Managing Psychosocial Hazards in the Workplace
According to Safe Work Australia, the average amount of time lost at work due mental health-related injuries is more than five times higher than the total amount of time lost due to physical injuries and illnesses. Furthermore, the median compensation settlements are four times higher. This demonstrates how crucial it is to control psychosocial risks at work. Doing so not only protects workers but also enhances business outcomes by improving organisational performance and productivity.
In fact, under the model Work Health and Safety laws introduced to the Workplace Health and Safety Act, PCBUs (Persons Conducting a Business or Undertaking) are required to treat psychosocial hazards and risks with the same seriousness as physical hazards and risks.
What are the psychosocial hazards at work?
These can include a wide range of factors that can negatively impact the mental health and emotional well-being of an individual in the workplace. They may arise due to a range of factors, including but not limited to how work is designed, organised, and managed, as well as social and environmental factors.
Comcare identifies 14 major psychosocial hazards according to The Model Code of Practice: Managing psychosocial hazards at work, which are:
Source: Comcare
The effects of psychosocial hazards can be profound. Workers experiencing these hazards may suffer from increased stress, anxiety, depression, and even physical health problems such as cardiovascular disease. From an organisational perspective, these hazards can lead to decreased productivity, increased absenteeism, higher turnover rates, and damage to the company's reputation.
Now that you understand what the most common psychosocial risks in Australian workplaces are, what can you do to identify and minimise the impact of these hazards at your workplaces? This is where most business lack in expertise.
Psychosocial risk management process
The risk management process outlined in the Code of Practice: How to manage work health and safety risks is applicable to managing psychosocial risks, just as it is to any other types of risks.
Image Source: PeopleAtWork
Let us look at the process step by step with the use of a hypothetical scenario where it was identified that many workers faced concerns regarding clarity on their roles.
Step 1: Identify hazard:
As with any other risks, the first thing that needs to be done is to identify potential factors and situations in the workplace that could cause psychosocial harm on workers. In the above-described hypothetical scenario PCBUs can identify the risk of lack of role clarity by using various methods including:
Have one-on-one conversations with your workers
Engage in structure conversations with workers to determine their sentiments regarding their work and work environment. Pay close attention to any indication of dissatisfaction, confusion, anxiety, and stress.
Observe the workplace and behaviour
Systematically observe the workplace dynamics including how work is performed, interactions among workers and overall workplace conditions.
Analyse available data and identify patterns
Look at historical data available such as work complaints and investigations, work systems, policies, hours of work, absenteeism, turnover data and exit interviews. Based on the information identify trends and patterns that may signify potential psychosocial hazards.
Use surveys and tools
Utilise surveys such as the PeopleAtWork survey to gather comprehensive feedback on worker concerns and perceptions. This can be particularly useful in scenarios where workers work in multiple locations and prefer anonymity to voice their concerns.
Have a reporting mechanism
Establish a mechanism where workers can report hazards anonymously if required. Keep in mind your reporting mechanism must suit your business size and circumstances and be proportional to the risks in your business.
As with physical hazards, some workers might be at higher risk to some psychosocial hazards or at greater risk of facing more severe harm as opposed to others due to numerous factors. These factors may include:
Literacy or language barriers which can lead to challenges in understanding safety information
Previous exposure to hazardous situations
Young workers with limited workplace experience
Perceived obstacles to voicing safety concerns
Consulting with workers is vital in identifying groups particularly vulnerable to these risks and determining whether additional practical measures should be implemented to eliminate or reduce these risks effectively. This approach aims to ensure a safer and more supportive work environment for all workers.
Source: People At Work, Safe Work Australia
Step 2: Assess Risks:
Once the psychosocial risks have been identified, the next step of the process is to assess the likelihood of injury or illness and potential consequences resulting from exposure. To assess the level of risk of harm, you need to identify the workers affected and consider the duration, frequency, and severity of their exposure. For example, in the hypothetical scenario of lack of role clarity PCBUs can conduct a risk assessment using the below questions.
How frequently are workers exposed to this risk?
How long are they exposed for?
How severe is their exposure?
Are there other risks present that may interact with the identified risks?
What are the existing control mechanisms and how effective are they?
What further actions should be taken?
Remember it is important to evaluate psychosocial hazards collectively rather than in isolation. Individuals might be exposed to multiple psychosocial risks simultaneously, and these hazards may interact and combine with each other. Assessing risks collectively will assist you to identify more effective control measures.
Source: People At Work, Safe Work Australia
Step 3: Control Risks:
The next step in the process is to implement effective measures of control. The main objective here must be to eliminate health and safety risks where reasonably practicable and where it is not feasible action must be taken to minimise the risks to an acceptable level.
Consider the following factors to determine what is reasonably practicable to manage a psychosocial risk.
Identify as many potential control measures as possible
Evaluate the level of effectiveness of each measure
Assess the practicability of implementing each control under current circumstances.
As with every other scenario cost associated with the control measures, must be taken into consideration as well. But keep in mind this must be only done after assessing the extent of the risk. In circumstances where the cost of implementing a control measure is disproportionate to the risks, it might be determined that implementing it is not reasonably practicable and therefore not required. But action must be taken to minimise the risk in a less expensive way.
For example, a few control measures that can be taken to minimise risks associated with lack of role clarity includes:
Ensure job descriptions are in place that give a clear outline of roles and responsibilities.
Have regular check-ins with team members to understand their level of clarity on their roles.
Encourage feedback.
Have induction processes in place so every workers understands their role from the start.
Source: People At Work, Safe Work Australia
Step 4: Review control measures:
Once control measures have been identified it is crucial to confirm their effectiveness before relying on them completely. Testing their suitability to the workplace and confirming whether they function as intended without introducing new risks is one way to do this. Careful consideration must be given into the level of information, training, instructions, and supervision that must be given in the process of implementation.
Furthermore, it is essential to take necessary action to maintain control measures to ensure their ongoing effectiveness. This includes ensuring they are fit for their intended purpose, appropriate for the nature and duration of the work, and correctly set up and utilised.
According to Safe Work Australia, the person conducting the review of the control measures must seek answers to questions like:
Are control measures functioning as intended without creating new risks?
Have workers reported any signs of stress?
Have risks changed?
Are workers actively involved in the risk management process?
Have workers been provided with the necessary training and instructions?
Are there new control measures available that might better control the risks?
Have risks been eliminated or minimised as far as is reasonably practicable?
Maintaining records of your risk management process and its outcomes is important as it will help provide evidence of fulfilment of work health and safety duties. Additionally, these records will help monitor and review identified risks and implemented control measures. Maintaining a risk register is one way this can be done.
Source: People At Work, Safe Work Australia
Stay compliant with Certex iMind.
Certex has two safety compliance assessments – iSafe (general WHS in the workplace) and iMind which is all about psychosocial risks and assessing Mental Health Risks.
This program can help identify psychosocial risks that can impact the mental well-being of your workers. Once risks have been identified we can then provide you with the information you need to meet your legal obligations as well as take better care of your workers.