Under Work Health and Safety legislation, employers have a legal duty to identify and manage psychosocial hazards in the workplace, and officers face personal liability for failures to exercise due diligence. In Queensland, the Managing the Risk of Psychosocial Hazards at Work Code of Practice 2022 makes this obligation explicitly enforceable, and the risks to psychological health are as enforceable as physical safety obligations.
The Psychosocial Safety Guard from Brookvale HR Solutions is a structured psychosocial risk assessment and compliance package. Daniel Holbrook, who holds a Certificate IV in WHS alongside an MBA, personally conducts every assessment using evidence-based tools aligned with Safe Work Australia guidance. The result is documentation that satisfies regulatory requirements and provides the evidence base needed when a regulator comes asking.
Psychosocial safety obligations are now as enforceable as physical safety obligations under WHS legislation, and the obligations attach to officers personally as well as to the business entity. A documented risk assessment, control plan, and consultation framework is the evidence base a due-diligence defence requires.
Directors and senior managers must take reasonable steps to ensure the business complies with WHS obligations including psychosocial risk management. Where a worker suffers psychological harm and the officer cannot produce evidence of a risk assessment, personal exposure increases.
The Queensland Managing the Risk of Psychosocial Hazards at Work Code of Practice 2022 and the Safe Work Australia Model Code set out what a compliant risk assessment, control plan, and consultation framework look like. Regulators measure against the Codes.
Psychosocial hazards recognised by the Codes include high job demands, low job control, poor support, poor organisational change management, low recognition, bullying, harassment including sexual harassment, and conflict in workplace relationships. Each requires identification and control.
A 15-point gap analysis covering contracts, policies, WHS obligations, and psychosocial safety. $1,500 fixed fee, fully credited toward follow-on work including the Psychosocial Safety Guard.
WHS legislation imposes personal liability on officers of a business. An officer must exercise due diligence to ensure the business complies with its health and safety obligations, including the obligation to manage risks to psychological health and mental health at work. A due diligence defence requires evidence that the officer took reasonable steps to understand and manage psychosocial risks in the workplace, including psychosocial hazards and risks arising from job design, workplace relationships, and organisational factors.
Without this documentation, an officer’s ability to demonstrate due diligence in the event of a claim, complaint, or regulatory investigation is significantly weakened.
The Psychosocial Safety Guard provides that evidence: a documented risk assessment, a control plan with specific actions, and a consultation framework demonstrating worker engagement. Where a worker suffers psychological harm and the business cannot produce evidence of a psychosocial risk assessment, the officer’s personal liability exposure increases.
For employers who want to understand the broader psychosocial risk landscape before committing, the scenario page on psychosocial risks explains why this obligation matters. The blog covers psychosocial safety compliance obligations in detail.
Final pricing is based on workforce size, number of locations, and the complexity of the work environment. Daniel provides a fixed-fee quote after an initial scoping conversation, so the business knows exactly what the engagement will cost before it begins. No hourly overruns and no lock-in contracts.
Book a free scoping callAll prices exclude GST.
Tool
Step 1 of 8
Takes about 3 minutes.
Daniel conducts an initial scoping conversation to understand the business: its industry, workforce composition, locations, and any existing WHS documentation. This conversation identifies key psychosocial hazards and factors specific to the work environment and establishes the scope for a fixed-fee quote.
Daniel identifies psychosocial hazards across all categories recognised in the Safe Work Australia and Queensland codes of practice, assesses each for likelihood and consequence, and develops the risk register. The risk assessment process includes worker consultation as required under WHS legislation.
The risk register and control plan are developed with specific, prioritised actions to manage risks for each identified hazard. Every control measure is practical, accountable, and documented to a standard that satisfies regulator expectations.
Daniel provides guidance on implementing the control plan, including sequencing, communication to the workforce, and integration with existing workplace health and safety systems. The objective is to build healthy workplaces where the safety of workers is embedded in day-to-day operations, not treated as a standalone compliance exercise.
“ I recently engaged Brookvale HR Solutions, led by Dan and his team, and was thoroughly impressed. Dan combines deep HR expertise with a practical, people-first approach. He provides clear advice and handles complex issues with professionalism and empathy. He’s a HR / Safety weapon. 10/10 recommend! ”
Not sure where you stand?
A 15-point gap analysis including psychosocial safety obligations. Fully credited toward follow-on work.
Sexual harassment is a recognised psychosocial hazard.
A documented prevention framework covering all seven AHRC compliance standards.
Need the complete HR policy and documentation framework?
Contracts, policies, procedures, and compliance documentation built for your business.
From $5,000. Fixed fee after scoping. No lock-in contracts. A direct conversation about your psychosocial risk position, and a structured path to regulator-ready documentation.
