Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth)
Applies to Commonwealth agencies and Comcare licensees, with health including psychological health.
Commonwealth · Employer guide
Psychosocial hazards under Comcare
Safer work starts with your people.
What Commonwealth law requires — and how to protect your people.
Understand your obligations
What are the rules in Commonwealth?
Quick answer
Commonwealth agencies and licensed self-insurers are regulated by Comcare under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth). Regulation changes from 1 April 2023 made managing psychosocial risks an explicit duty. The Commonwealth Code of Practice lists 17 psychosocial hazards, adding fatigue, job insecurity and intrusive surveillance to the 14 national model hazards.
The legal framework
The laws that apply in CTH
Key milestones
How we got here
1 Apr 2023
Commonwealth WHS regulations amended with psychosocial duties.
2024
Commonwealth psychosocial Code of Practice made, listing 17 hazards.
Ongoing
Comcare regulates Commonwealth agencies and licensed self-insurers.
Recognise the risk
Common psychosocial hazards in Commonwealth workplaces
Hazards rarely appear alone — they stack, and the combined effect drives harm.
Local context matters
What's different in CTH?
Who is covered
Comcare covers Commonwealth agencies and businesses licensed to self-insure under the Comcare scheme, wherever their people work in Australia.
Three extra hazards
Fatigue, job insecurity and intrusive surveillance are named in the Commonwealth code, so check them alongside the 14 national hazards.
Change and justice
Restructures, machinery-of-government changes and how decisions are made can drive change management and organisational justice risks.
People, not paperwork
How Commonwealth employers can manage psychosocial risk
Flourish360 helps people become better humans at work — and gives you the evidence trail to show your risk management in action.
Consult with your people at every stage.
A simple, engaging approach to psychosocial risk management.
Jurisdictions
How many psychosocial hazards are there in Australia?
It depends on which WHS laws cover your workplace: 14 under the national model, 16 in Victoria and 17 for Commonwealth workplaces under Comcare. None of the lists is exhaustive — they're a starting point.
14
Model WHS laws
Safe Work Australia's model Code of Practice names 14 common psychosocial hazards — the baseline most states and territories work from.
16
Victoria
WorkSafe Victoria's Psychological health compliance code gives 16 examples of psychosocial hazards under Victoria's own OHS laws.
17
Commonwealth (Comcare)
Commonwealth workplaces under Comcare work with 17, adding fatigue, job insecurity and intrusive surveillance such as digital tracking.
Sources: Safe Work Australia's model Code of Practice, WorkSafe Victoria's Psychological Health Compliance Code and Comcare's psychosocial hazards guidance. See the full hazard list
Your questions, answered
FAQs: psychosocial hazards in Commonwealth workplaces
How many psychosocial hazards are there under Comcare?
The Commonwealth Code of Practice lists 17 psychosocial hazards: the 14 national model hazards plus fatigue, job insecurity and intrusive surveillance.
When did Commonwealth psychosocial regulations start?
Amendments to the Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 (Cth) covering psychosocial risks applied from 1 April 2023.
Does Comcare cover private businesses?
Comcare covers Commonwealth agencies and organisations licensed to self-insure under the Comcare scheme. Other businesses are covered by their state or territory regulator.
Source: Comcare. General information only, not legal advice.
Better humans. Safer workplaces.