Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L01380:reg:5:p1
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L01380
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 5 (pt 1/6)
Character Range: 59442–62420

5                    Control the risks

Once you know which psychosocial hazards are present and you have assessed the risks they create, you are in a position to control them.

You must eliminate risks to health and safety if it is reasonably practicable to do so.
If it is not reasonably practicable to eliminate the risks, you must minimise risks so far as is reasonably practicable.

To identify what can be done you should, in consultation with your workers, identify as many possible control measures as you can. This gives you the greatest scope to choose and apply the most effective control measures to eliminate or minimise risks. Consultation with workers will assist you to identify control measures you might not otherwise think of.

When deciding what control measures to use, a PCBU must have regard to all relevant matters and utilise the hierarchy of controls (see sections 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3 of this code).

5.1
Matters to consider when controlling risks

How long (duration), how often (frequency) and how significantly (severity) your workers are exposed to psychosocial hazards impacts the level of risks. Hazards interacting or combining with each other may also change the risks.

As you work through the risk management process you must consider things that may give rise to hazards, influence the level of risks workers are exposed to, or could be changed to help control those risks, including:

    -          the design of work, including job demands and tasks involved

  Considering how the work is designed will support you to eliminate hazards at the source and at the organisational level.

  Control measures for psychosocial hazards should predominantly be considered at an organisational, work and system design level (e.g. organisational resilience) rather than at an individual level (e.g. individual resilience and stress management), although some circumstances may require responses at both levels.

  Focusing on higher level control measures that address work design will ensure the risk of harm is addressed at the source, rather than inferior measures that only reduce the impact of harm after it has occurred.

  Effective work design considers:
              o                         the work: how work is performed, including the physical, mental and emotional demands of the tasks and activities, the task duration, frequency, and complexity, and the context and systems of work
              o                         the physical working environment: the plant, equipment, materials and substances used, and the vehicles, buildings, structures that are workplaces
              o                         the workers: physical, emotional and mental capacities and needs.

  Your workers should have an appropriate amount of work to match their skills and experience. For example, a job designed with too much work for a worker of that skill level to complete with the resources provided, or tasks that do not match that worker's