Psychosocial risk management
Safer operations start with supported people.
Offshore isolation, safety-critical decisions and unpredictable shutdowns can place sustained pressure on oil and gas workers. Psychosocial risk belongs alongside operational risk—not outside it.
The risk is real
12%
Mental health conditions accounted for 12% of all serious workers’ compensation claims in Australia in 2023–24 preliminary data, according to Safe Work Australia’s 2025 release.
National, all-industry context—not an oil and gas prevalence or claims estimate.
Read the sourceRecognise. Consult. Act.
Work design, workplace interactions and working conditions can cause psychological or physical harm. Assess how often exposure occurs, how long it lasts and how severe it is.
Risk exposure
Extended time away and limited access to family or confidential support can increase psychological strain.
Practical controls
Consult on swing length, protect recovery time and provide reliable communication and private access to support.
Risk exposure
High-consequence work, alarms and shutdown deadlines can overload attention and decision-making.
Practical controls
Plan adequate staffing, clarify decision authority and create effective handovers and fatigue-aware schedules.
Risk exposure
Changes to travel, roles, contracts or operations may leave workers without clear expectations.
Practical controls
Explain changes early, involve workers and HSRs, and document responsibilities and available support before implementation.
An illustrative workplace situation
repeated travel changes leave an offshore technician uncertain about returning home. Review communication and roster predictability with the crew rather than framing the response solely as personal stress.
Improve the conditions around people—not just their ability to cope.
The cost of leaving risks unchecked
>4×
Mental health claims had more than four times the median time lost compared with physical injury and illness claims.
Source and scope>3×
Median compensation for mental health claims was more than three times that for physical injury and illness claims.
Source and scopeReal duties.
WHS regulators can issue improvement or prohibition notices and prosecute breaches. Penalties and powers vary by jurisdiction.
Source and scopeClaim comparisons use Australian serious workers’ compensation claims in 2020–21, reported by Safe Work Australia in February 2024. National figures—not oil & gas estimates or predictions of individual harm. Enforcement depends on the applicable law and circumstances.
Australian employers must manage risks to psychological as well as physical health under applicable WHS or OHS laws.
Check the applicable offshore or onshore safety regime; NOPSEMA-regulated operations have specific requirements.
A course or an employee assistance program does not, by itself, discharge this duty. Check your regulator and seek advice for your circumstances.
A practical starting point
Consult workers and HSRs across roles and shifts. Combine their experiences with incident, workload and absence information.
Assess severity, duration and frequency. Record interacting hazards and who may be affected.
Start with work design, staffing, environment and behaviour. Assign an owner and review date.
Ask workers whether exposure has reduced. Update the risk register when conditions change.
Flourish360 for oil & gas
Connect personal growth and wellbeing with psychosocial risk insight. Help people build confidence while making hazards, controls and follow-through easier for leaders to see.
We partner with wellbeing programs for a holistic approach. Flourish360 supports your process—it does not replace consultation, effective controls or professional advice.
See what fits your workplacePrepared by Flourish360 using Australian regulatory and sector guidance. Examples are illustrative, not customer case studies. Statistics describe the stated population and period; they do not predict individual risk. This is general information, not legal or clinical advice. Workplace photographs are AI-generated illustrations.
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