Common questions
Asked by almost every leader we meet.
Are psychosocial hazard rules actually enforced?
Yes. Regulations and codes of practice are in force in every Australian state and territory, regulators run active inspection programs, and inspectors ask for documents: your hazard register, assessments, controls, consultation records and reviews. NSW alone has committed $127.7 million over four years to its regulator, including 20 dedicated psychosocial inspectors. Enforcement is funded and happening now.
Do these duties apply to small businesses?
Yes. The work health and safety duty applies to every person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU), regardless of size. What counts as reasonably practicable scales with your circumstances - the duty itself does not.
Are the seven interventions a program we have to follow in order?
No. They are options, not steps. There is no fixed sequence and no prerequisites - you might run the leader microlearning without the workshops, or start with policy work. Choose what your organisation needs, in the order that suits you. Each intervention stands on its own.
Do we need RiskProof to use the interventions?
No. Every intervention works without it, and RiskProof works without them - you can have one without the other. RiskProof is the operating system: it makes whatever you choose trackable, reportable and inspection-ready, with every hazard, action and record in one place.
We already run an engagement survey. Isn't that enough?
Surveys are useful, and they count towards consultation evidence. But an inspector asks a different question: what you identified, what you changed, and where it is written down. A survey alone is not that record.
Is a wellbeing program enough?
Wellbeing programs support your people, and that matters. But an inspector asks what you can demonstrate about identifying and controlling hazards in how work is designed and run. A program is not a risk register, and participation is not a control.
What is the difference between a psychosocial hazard and stress?
Stress is a person's response. A psychosocial hazard is the feature of work that causes it - the workload, the role confusion, the behaviour. The law regulates the causes, and asks employers to fix the work, not just support the worker.
What do inspectors ask for?
Documents. A register naming the hazards in your workplace, assessments of the exposure, controls mapped to each hazard, records of consultation with workers, evidence controls are reviewed, and training records - all dated and retrievable on the day.
Who is behind psychosocialhazard.com?
The site is published by Healthy Minds, an Australian provider of preventive psychology services founded by clinical psychologist Dr Tom Nehmy and corporate health expert Nick Lee OAM, and powered by RiskProof, inspection-readiness software. Around them is a specialist partner network - the whole team is on the Meet the team page.
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