Australia Model Code of Practice: Healthcare and Social Assistance Industry 3.3a: 3.3 Manage psychosocial risks through controls, not only wellbeing programs

Psychosocial hazards are common in the industry and can cause psychological as well as physical harm. They are not part of the job to be ignored: the PCBU must identify, assess and control them, eliminating the risk as far as reasonably practicable. Initiatives such as counselling or employee assistance respond to harm that has already occurred and do not meet the duty to eliminate or minimise psychosocial risk. In choosing controls the PCBU has a specific duty to consider how long, how often and how severely workers are exposed, how hazards interact, the design of work including job demands, systems of work, design, layout and conditions of the workplace and workers accommodation including entry, exit and welfare facilities, equipment, substances and structures, workplace interactions and behaviours, and information, training, instruction and supervision. Over the short term controls such as adjusting rosters, extending shifts, redeploying staff, and deferring tasks may be used, but over the longer term the PCBU must take the wider range of actions it reasonably can, such as employing more staff, particularly as exposure becomes prolonged.