Psychosocial hazards: Our commitments

This page is for: 
Employee / workerEmployerHealth and safety representativeMine operatorMinerPerson Conducting a Business or UndertakingPetroleum operator

Learn how WorkSafe is planning to achieve the aims and goals of The way forward: Priority two Psychosocial hazards.

Regulatory activities and outputs: Raise awareness and seek compliance

Compliance strategy

  • Ensure the WHS regulatory framework has a consistent approach to psychosocial hazards, including a comprehensive definition of sexual harassment.
  • Monitor and track progress of regulatory activities in line with government commitments in response to the ‘Enough is Enough’ report.
  • Engage industry expert or group to conduct a detailed assessment of WorkSafe Mines Safety materials for useability, trauma focus, currency and accuracy.
  • Develop compliance tools (e.g. policies, procedures, templates, regulatory systems) for WorkSafe Mines Safety in line with expert assessment.
  • Support initiatives and outcomes of the cross-agency MARS Program to improve the health, safety and wellbeing of workers and others in the mining industry.
  • Through the MARS Program, collaborate with other government agencies such as Mental Health Commission, Equal Opportunity Commission and the Department of Communities to promote initiatives that support affected people and encourage improvements in safety culture.
  • Collaborate with Edith Cowan University on the research project examining the regulatory role of WorkSafe in workplace-related suicides and attempted suicides.
  • Deliver a business transformation program including new operational software (Compliance and Regulation System, CARS).

Information and education 

  • Plan and deliver general and targeted education campaigns to increase awareness of work-related psychosocial hazards, improve risk management and reporting, and promote positive practices supporting mental health and wellbeing at work.
  • Deliver an annual educational webinar or forum on work-related psychosocial hazards.
  • Use the findings of the Centre for Transformative Work Design Landmark Study to guide proactive education and awareness campaigns aligned to activities associated with the MARS Program.
  • Conduct mass media campaign focusing on 24/7 availability of WorkSafe’s 1800 phone number for reporting sexual harassment on Western Australian mine sites.
  • Update existing codes of practice and other guidance to reflect amended regulatory requirements and definitions in relation to psychosocial hazards and sexual harassment.
  • Develop a code of practice for fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) mining operations covering the design and management of accommodation, including controls for psychosocial hazards such as gendered violence and sexual harassment and assault.
  • Promote availability of a new simple, trauma informed, sexual harassment evaluation tool developed in collaboration with the University of Western Australia McCusker Centre for Citizenship.
  • Engage industry expert to deliver annual Mines Safety Roadshow workshops focusing on psychosocial injuries and illnesses.
  • Develop trauma-informed guidance for individuals when making a complaint about gendered violence.
  • Support research and teaching initiatives of the Professorial Chair in Mining WHS at the Edith Cowan University MARS Centre.
  • Continue to support the Mentally Healthy Workplaces Grant Program.

Stakeholder engagement tools

  • Develop themed one-stop shops of information and educational resources (including CaLD) using the SafetyLine Hub.
  • Integrate risk management for psychosocial hazards, including gendered violence and sexual harassment, into SafetyLine Plan.

Regulatory activities and outputs: Worforce development

Workforce development

  • Undertake operational planning (scope, capacity, capability, resources) to support delivery of compliance campaigns for work-related psychosocial hazards and associated risks, including gendered violence and sexual harassment.
  • Appoint a Training Officer – Mental Health and Wellbeing to support development and delivery of intervention training resources.
  • Develop learning plans and pathways that support compliance and enforcement activities for psychosocial hazards.
  • Identify professional development requirements and deliver inspector skills sessions for trauma-informed handling reports of psychosocial hazards and harm.
  • Include ‘Sexual assault and responding to disclosures’ and ‘Vicarious trauma and self care for workers’ training in inspector skills training.
  • Promote interactions between WorkSafe teams responsible for mental health and wellbeing, including human factors and ergonomics and other teams.

Regulatory activities and outputs: Drive compliance and enforce legislation

Inspections

  • Plan and deliver proactive program of inspections and compliance activities for psychosocial hazards.
  • Confirm that mining PCBUs are including the prevention, management and reporting of sexual harassment and assault in health management plans.
  • Where inspectors find evidence sufficient to form a reasonable belief of non-compliance, enforcement action will be undertaken.

Investigations and prosecutions

  • Maintain strong enforcement measures and, where appropriate, prosecute for breaches of duties to notify sexual assault and sexual harassment.
  • Where legally permissible, publicise learnings and outcomes of investigations and prosecutions.
  • Review information and educational resources using learnings and outcomes of investigations and prosecutions.

Monitoring, evaluation and reporting

Actions

  • Communicate progress on ‘Enough is Enough’ report to mining industry.
  • Communicate findings from annual Mines Safety Roadshow workshops on psychosocial injuries and illnesses.
  • Regularly review compliance and performance data and monitor trends, with a focus on:
    • health management plans for mining operations and inclusion of sexual harassment
    • 1800 calls received regarding sexual harassment.
  • Provide periodic updates to stakeholders such as members of the WHS Commission, MAPAC, MARS Program, unions and other relevant bodies.
  • Publish annual snapshots of compliance and performance progress, and achievements.

 

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