Work health and safety regulations for the control of psychosocial risks will come into effect on 24 December 2022. These regulations will require a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) to eliminate psychosocial risks, or to minimise them so far as is reasonably practicable. This new duty places psychosocial hazards on the same footing as other significant hazards such as falls or operating machinery.
PCBUs already have a duty to manage psychosocial risks under the primary duty of care in the Work Health and Safety Act 2020, and these new regulations will ensure that workplaces act consciously to manage and address psychological risks to all workers.