Step 4: Review and Monitor Controls – Stronger WHS
You’ve reached the final step of your psychosocial risk management journey. Reviewing Psychosocial Risk is a crucial part of ensuring workplace well-being and continuous improvement.
In Step 1, you learned how to Spot, Understand and Document Psychosocial Hazards.
In Step 2, you Assessed Psychosocial Risks.
In Step 3, you Controlled the Risks and put your plan into action.
Now, in Step 4, it’s time to review and monitor those control measures — ensuring they remain effective, relevant, and sustainable.
This step closes the loop in SafeWork Australia’s Risk Management Process and helps you maintain a psychosocially safe workplace long-term. But first, hear from Emily Johnson (Co-founder/Principal Workplace Psychologist – GMF) as she shares her real-world insights into this topic.
🔁 Why Reviewing Control Measures Matters
Psychosocial hazards – like job demands, lack of role clarity, or poor workplace relations – are not static. Workplaces change, people change, and new risks can emerge.
Regularly reviewing your control measures helps your organisation:
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Confirm whether controls are actually reducing risks.
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Identify new or emerging hazards early.
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Ensure actions remain relevant and effective.
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Demonstrate ongoing WHS compliance and due diligence.
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Strengthen trust and transparency with employees.
When you review and monitor proactively, you turn psychosocial safety from a one-off project into an embedded system and culture of care and accountability.
“Reviewing your psychosocial controls isn’t just about ticking a box. It’s about listening, learning, and adapting to keep your people safe.”
— Emily Johnson, Principal Workplace Psychologist, Get Mentally Fit
🧩 Review and Monitor Your Control Measures
Complying with SafeWork Australia’s Risk Management Process the fourth step involves reviewing and, if necessary, revising control measures to make sure they work as intended.
Here’s how to do it effectively:
1️⃣ Define What Success Looks Like
Start by setting clear review criteria when you first implement controls. Ask:
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What outcomes are we aiming for?
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How will we measure effectiveness?
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What data will we use?
Examples of psychosocial performance indicators include:
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Staff survey or pulse check results
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Turnover and absenteeism rates
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EAP utilisation and presenting themes
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Incident reports or complaint trends
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Feedback from team meetings and one-on-ones
Make these metrics visible and accessible to leaders — transparency supports accountability and drives improvement.
2️⃣ Schedule Regular Reviews
Build reviews into your organisation’s routine WHS cycle. Common intervals include:
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Quarterly – Check early effectiveness and emerging issues.
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Annually – Conduct a full psychosocial risk management review.
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Ad hoc – Review immediately after significant organisational changes (e.g., restructures, leadership changes, critical incidents).
Consistency is key. Schedule reviews like you would financial audits – because psychosocial safety is business-critical too.
3️⃣ Involve Workers and Leaders in the Review
Consultation remains essential at every stage of the psychosocial risk management process. During reviews:
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Ask employees whether controls are practical and effective.
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Encourage open discussion about new or residual risks.
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Involve leaders to review data trends and ensure accountability for follow-through.
This not only meets your WHS obligations but reinforces psychosocial safety and shared ownership of psychosocial wellbeing.
4️⃣ Identify What’s Working – and What’s Not
Analyse your data and feedback to determine whether your controls are meeting their intended goals. For example:
| Hazard | Control Measure | Outcome | Review Findings |
|---|---|---|---|
| High workload + low control | Job redesign, improved staffing levels/collaboration | Reduced stress, better work quality | Effective – continue monitoring |
| Poor change management | Transparent updates, leadership Q&As | Improved trust and engagement | Effective – embed as policy |
| Remote work isolation | Regular team check-ins | Lower EAP usage for loneliness | Needs improvement – increase frequency |
If a control isn’t working, explore why. Is it poorly implemented? Under-resourced? Lacking leadership support? Then, revise accordingly.
5️⃣ Document, Communicate, and Integrate Changes
Every review should result in an updated risk register and action plan. Include:
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Revised controls or timelines
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Assigned responsibilities
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Consultation notes
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Measurable success indicators
Then, communicate updates across the organisation:
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Share review outcomes and improvements
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Celebrate progress to maintain engagement
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Integrate changes into broader HR, WHS, and leadership frameworks
This creates a feedback loop that builds a culture of continuous improvement and care.
📈 Turning Review Into a Strength
When done well, reviewing psychosocial risk controls helps you:
✅ Maintain compliance with model WHS laws
✅ Strengthen trust and transparency within teams
✅ Identify emerging risks before they escalate
✅ Embed wellbeing into operational culture
✅ Demonstrate due diligence to regulators and stakeholders
✅Improved workforce functioning and organisational success
In short, reviewing your controls is how you future-proof psychosocial safety in your workplace.
Bringing It All Together
At Get Mentally Fit, we help organisations move from compliance to functioning healthily by embedding psychosocial risk management as part of everyday leadership and collective wellbeing practice.
Our workplace psychologists can help you:
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Review and update your psychosocial risk management plan
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Conduct workforce pulse checks and data analysis
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Facilitate leadership and staff consultations and training
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Strengthen psychosocial safety systems and culture
📞 Contact us today to ensure your controls remain effective, measurable, and meaningful.
✅ Quick Checklist: Reviewing Psychosocial Controls
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Set review criteria and measurable outcomes
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Schedule regular and event-triggered reviews
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Involve workers and leaders in evaluation
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Analyse data and feedback for continuous improvement
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Update documentation and communicate results
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Integrate learnings into everyday operations
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