Potential psychosocial hazards can be difficult to visually see, yet can cause catastrophic mental injuries to those impacted by them. As employer’s, we have a duty of care to protect employee’s from any risk’s to their health inclusive of psychological health.
What are psychosocial hazards?
A psychosocial hazard is defined as “aspects of work that have the potential cause psychological or physical harm”. All employers have a list of a potential psychosocial hazards that are unique to their workplace and should be closely monitored however, a list of the “most common” hazards have been identified by Safe Work Australia which include but are not limited to:
Violence and aggression
Excessive job demands
Traumatic events or material
Bullying
Poor organisational justice
Low job control
Inadequate reward and recognition
Remote or isolated work
Poor organisational change management
Poor physical environment
Poor support
Harassment, including sexual harassment
Lack of role clarity, and
Conflict or poor workplace relationships and interactions.
What are the impacts of psychosocial risks?
Outside of the litigation and fines that can occur when breaching health and safety laws, why should business’s prioritise psychosocial hazard and risk management? By prioritising psychosocial hazard and risk management, businesses can:
Boost employee productivity
– Depression and anxiety disorders among employees cost the Australian economy $12.6 billion per year in lost productivity, according to a study by PwC.
Reduce employee absenteeism
– Mental health conditions result in an estimated 12 million days of reduced productivity and 6 million days of absenteeism per year in Australia.
Reduce employee turnover
– The cost of replacing an employee due to poor mental health is estimated to be between $20,000 and $30,000 in Australia. This includes the cost of recruitment, training, and lost productivity.
Improve physical wellbeing of staff
– In Australia, workers compensation claims related to mental health issues have increased by 11.6% per year on average between 2014 and 2018. The average cost of a mental health-related workers compensation claim is $35,900.
Increase workplace morale and commitment
– Presenteeism due to mental health issues costs Australian businesses an estimated $17.1 billion per year.
Tips for Prevention:
Safe Work Australia has created 4 steps for Prevention of psychosocial related injuries.
1.Identify
Identify psychosocial hazards and risks by:
talking and listening to your workers
inspecting your workplace
taking note of how your workers interact
reviewing reports and records, and
using a survey tool to gather information from staff
2. Assess
Consider the implications if employees are exposed to the identified hazards and risks. Remember, many risks/hazards are obvious however, some may need to be identified using a formal assessment process.
3. Control
Where possible, eliminate the risk. This is always the safest option, but if it isn’t possible, minimise the risk as much as possible through planning and prevention.
4.Review
Maintain, monitor and review control measures when necessary. It is important to regularly review control measures to ensure they remain effective
Mental Health Support
If you or a colleague are experiencing signs of Depression and/or Anxiety there are services to help: