Australia’s peak workplace health and safety body is warning that psychosocial hazards are among the most serious risks facing workers today, with impacts that can be more severe and long-lasting than many physical workplace hazards.
The warning coincides with the start of National Safe Work Month and Mental Health Awareness Month today.
Australian Institute of Health and Safety (AIHS) Chair Celia Antonovsky is urging employers and WHS professionals to give psychological safety the same priority as physical safety.
Antonovsky said some of the most damaging workplace injuries are not always visible.
“A workplace doesn’t have to be physically unsafe for a worker to be injured,” said Antonovsky.
Latest data shows there were 146,700 serious workers’ compensation claims in 2023-24, equivalent to more than 400 every day across Australia.
Mental health conditions accounted for 12 per cent of all serious claims, and claims have risen by more than 161 per cent over the past decade, the largest increase of any major injury or disease group.
The figures point to a shift in how work-related harm is understood.
While physical injuries such as falls and strains have long dominated safety conversations, psychological injury now makes up a substantial and growing share of serious claims.
The impact on workers is also longer-lasting.
Those with a mental health claim spend almost five times longer away from work than those with other serious injuries and diseases.
Common psychosocial hazards include harassment and bullying, excessive workloads, and exposure to violence or aggression.
Antonovsky said the priority for employers is to understand what is negatively affecting workers and to act before lasting harm occurs.
She described a safe workplace as one where people are able to speak up, feel supported and trust that something will be done when something is not right.
Australian Psychological Services (APS) Chief Psychologist Dr Laura Kirby said psychological harm at work is often the result of how work is designed and managed.
She said job design, team leadership and workplace culture all have a direct bearing on wellbeing, and that issues such as excessive workloads, bullying or poor management can have serious consequences when they are allowed to build up.
Dr Kirby said the response should not rest on workers alone.
“Employers need to look beyond individual resilience and proactively address the workplace factors contributing to psychological harm,” said Antonovsky.
She added that early action can make a significant difference.
AIHS recommends that employers and WHS professionals:
- Design work in ways that foster positive, inclusive and sustainable workplace cultures.
- Act on the first signs of distress, whether they come from one person or a whole team.
- Support workers recovering from psychological injury, in consultation with their treating health professionals.
- Talk about mental health risks openly and often, not only when something has gone wrong.
The AIHS said the month offers a prompt for workplaces to review how work is organised, how concerns are raised, and whether workers can trust that reports will be acted on.
Antonovsky said the message is that protection must extend to every type of harm, not only the risks that can be seen.
