide training and education to employees on the risks associated with psychosocial hazards. This should include information on how to identify and manage stress, anxiety, and other mental health issues. It should also include information on how to access support services if needed. This will help to ensure that employees are aware of the risks and can take steps to protect themselves and their colleagues.
Internal and External Support: Provide support systems and access to qualified persons for employees who are experiencing psychosocial hazards. This can include providing access to counseling services, providing flexible working arrangements, and offering other forms of support. This will help to ensure that employees feel supported and are able to manage the risks associated with psychosocial hazards in the workplace.
Monitoring and Review: Employers should ensure that they are monitoring the effectiveness of their psychosocial hazard management strategies. This should include conducting regular surveys and reviews to ensure that employees are aware of the risks and are taking steps to protect themselves and their colleagues. This will help to ensure that the strategies are effective and are helping to protect the wellbeing of employees.
Psychosocial hazards and Codes of Practice
A Code of Practice provides practical guidance on how to comply with legal standards imposed by legislation. To have legal effect in a jurisdiction the model code must be approved in that jurisdiction.
- SafeWork NSW has introduced a similar Code of Practice – Managing psychosocial hazards at work.
- WA has introduced its own Code of Practice – Psychosocial hazards in the workplace.
- WorkSafe QLD has released its own version, that commenced in April 2023 – Managing the risks of psychosocial hazards at work Code of Practice 2022.
The other states have yet to adopt the model Code of Practice or create their own. Worksafe Victoria are in the process of amending their regulations to ‘better prevent workplace psychological hazards and injuries’.
While a code of practice is not legally binding, courts will generally regard a code as evidence of what is known about a hazard, risk or control and use the code to determine what is considered reasonably practicable. Queensland is different as the legislation has been amended to require businesses to comply with an approved code of practice unless they can demonstrate managing hazards to a standard higher than the code of practice.
What is ISO 45003 in relation to Psychosocial Hazards?
This Standard provides guidelines for managing psychosocial risk within a health and safety management system based on ISO 45001. It enables businesses to work towards preventing work-related injury and ill health of their workers and other interested parties, and to promote well-being at work.
It is applicable to businesses of all sizes and in all sectors, for the development, implementation, maintenance and continual improvement of healthy and safe workplaces. Businesses will need to address management of psychosocial hazards in their risk management process and record their ongoing assessments and reviews of the processes.
Conclusion
Psychosocial hazards present new and distinctive challenges to workplaces and the management teams who are responsible for the workers. These hazards often remain ‘invisible’ when assessing safety in workplaces as they are often (not always) physical. Organisations should have a Safety Management System to assist in ensuring risks such as these to not eventuate or are kept low. We have more information on the Safety Management System we support (Safety Directtm) and the various function it can perform for your organisation.
The evolution of the health and safety legislation across Australia and the emerging Codes of Practice that mirror the Model Code of Practice show that there is a need for the PCBUs must take a proactive approach. Management through properly implemented risk assessments, adequate safety training and support, clear and effective control measures and an active work health and safety system must underpin the entire process. Then be scheduled for review at least annually to ensure that the system is keeping up with the best practice in industry.
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If you are interested in our WHS Consultancy services, you can contact David, Andrew or Mark to discuss your Health and Safety Issues.
We have qualified and certified Safety Consultants that can assist you in your business and offer a range of WHS consulting services along with general and specific health and safety training courses.
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