Work Health and Safety Act 2012 (SA)
Sets the primary duty of care. Health includes psychological health, so the duty has always covered mental health at work.
South Australia · Employer guide
Psychosocial hazards in the workplace SA
Safer work starts with your people.
What South Australia law requires — and how to protect your people.
Understand your obligations
What are the rules in South Australia?
Quick answer
In South Australia, psychosocial hazards in the workplace are managed under the Work Health and Safety Act 2012 (SA) and the WHS Regulations 2012 (SA). Since 25 December 2023, amendment regulations have required businesses to manage psychosocial risks using the same risk management process that applies to physical hazards, consulting workers throughout. SafeWork SA is the regulator.
The legal framework
The laws that apply in SA
Key milestones
How we got here
2012
WHS Act 2012 (SA) sets the general duty covering psychological health.
25 Dec 2023
Psychosocial risk amendment regulations commence.
Ongoing
SafeWork SA supports employers with guidance and compliance activity.
Recognise the risk
Common psychosocial hazards in South Australia workplaces
Hazards rarely appear alone — they stack, and the combined effect drives harm.
Local context matters
What's different in SA?
Same process as physical risks
The regulations bring psychosocial risks into the existing risk management steps: identify, assess, control, and review.
Controls must change the work
When choosing controls, employers must consider how long, how often and how seriously people are exposed, and how hazards combine.
Multi-state employers
If you also operate interstate, build one system that meets the strictest jurisdiction you work in, then apply it everywhere.
People, not paperwork
How South Australia 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 South Australia
When did psychosocial regulations start in South Australia?
The Work Health and Safety (Psychosocial Risks) Amendment Regulations 2023 commenced on 25 December 2023.
How many psychosocial hazards apply in South Australia?
South Australia uses the national model WHS framework, which identifies 14 common psychosocial hazards. Check SafeWork SA's current code for the full list it describes.
Who regulates psychosocial hazards in South Australia?
SafeWork SA regulates workplace health and safety in South Australia, including psychosocial risks.
Source: SafeWork SA. General information only, not legal advice.
Better humans. Safer workplaces.