Australian agency releases case studies on managing psychological risks

Canberra, Australia — A recently launched series of case studies from Safe Work Australia is intended to help identify on-the-job psychosocial risks, assess and control them, and review control measures.

The independent government agency, which develops policies to improve workplace safety and health, notes that on-the-job psychosocial hazards may occur in relation to:

• The design and management of work
• The working environment
• Machinery, equipment and tools at a workplace
• Jobsite interactions or behaviors

The initial case study focuses on a fictitious retail workplace and highlights some of the key psychosocial hazards retail workers face: difficult customers, pressure to meet sales targets, irregular work schedules and long work hours. Any of these hazards may cause psychological or physical harm, according to the agency’s “Managing psychosocial hazards at work” Code of Practice.

The case studies include examples of ways to manage hazards.