Psychosocial hazards can arise from the way work is designed, organised, managed and carried out, or from work-related interactions. The focus of an assessment is the exposure created by work and how that exposure can be prevented or reduced. WorkSafe explains the definition.
Look beyond the busiest day
An occasional busy period may be different from a team that is consistently unable to finish essential tasks within available hours. To understand the circumstances, ask what workers are expected to do, which resources are available and what happens when demand increases.
Consider this illustrative example: a service team has vacant roles, a growing queue and conflicting instructions about which customers to prioritise. Some workers stay late; others describe difficulty obtaining help. The assessment should investigate the work arrangements and how the pressures combine.
Notice harmful interactions
Work-related threats, bullying, gendered violence and sexual harassment are among the hazards identified in WorkSafe’s code. Harmful interactions may involve colleagues, managers, customers or other people encountered through work. See WorkSafe’s hazard examples.
Ask whether workers know how to raise concerns, including when their usual contact is involved. Handle individual reports through an appropriate confidential process. In the general assessment, capture the relevant task, setting and control gaps without publishing personal details.
Consider how exposures combine
A lone worker dealing with difficult customer interactions may face different circumstances from someone doing the same task with readily available assistance. WorkSafe recommends considering interacting hazards, exposure patterns and affected groups when assessing psychosocial risk. Read the assessment guidance.
Use practical prompts:
- When and where does the exposure occur?
- Is it repeated, prolonged or particularly intense?
- Which people or roles are most exposed?
- What currently prevents or reduces the exposure?
- What do workers say happens when those arrangements fail?
Turn observations into decisions
Write a specific hazard description. For example: “During weekend closing, one employee handles customer complaints without a readily available supervisor.” That gives the business a clearer basis for investigating and improving the arrangement than “staff are stressed”.
In Averto, connect each identified hazard to its evidence, affected work group and proposed actions. Where information is incomplete, assign a follow-up task. A serious concern should be addressed promptly through workplace response arrangements rather than waiting for the next scheduled assessment.
These questions help identify workplace issues. They do not diagnose a person’s mental health or replace an appropriate response to an individual report.