Psychosocial hazards in South Australia and SafeWork SA
Short answer
In South Australia, an approved Code of Practice covers managing psychosocial hazards at work. SafeWork SA says the PCBU is responsible for protecting workers from the risk of harm from exposure. It says its own role is to make sure businesses meet their obligations. Haznote adds a confidential route for workers.
Automatically checked against SafeWork SA on 31 Oct 2026.
What the regulator says
SafeWork SA’s guidance runs from a basics page, through what psychosocial hazards are and why to manage them, to four steps for managing them. It calls understanding and managing these hazards a legal responsibility and an investment in the health of workers, organisations and the community.
What is particular to SA
SafeWork SA organises its guidance by situation: harmful behaviours, handling complaints, office and home-based work, remote and isolated work, and alcohol and other drugs. It names South Australia’s approved Code of Practice. It frames its own role as making sure businesses meet their obligations under the Work Health and Safety Act 2012 (SA). It also offers webinars and e-learning on legal duties, risk management and job design.
A worked example
A pipe layer on an Adelaide-area site is one of a trench crew of two and has begun to dread shifts with one particular leading hand. She reports the behaviour confidentially. The person handling it keeps two questions apart, how the leading hand behaves and how the crew is rostered, and records both.
What a useful record looks like
South Australia’s guidance is practical about complaints. It points readers to a grievance and complaint resolution process for the individual matter, and to the psychosocial pages for the hazard behind it. Haznote follows the same split. A confidential report raises the matter. The company then decides what belongs in a grievance process and what belongs in its hazard records.
How Haznote handles it
Haznote records the report, its time and its evidence, and routes a confidential report to the company’s confidential contact. It does not replace the complaint-handling process SafeWork SA describes. A confidential report doesn’t go to site managers. If it also describes a physical hazard, they get a summary of just that part, without the worker’s name.
What the regulator says
Each row shows the source’s own words, who published them and when they were last checked by script.
| Item | What it says | Source and check date |
|---|---|---|
| Code of practice | South Australia's approved Code of Practice covers managing psychosocial hazards at work. Source says: | SafeWork SA Checked 31 Oct 2026 |
| Regulator role | SafeWork SA's role is to ensure duty holders meet their obligations under the Work Health and Safety Act 2012 (SA). Source says: | SafeWork SA Checked 31 Oct 2026 |
| PCBU duty | The PCBU has a duty to protect workers from the risk of harm from exposure to psychosocial hazards and risks. Source says: | SafeWork SA Checked 31 Oct 2026 |
Plain answers.
Is there an approved code in South Australia?
Yes. SafeWork SA names an approved Code of Practice for managing psychosocial hazards at work.
What are the four steps?
SafeWork SA has a page that sets out four steps to managing psychosocial hazards and risks.
Does it cover remote work?
SafeWork SA has a page for remote and isolated work and another for office and home-based work.
Where this comes from.
- Psychosocial hazards · SafeWork SA
General information, not legal advice. Check the current rules with SafeWork SA.
Give workers a confidential route that skips the site manager.
Run it on one site and see the first report land in the manager’s list.