Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic)
Victoria did not adopt the model WHS Act — its OHS Act sets the general duty to provide a workplace that is safe and without risks to health, including psychological health.
Victoria · Employer guide
Psychosocial hazards in the workplace Victoria
Safer work starts with your people.
What Victoria law requires — and how to protect your people.
Hazard examples
16
Your regulator
WorkSafe Victoria
Your duty
Identify · Assess · Act · Monitor
Understand your obligations
What are the rules in Victoria?
Quick answer
In Victoria, psychosocial hazards in the workplace are managed under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 and the Occupational Health and Safety Amendment (Psychological Health) Regulations, which commenced on 1 December 2025. Employers must identify psychosocial hazards, eliminate or reduce the risk so far as reasonably practicable, use the hierarchy of controls, and review controls. WorkSafe Victoria's compliance code lists 16 examples of psychosocial hazards.
The legal framework
The laws that apply in VIC
OHS Amendment (Psychological Health) Regulations
Commenced 1 December 2025. Makes psychosocial risk management an explicit regulatory duty, including a hierarchy of controls specific to psychosocial hazards.
Psychological Health Compliance Code
WorkSafe Victoria's practical guidance on how to comply, with 16 examples of psychosocial hazards.
Key milestones
How we got here
2004
OHS Act 2004 sets the general duty covering psychological health.
2022–23
Draft psychological health regulations released for consultation.
1 Dec 2025
Psychological Health Regulations commence — explicit duties apply.
Recognise the risk
Common psychosocial hazards in Victoria workplaces
Hazards rarely appear alone — they stack, and the combined effect drives harm.
- Job demands (high or low)
- Low job control
- Poor support
- Lack of role clarity
- Poor organisational change management
- Inadequate reward and recognition
- Poor organisational justice
- Traumatic events or material
- Remote or isolated work
- Poor physical environment
- Violence and aggression
- Bullying
- Harassment, including sexual and gender-based harassment
- Conflict or poor workplace relationships
- Exposure to fatigue-inducing work patterns and isolated work settings
- Work-related housing and living conditions (e.g. FIFO/DIDO accommodation)
Local context matters
What's different in VIC?
Prevention is the standard
Victoria's rules focus on stopping harm before it happens — eliminating hazards at the source, not just offering support after a worker is unwell.
A dedicated hierarchy of controls
Work design, systems and environment changes come first; information, training and instruction alone are not enough where higher controls are practicable.
Consultation matters
Employers must consult with employees and Health and Safety Representatives when identifying hazards and deciding on controls.
People, not paperwork
How Victoria 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.
01
Identify
Surface hazards early from everyday signals, not annual surveys.
02
Assess
Understand risk across the recognised hazard categories.
03
Act
Implement controls that address the source of the risk.
04
Monitor
Keep a live, evidence-backed record that proves the work.
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 Victoria
When did Victoria's psychosocial regulations start?
The OHS Amendment (Psychological Health) Regulations commenced on 1 December 2025.
How many psychosocial hazards are there in Victoria?
WorkSafe Victoria's compliance code gives 16 examples — the 14 national model hazards plus additional examples such as remote or isolated work considerations and work-related housing.
Does the model WHS Code of Practice apply in Victoria?
No. Victoria operates under its own OHS Act 2004 and regulations, so Victorian employers should follow WorkSafe Victoria's compliance code.
Source: WorkSafe Victoria. General information only, not legal advice.
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