What are psychosocial hazards?
Psychosocial hazards are aspects of work that have the potential to cause psychological harm.
They may arise from:
- the design or demands of work
- workplace relationships and interactions
- organisational systems, practices or culture
- exposure to challenging, distressing or traumatic material
Psychosocial hazards are work-related hazards, just like physical hazards. They are not about an individual’s personal mental health history or resilience. Instead, they focus on risks that originate from work and can reasonably be controlled by the organisation.
Examples of psychosocial hazards include:
- excessive or sustained workload
- low role clarity or conflicting demands
- poor support from leaders or colleagues
- exposure to occupational violence, aggression or bullying
- limited job control or autonomy
- organisational change that is poorly planned or communicated
Key hazards
Here are some of the most common psychosocial hazards supervisors should be aware of and address in their teams.
- Low role clarity
- Low job control
- High/low job demands
- Poor organisational change management
- Poor organisational justice
- Remote and isolated work
- Exposure to traumatic events and/or content
- Poor workplace relationships
- Low recognition and reward
- Poor support
- Exposure to aggression and/or violence
- Harassment
- Sexual harassment and gender based violence
- Bullying
- Poor environmental conditions
- Remote and isolated work
- Exposure to traumatic events and/or content
These hazards can arise from how work is designed, managed, or experienced socially. If left unaddressed, they may affect both physical and psychological health.
