Code of Practice PowerPoint presentation script
Slide 1 Thank you and welcome to a brief overview
from Workplace Health and Safety Queensland on the Managing the risk of psychosocial hazards
at work Code of Practice.
Psychosocial hazards can exist in every workplace, in every industry, every day.
The release of the Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work Code of Practice 2022 is an important
step in keeping Queensland workplaces safe, healthy and productive.
Slide 2 Before we get started, we would like to take
the time to respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the various lands on which we
meet today and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people listening to this session.
We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging, and recognise and celebrate
the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their ongoing cultures
and connections to the lands and waters of Queensland.
Slide 3 So what does the legislation say:
The Work Health and Safety Act states that workers should be given the highest practical
level of protection against harm to their health and safety from hazards and risks arising
from work.
The Act includes a definition of health which means both physical and psychological health.
There is now also corresponding sections in the Regulation that specifically address psychological
hazards or risks to psychological health.
The code will underpin the regulations and provide practical guidance on how to achieve
the standards of health, safety and wellbeing required under the Act and Regulation.
Under the Act, duty holders must comply with an approved code of practice, so far as is
reasonably practicable, OR follow another method that provides an equal or higher standard
of health and safety than is outlined in the code.
We also have a range of Guidance material available to help employers manage psychosocial
risks at work.
Slide 4 Amendments to the Work Health and Safety Regulation
to explicitly address work-related psychosocial hazards is an important step forward.
In particular, the regulations will raise the profile and awareness of existing duties
and remove ambiguity regarding the obligation to manage risks to psychological health at
work.
The introduction of the code and regulations will provide clarity and certainty for duty
holders about their existing obligations to ensure risks to psychological health are eliminated
or minimised under the Act.
They will also assist the Regulator with enforcement activities by providing a clearer framework
for compliance action.
Slide 5 This means the code outlines the minimum standard
for managing risks to workers’ psychological health that may result from psychosocial hazards.
The Code does not create new work health and safety duties or expand existing duties.
It does, however, provide clarity and certainty to duty holders, through practical guidance
about their existing obligations, and gives examples of how to meet these requirements.
The Code- and the amended psychosocial Regulations - will be enforceable from 1 April 2023.
It’s important to remember that the Regulator will continue to monitor and enforce compliance
with the WHS Act prior to this date in line with existing legislation.
This means that where duty holders fail to manage risks to health and safety at work-
including those associated with psychosocial hazards- enforcement action will be taken.
Slide 6 The Code is broken down in to five sections,
including information about the most common psychosocial hazards , who has a health and
safety duties relating to psychosocial hazards, what is reasonably practicable in managing
these hazards, and also other relevant laws that may apply, that duty holders should be
aware of.
It also provides information and guidance on consulting with workers who are (or are
likely to be) directly affected by psychosocial hazards at work- and the importance of consulting,
cooperating and coordinating your risk management activities with other relevant duty holders
(for example where you might share the same workplace).
The final sections of the Code provide practical guidance on applying the risk management process
to psychosocial risks and hazards, responding to complaints, incidents or reports of psychosocial
hazards, and issue and dispute resolution.
Slide 7 Lets take a step back and discuss what we
mean when we talk about psychosocial hazards and psychological health and safety?
A psychosocial hazard is a hazard that arises from, or relates to, the design or management
of work, a work environment, plant at a workplace or workplace interactions and behaviours and
may cause psychological harm, whether or not the hazard may also cause physical harm.
Psychosocial hazards can create harm through a worker’s experience of a frequent, prolonged
and/or severe stress response, where stress is defined as a person’s psychological response
(e.g. feelings of anxiety, tension) and physiological response (e.g. the release of stress hormones,
or their cardiovascular response) in relation to work demands or threats.
Psychosocial risk is a risk to the health and safety of a worker or other person from
a psychosocial hazard.
Slide 8 Psychosocial
hazards and their effects are not always obvious.
Some psychosocial hazards, when present at low levels over a long period of time, can
accumulate to significantly affect psychological health.
While some psychosocial hazards may cause harm more immediately, such as a single stressful
event.
In many circumstances, psychosocial hazards will interact and combine to create the risk
of harm.
Slide 9 Common psychosocial hazards that arise from,
or are related to, work are explored in the Code and may include:
• high and/or low job demands • low job control
• poor support • low role clarity
• poor organisational change management • low reward and recognition
• poor organisational justice • poor workplace relationships including
interpersonal conflict • remote or isolated work
• poor environmental conditions • traumatic events
• violence and aggression • bullying
• harassment including sexual harassment.
Slide 10 As we covered earlier, existing WHS laws require
you to manage risks from work-related hazards, including psychosocial hazards, so far as
is reasonably practicable.
Psychological health and safety does not happen by chance or guesswork.
Duty holders must manage psychosocial risk in accordance with the legislation.
This includes identifying hazards, eliminating or minimising risks, controlling risks in
accordance with the hierarchy of controls, and maintaining and reviewing control measures
to make sure they remain effective.
This process is known as the risk management process.
Slide 11 You will find practical information in section
3 of the Code on how to apply this process to psychosocial risks, including:
• Ways to identify psychosocial hazards • How to assessing the level of risk they
may present • How to identify and implement control
measures to manage these risks, • And considerations for maintaining and
reviewing these control measures.
Queensland’s code and regulations emphasise the importance of applying the hierarchy of
controls to work-related psychosocial hazards- as you would with physical hazards.
This ensures higher order – or more effective- control measures are implemented in the first
instance wherever possible rather than relying predominantly on ‘lighter touch’ methods
such as administrative controls.
*REMEMBER – all of these steps must be supported by consultation.
Slide 12 The final sections of the Code provide information
on how workers can be encouraged to report psychosocial hazards, including issues resolution.
It also outlines principals that can be applied when responding to complaints, incidents or
reports involving psychosocial hazards, and when to notify the regulator.
Workers may be hesitant to raise and discuss psychosocial hazards due to privacy or other
concerns, particularly in relation to hazards like work-related bullying or sexual harassment.
It is important to consider consultation and reporting processes that address these concerns.
This may include anonymous surveys or reporting methods, particularly where workers are in
insecure or precarious work arrangements, such as casual employment.
Slide 13 The Managing the risk of psychosocial hazards
at work Code of Practice 2022 includes a range of resources to support its application in
your workplace, including case studies, examples of psychosocial hazards and control measures,
examples policies and a risk register.
Failing to manage psychosocial hazards can not only lead to work-related stress, but
may result in psychological or physical injuries, lost productivity, a poor workplace culture,
and low morale.
The release of the Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work Code of Practice 2022 is an important
step in keeping Queensland workplaces safe, healthy and productive.
Slide 14 You can find the Code and a range of additional
resources publicly available at www.worksafe.qld.gov.au