Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work: A Guide for Education and Care

Psychosocial hazards — including work-related stress, bullying, harassment, vicarious trauma and burnout — are among the most significant and fastest-growing risks in Australian education and care workplaces. This course gives all staff, managers and WHS representatives a thorough grounding in their legal obligations, practical risk management tools, and the specific regulatory context that applies across all Australian states and territories, including the jurisdictions that have adopted the model Work Health and Safety Act and those that operate under parallel frameworks. Drawing on the Safe Work Australia model Code of Practice on Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work and relevant state and territory WHS legislation, the course moves through hazard identification, risk assessment, control selection, reporting, and building a psychologically safe culture. Every module is contextualised for the realities of schools, early childhood services, out-of-school-hours care, disability support, and residential care — workplaces where emotional labour is high, staffing pressures are constant, and workers regularly encounter distressing content involving children and families. On completion, learners will be able to identify common psychosocial hazards in their setting, apply a structured risk assessment process, select and implement controls in line with the hierarchy of controls, fulfil their notification and consultation duties, and support colleagues experiencing psychological injury. The course concludes with a comprehensive multiple-choice assessment to confirm understanding before returning to practice.