Psychological Health and Safety for School Staff

4. Assessing psychosocial risk

When psychosocial hazards are identified, the school’s OHS risk register can be used to assess and document the current level of risk based on the controls that are already in place at the school.

It is recommended that principals or their delegate review risk ratings in consultation with staff, based on the school’s circumstances, including:

• whether there is increased frequency, duration, or severity of incidents that may increase the risk of psychological harm
• if there are individuals, particular roles or staff cohorts who are more highly impacted in the school
• if there are likely to be other situations taking place in the school that could make the impact of the hazards unusually severe
• how effective the current controls have been in the past, or whether there is evidence indicating that the current controls are ineffective, such as staff feedback or repeated incidents.

The OHS advisory service and Statewide OHS Support team are available to provide hands-on support to schools in understanding risks related to psychological health and safety in the workplace. Further information on assessing psychosocial risk is also available in WorkSafe Victoria’s Compliance Code.