 Harassment-is a result of someone
PSYCHOSOCIAL
HAZARD
 Psychosocial-
Psychosocial hazards
include those that can have
an adverse effect on an
employee’s mental health or
wellbeing. For example,
sexual harassment,
victimisation, stress and
workplace violence.
 Psychosocial hazards include
hazards that can have an adverse
effect on an employee’s mental
health or wellbeing, and are closely
linked with all the other categories of
hazards. For example:
 Health impacts-as a
result of biological, chemical,
physical, safety and ergonomic
hazards can have significant impacts
on an individual’s wellbeing. For
example, exposure to a blood-borne
virus as a result of a sharps injury
can result in months of stress and
anxiety for the individual involved
and their family. Therefore, almost
Prevention
all of the hazards outlined in this
article could also result in
psychosocial impacts.
acting in a way that makes you feel
intimated, humiliated, offended or
otherwise distressed, and can have
serious impacts on a person’s health
and wellbeing. For example, bullying in
the workplace is surprisingly common
and can pose a serious psychosocial
hazard. Bullying behaviour can result in
the bullied individual experiencing
several psychosocial symptoms,
including stress, anxiety and sleep
deprivation, loss of appetite and a
sense of vulnerability.
 Workplace aggression and
abuse- Whether it’s from a
colleague, client or someone
else, workplace aggression and
abuse can have serious effects
on someone’s mental and
physical health, resulting in
symptoms such as stress, anxiety
and sleep deprivation. Managers
can take steps to reduce sexual
harassment in the
workplace and encourage
employees to speak out if they
witness or experience it.
 Under the Work Health and
Safety Act 2011 persons
conducting a business or
undertaking (PCBU) have a
primary duty to manage risks to
 health and safety. Section 19
requires PCBUs ensure the
health and safety of workers
while at work in the business or
undertaking, as well as ensuring
the health and safety of other
people is not put at risk, so far as
is reasonably practicable.
This includes providing:
 a work environment without risks
to health and safety
 safe systems of work
 information, training, instruction
or supervision necessary to
protect everyone from risks to
their health and safety.
PCBUs must also monitor the health of
workers and conditions at the workplace
to prevent illness or injury.
PCBUs must consult with other involved
duty holders (for example, contractors),
workers and health and safety
representatives (HSRs) when
addressing risk factors with the potential
to cause injury or illness. This means
involving them when:
 identifying and assessing the
risks to health or safety in the
workplace
 making decisions about ways to
eliminate or minimise risk
 making decisions about
procedures for monitoring the
health of workers or conditions at
the workplace or providing
information and training for
workers on risks and controls.
Applying risk management
principles helps PCBUs prevent and
manage risks to workers and eliminate
or minimise hazards in the workplace.