South Australia adopted the psychosocial hazard provisions on 25 December 2023, when the Work Health and Safety (Psychosocial Risks) Amendment Regulations 2023 commenced under the Work Health and Safety Act 2012 (SA). The regulations mirror the national model WHS provisions, requiring PCBUs to identify psychosocial hazards, eliminate or minimise associated risks so far as is reasonably practicable, implement control measures, and review those measures to ensure they remain effective.

South Australia has not developed its own state-specific code of practice for psychosocial hazards. Instead, it relies on the national Safe Work Australia Code of Practice: Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work, which provides practical guidance on how to meet the obligations set out in the regulations.

SafeWork SA's approach since the regulations commenced has been education-focused. The regulator has prioritised awareness and capability building, including releasing free training, guidance materials and self-assessment tools. That approach is expected to shift toward proactive compliance campaigns through 2025 and into 2026.

What the regulations require

The amendments inserted psychosocial-specific provisions into the WHS Regulations, consistent with the model WHS Regulations adopted nationally. A PCBU must identify reasonably foreseeable psychosocial hazards that could give rise to risks to health and safety. If the risk cannot be eliminated, the PCBU must minimise it so far as is reasonably practicable. In determining what control measures to implement, the PCBU must have regard to all relevant matters, including the duration, frequency and severity of exposure, how hazards may interact or combine, the design of work, the systems of work, and the information, training, instruction and supervision provided to workers.

The regulations define a psychosocial hazard as a hazard that arises from, or relates to, the design or management of work, a work environment, plant at a workplace, or workplace interactions or behaviours, that may cause psychological harm, whether or not it may also cause physical harm. This means the obligation extends beyond overt hazards such as bullying or violence to include work design factors such as excessive workload, low job control, poor support and unclear roles.

Control measures must be maintained so they remain effective, and must be reviewed and, if necessary, revised when circumstances change. This includes when new information about a hazard becomes available, when a notifiable incident occurs, or when existing controls are no longer adequate.

SafeWork SA's education-first approach

Since the regulations commenced, SafeWork SA has invested in education and awareness. The regulator, jointly with ReturnToWorkSA, developed a free training course on managing psychosocial hazards and risks in the workplace, delivered by specialist training provider GPEx. The course takes one to two hours, covers hazard identification, risk assessment and control measures, and includes practical case studies from retail, healthcare and construction. SafeWork SA has also published a psychosocial risk self-assessment tool and promoted the national People at Work survey, a free, evidence-based psychosocial risk assessment tool available to all Australian organisations.

This education-first approach reflects the regulatory position at the time the regulations commenced. As SafeWork SA stated, the introduction of the regulations was driven by the need to increase awareness and understanding of the impact of work-related psychosocial hazards on workers' health and safety.

Signals of the shift toward compliance

There are clear signals that enforcement is moving beyond education. SafeWork SA runs proactive compliance campaigns across priority industries, during which inspectors visit businesses to assess whether risk mitigations and controls are in place in accordance with the WHS Act and Regulations. Psychosocial hazards are now part of that compliance programme.

The healthcare and social assistance industry has been identified as a priority. SafeWork SA's compliance campaign in this sector focuses specifically on psychosocial hazards, particularly in the "other social assistance" sub-industry, where common risks include assaults on workers, poor risk management by employers, fatigue, lack of field supervision and limited support for workers dealing with clients with challenging behaviours. The healthcare and social assistance industry had the highest number of workers' compensation claims of any industry in South Australia between 2016-17 and 2023-24, with mental health concerns including burnout increasing.

What SafeWork SA inspectors look for

When SafeWork SA inspectors assess psychosocial compliance, the focus is on whether an employer has an active system for managing psychosocial risk, not just a policy on paper. SafeWork SA's guidance highlights the need for risk registers, evidence of consultation with health and safety representatives, and clear communication of control measures to workers.

In practical terms, an inspector assessing psychosocial compliance is looking for evidence that the employer has identified the specific psychosocial hazards present in their workplace, assessed the associated risks, implemented control measures that go beyond generic policies, consulted workers in the process, and reviewed the effectiveness of those controls over time.

An employer that can produce a psychosocial hazard policy but cannot demonstrate how it was developed, what consultation occurred, what specific hazards were identified, or when controls were last reviewed, has a policy without a system. That is not sufficient under the regulations.

Consultation evidence and regular reviews are key indicators. The regulations require consultation with workers throughout the risk management process and review of controls when circumstances change. An employer that treats psychosocial risk management as a one-off exercise, completing an assessment at the time the regulations commenced and not revisiting it, is not meeting the ongoing obligation.

The national context

South Australia's transition from education to enforcement follows a pattern visible across Australian jurisdictions. Each state and territory has moved through an initial awareness and guidance phase following adoption of the psychosocial provisions, with enforcement activity increasing as regulators build capability and employers have had time to implement systems.

NSW has committed to compulsory psychosocial WHS checks for organisations with 200 or more workers under the SafeWork NSW Psychological Health and Safety Strategy 2024-2026. Queensland has integrated psychosocial hazards into inspection and audit checklists and introduced specific obligations for sexual harassment prevention plans. The Commonwealth jurisdiction has established a dedicated unit within its WHS inspectorate to focus on psychosocial hazards.

The direction is consistent nationally. The education phase is narrowing. Regulators are building enforcement capability, developing industry-specific compliance campaigns, and moving toward the expectation that all employers can demonstrate an active, documented and regularly reviewed system for managing psychosocial risk.

For the full state-by-state breakdown, see the compliance-by-state collection. For background on the model WHS Regulations that South Australia adopted, see the linked article.

Disclaimer: This article provides general information on psychosocial compliance in Australian workplaces. It does not constitute legal advice. Organisations should consult qualified professionals for advice specific to their circumstances. Regulatory references are sourced from SafeWork SA, Safe Work Australia, and the South Australian Government and are current as of the date of publication.