Getting Started with Psychosocial Hazards

Hi, my name is Shelby Martin, and I’ve been working in safety for the past four years. I started out as a Safety Cadet and have since progressed through site safety roles to my current position as HSEQ Manager at Nikias Diamond. In my role, I oversee onsite HSEQ compliance, manage training programs, and maintain and develop our HSEQ systems.

Over the years, I’ve seen how safety can sometimes become bogged down in paperwork, with the practical side of keeping people safe taking a back seat. My aim is to bring that balance back—making safety practical and accessible for our workers and subbies on site, while still maintaining the integrity of systems. At the end of the day, it’s about making sure everyone goes to work and gets home safely.

On any job site the standard of hard hat, hi-vis and safety boots have become second nature and the unofficial ‘uniform’ of the industry, and we have a deep understanding of how to protect ourselves and others from a majority of physical hazards on the worksite. We have a regulation, code of practice or a standard for everything to assist in managing these hazards and assist with compliance. 

But our definition of a safe site has had a major update, focusing on mental wellbeing. 

We’re talking about psychosocial hazards – things at work that can negatively affect mental health, like unrealistic deadlines, having too much or too little effort required for your job, workplace bullying, or a lack of support plus many more. The ACT’s Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work Code of Practice officially puts managing these risks on the same level as any physical hazard.

Why is it important?

The stark reality is many workers are experiencing psychosocial hardship in construction more than other industries and it’s not by a small margin either.

• -Men in the construction industry are 53% more likely to die by suicide than men employed in other sectors.
• -On average, Australia loses a construction worker to suicide every two days.
• -Apprentices and young construction workers are particularly vulnerable, being 2.5 times more likely to die by suicide than other young Australian men.
• -The age-standardised suicide rate for male construction workers has been recorded at 26.6 deaths per 100,000 workers, nearly double the rate of 13.2 per 100,000 for men employed in other industries.

So, How Do You Comply? It’s Easier Than You Think.
Looking after your team’s wellbeing isn’t just about ticking a box, it’s a core part in protecting the whole person, not just their physical health.

Complying isn’t about mountains of paperwork; it’s about genuine care and good
communication. Here are a few simple steps to get started:

1. Start the Conversation: The best way to identify risks is to ask your team. Use a
   toolbox talk to chat about workplace stress. What are the main pressure points? Is
   communication clear? Do people feel supported by their supervisors? This single step is
   the most powerful thing you can do.

2. Put Simple Controls in Place: Based on feedback, implement some easy fixes. This
   could mean better forward-planning to manage workloads, ensuring site managers are
   checking in with their teams regularly, or having a clear policy on respectful behaviour so
   everyone knows the standard.

3. Promote Support: Make sure your team knows who to talk to if they have an issue.
   Remind them about your Employee Assistance Program (EAP) if you have one. Simple
   check-ins from leaders can go a long way in creating a supportive environment.

Looking after your team’s wellbeing isn’t just about ticking a box, it’s a core part in protecting the whole person, not just their physical health.