Step 2: Assessing – the Psychosocial Risk Management Process
In Part 1: Spot, Understand and Document Psychosocial Hazards, we explored how to build an audit-ready psychosocial risk assessment tool, and identify and record psychosocial hazards in your workplace – the essential first step in creating a psychosocially safe environment.
Now it’s time to take the next step: assessing the risks associated with those hazards.
This process helps you prioritise what matters most, allocate resources effectively, and demonstrate due diligence under the Work Health and Safety (WHS) framework.
According to Safe Work Australia, psychosocial risk management follows four key steps:
Identify hazards 2. Assess the associated risks 3. Implement control measures 4. Review and monitor effectiveness
Let’s unpack Step 2 – Assessing Psychosocial Risks. Firstly, hear from our Principal Workplace Psychologist/Co-founder Emily Johnson.
Why Assessing Risks Matters
If you’ve done the hard work of building an audit-ready psychosocial risk assessment tool and identifying and documenting the psychosocial hazards relevant to your workplace – now it’s time to understand how serious those hazards are, and who they affect.
Without assessing risk levels, you risk treating all hazards equally – spreading resources thin and missing red flags.
A strong risk assessment helps you answer: How likely is this hazard to cause harm? How severe could that harm be? Who is most at risk – and when?
Safe Work Australia’s Model Code of Practice: Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work advises assessing “the nature of the harm the hazard could cause and who may be affected, considering the duration, frequency and severity of exposure.”
Because psychosocial risks often have invisible impacts – such as chronic stress, burnout, or interpersonal conflict – this step is vital for early prevention and compliance.
⚖️ How to Assess Psychosocial Risks
1️⃣ Identify who is exposed
For each hazard you’ve identified and documented, determine:
Which roles, teams, or individuals are exposed?
Under what conditions or during which tasks?
Are particular groups (e.g. leadership, casuals, remote workers, shift staff) more vulnerable?
This ensures your assessment reflects real exposure, not assumptions.
2️⃣ Analyse how they’re exposed: frequency, duration, and severity
When assessing risk, consider three factors outlined by Safe Work Australia’s Code of Practice:
| Factor | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Duration | How long are workers exposed? | Hours, days, weeks, or continuously |
| Frequency | How often does exposure occur? | Daily, weekly, occasionally |
| Severity | How serious could the impact be? | Mild stress → psychological injury or burnout |
For instance, unclear role expectations might affect employees daily, over long durations, leading to high stress – a high-risk scenario.
In contrast, a rare but severe incident (e.g. workplace aggression) may still warrant a high-priority response due to potential harm.
3️⃣ Consider combined and interacting hazards
Psychosocial hazards often don’t act in isolation.
For example: high job demands + low job control + poor communication during change can multiply overall risk.
When you assess, look for patterns or clusters that amplify harm – and document these in your risk register.
4️⃣ Rate the risk: likelihood x consequence
Next, determine the level of risk for each hazard.
You can use a qualitative risk matrix, such as:
| Likelihood | Consequence | Risk Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Rare | Minor | Low |
| Possible | Moderate | Medium |
| Likely | Major | High |
This helps you prioritise which risks require immediate control and which can be monitored or addressed later.
5️⃣ Document everything
Good documentation is essential for transparency and compliance.
Your psychosocial risk register should include:
Who is exposed
Frequency, duration, and severity
Combined risk rating
Evidence or data sources
Date of assessment
Responsible person
A well-maintained register supports continuous improvement and demonstrates due diligence under WHS laws.
📋 Example: Psychosocial Risk Assessment Table
| Hazard | Affected Roles | Evidence / Source | Likelihood | Severity | Risk Rating | Comments / Next Steps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unclear role expectations post-merger | Remote and hybrid staff | Survey feedback + absenteeism data | Likely | High | High | Conduct role reviews, clarify responsibilities |
| Isolation on night shift | Operations team | Observation + incident reports | Possible | Moderate | Medium | Introduce peer check-ins and on-site supports |
Be sure to record why you assigned each rating – this supports audit readiness and effective review.
Practical Tips for a Meaningful Assessment
✅ Use multiple data sources – combine surveys, interviews, observations, and HR metrics.
✅ Engage employees – psychosocial hazards are best understood from lived experience.
✅ Tailor your approach – adapt tools and templates to your organisation’s size, industry, and risk profile.
✅ Act early – if a risk is known and controllable, move straight to implementing controls.
✅ Review regularly – reassess during organisational change or after significant events.
Why This Step Matters
Assessing psychosocial risks transforms your hazard list into a prioritised action plan.
This process ensures your organisation:
Meets WHS obligations to eliminate or minimise psychosocial risks
Allocates resources based on evidence
Strengthens psychological safety and trust within teams
By quantifying likelihood and consequence, you’re building a living, proactive risk management system – not a one-off compliance exercise.
✅ Quick Assessment Checklist
Each hazard assessed for exposure and harm
Combined and interacting hazards considered
Risk ratings and rationales documented
Workers consulted during assessment
Register reviewed regularly and updated during change
Coming Up Next: Controlling Psychosocial Risks
👉 Step 3: Controlling Psychosocial, released next Monday 27th October.
Now that you’ve identified and assessed your risks, the next step is to implement control measures that are both effective and sustainable.
For Step 3 (Monday 27th October) and Step 4 (Thursday 30th October) of this series, we’ll explore how to:
Apply the hierarchy of controls to psychosocial hazards
Embed controls into everyday work design
Monitor and review effectiveness over time
💬 Need expert help building your psychosocial risk management plan?
At Get Mentally Fit, we help organisations design, assess, and implement practical psychosocial risk management systems – without the overwhelm.
📅 Request a free 15-minute consultation with one of our workplace psychologists and make sure your organisation is on the right track.
📞 Get in touch to discuss how your organisation can confidently meet its WHS obligations while unlocking the full potential of your people.
👉 Contact us today and take the first step toward a safer, healthier, and high-performing workplace.
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