Work Health and Safety (Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work) Code of Practice 2024 (Cth)

Work Health and Safety (Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work) Code of Practice 2024

I, Murray Watt, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, make the following Code of Practice.

Dated 27 October 2024

Murray Watt Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations

Contents 1 Name.....................................................................2 2 Commencement..............................................................2 3 Authority...................................................................2 4 Definitions..................................................................2 5 Code of Practice Approval........................................................2

1 Name

This instrument is the Work Health and Safety (Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work) Code of Practice 2024.

2 Commencement

This instrument commences on the day after registration on the Federal Register of Legislation.

3 Authority

This instrument is made under section 274 (Approved Codes of Practice) of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011.

4 Definitions

In this instrument:

WHS Act means the Work Health Safety Act 2011.

WHS Regulations means the Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011.

5 Code of Practice Approval

(1) I approve the Work Health and Safety (Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work) Code of Practice 2024. I am satisfied that the code of practice was developed by a process described in section 274(2) of the WHS Act.

Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work Code of Practice 2024

Contents

Foreword.............................................................5 1 Introduction........................................................6 1.1 Psychosocial hazards at work.....................................6 1.2 Work health and safety duties.....................................7 1.3 Consultation.................................................12 2 Overview of the process to manage psychosocial risks..................17 3 Identify psychosocial hazards........................................19 3.1 Common psychosocial hazards..................................19 3.2 How to identify psychosocial hazards..............................23 4 Assess the risks...................................................27 4.1 When should a risk assessment be conducted?.....................27 4.2 How to assess psychosocial risks................................27 5 Control the risks...................................................28 5.1 Matters to consider when controlling risks..........................29 5.2 Eliminating risks..............................................30 5.3 Minimising risks...............................................31 5.4 Combining risk controls.........................................34 5.5 Implementing control measures..................................35 6 Review control measures............................................37 7 Recording the risk management process and outcomes..................38 8 Responding to reports, complaints, or incidents ........................39 9 Conducting WHS investigations......................................43 Appendix A – Job characteristics, design and management.................45 Job demands.......................................................45 Fatigue............................................................48 Low job control.....................................................49 Job insecurity.......................................................51 Poor support.......................................................52 Lack of role clarity...................................................54 Poor organisational change management................................56 Inadequate recognition and reward.....................................57 Poor organisational justice............................................58 Traumatic events or material...........................................59 Remote or isolated work..............................................61 Intrusive surveillance.................................................62 Poor physical environment............................................63 Appendix B – Harmful behaviours.......................................65 Identifying harmful behaviours.........................................65 Controlling risks from harmful behaviours.................................67 Appendix C - Risk register..............................................71 Appendix D: Case studies..............................................72