Are you prepared for a Psychosocial Hazards Inspection?

Under the new Workplace Health and Safety regulations on psychosocial risk management, employers are obligated to identify psychosocial hazards in their workplace, carry out risk assessments, and create the plans and policy changes necessary to address these hazards.

According to Dr. Georgi Toma, Director of Heart and Brain Works, mental wellbeing at work is not an individual problem but rather the joint responsibility of employer and employees.

“Psychosocial hazards can cause serious and lasting psychological harm, including depression, anxiety, burnout and PTSD. As we’ve seen in a recent High Court case, these new regulations place the onus of care, management and prevention on the employer.”?

Where to start

?Dr. Toma shares a few guiding questions that can help organisations begin to think about psychosocial hazards identification:

1. Are there any aspects related to the way that tasks or jobs are designed, organised and managed that might cause stress?
2. Are there any hazardous aspects in the work environment that might affect mental health?
3. Are the systems, machinery, equipment we use likely to cause stress responses in staff?
4. Does the way people interact with each other have any negative outcomes?
5. Are there instances of bullying, sexual harassment or aggression in our workplace?

Getting a positive return on investment

“Considering that employees represent the highest cost to the company, an investment in employee wellbeing will most certainly deliver ROI. In fact, a study from the New Zealand Institute for Economic Research (2020) found that for each $1 invested in employee wellbeing an organisation can get back between $5 to $12 through improvements in productivity and retention,” states Dr. Toma.

Dr. Toma will be presenting at the Sydney Workplace Health and Safety Show, taking place from 20 – 21 September 2023 at the Sydney Showground.

Her presentation, Psychosocial Hazards - insights from audits across different industries, is scheduled for 9:15 am on 20 September 2023. She will talk about the main psychosocial hazards found in audits conducted over the last years across different sectors. She will also discuss effective strategies to mitigate those hazards.

Register now!

For more info, and to register FREE for the Workplace Health and Safety Show, visit https://www.whsshow.com.au/sydney/program