New codes of practice to handle psychosocial hazards in SA workplaces come into force

New codes of practice to handle psychosocial hazards in SA workplaces come into force on 19 February, giving employers across South Australia enforceable direction on preventing psychological harm, bullying, and sexual and gender-based harassment at work.

Guesswork is replaced by a measurable management framework — one that inspectors, insurers, and courts can assess your systems against.

Quick summary

• What changed: Two codes — Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work and Sexual and Gender-Based Harassment — took effect on 19 February.
• Who must comply: Every business, contractor, and volunteer organisation carrying out work in SA.
• Origin: Safe Work Australia's national Model Code of Practice, refined through consultation with unions and employer representatives.
• What each new code delivers: Practical management guidance for spotting, assessing, and controlling psychosocial risk.

What the new codes of practice require

The codes of practice for 'Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work and Sexual and Gender-Based Harassment', effective from 19th February, are derived from the national Model Code of Practice established by Safe Work Australia, while also integrating considerable further discussions with unions and employer representatives in South Australia.

According to SafeWork SA, the new codes of practice are in line with the enforcement of the Work Health and Safety (Psychosocial Risks) Amendment Regulations 2023, which came into effect in South Australia on 25 December 2023.

Each new code provides practical guidance rather than legal theory — worked examples, control hierarchies, consultation prompts, and record-keeping expectations that slot straight into an existing safety management system.

Psychosocial hazards named in the SA code

SafeWork SA identifies work-related pressures capable of damaging mental wellbeing. Frequently reported examples include:

• High or unreasonable job demands paired with low job control
• Poor support from supervisors, peers, or systems
• Bullying, aggression, or violence from customers and clients
• Sexual and gender-based harassment
• Exposure to traumatic events or hazardous, distressing content
• Remote or isolated work, role ambiguity, and weak organisational justice
• Insecure employment, low reward, and hazardous work environments

Management responsibilities for South Australian employers

Officers and senior management must show how psychosocial hazards get identified, eliminated, or minimised so far as is reasonably practicable. Documented procedures carry that evidence — memory does not.

Employers must manage psychosocial hazards with the same rigour applied to plant, chemicals, and working at heights.

A defensible psychosocial risk management cycle looks like this:

1. Identify — consult staff and health and safety representatives, review complaint data, then map exposure by role.
2. Assess — weigh likelihood, frequency, duration, and severity of each risk.
3. Control — redesign the job itself first; visible management commitment beats another poster.
4. Review — schedule management review after incidents, restructures, or grievances.
5. Record — keep dated proof of consultation and control decisions.

Embedding psychosocial hazards management into existing systems

Most SA businesses already operate a safety management system covering plant, chemicals, and site risks. Psychosocial hazard management belongs in that same structure, not a separate binder.

• Add psychosocial entries to your hazard register and risk register
• Update your psychosocial hazards policy so accountability sits with named management roles
• Brief supervisors on early warning signs and escalation pathways
• Store consultation outcomes inside your management system documentation
• Extend contractor management arrangements to cover harassment reporting

Complying with the psychosocial hazards code

Complying begins with documentation mirroring the code's structure. Our psychosocial hazards safety management plans give South Australian businesses an editable management framework, while the legislation and codes of practice reference list keeps your compliance register current.

• Map every code requirement to a named owner and review date
• Apply change management steps whenever roles, rosters, or reporting lines shift
• Pair psychosocial controls with fatigue management and workload limits
• Report performance to the board alongside other safety measures

What SafeWork SA says

Glenn Farrell, SafeWork SA Executive Director, said the newly established codes serve as an essential resource for employers to recognise, mitigate, and manage psychosocial safety risks in the workplace, while also educating employees about their rights to a secure work environment.

“The regulations and new codes of practice will support businesses in ensuring their most valuable assets – their workers – are free from harm at work,” he said.

Related reading

Comparable management expectations already apply interstate and across the Tasman:

• WA approves new codes of practice
• Northern Territory approves new Codes of Practice
• New codes of practice in Queensland
• HSW Approved Codes of Practice Register – NZ
• New Zealand management systems documentation

Health and safety management is judged on evidence, never intent. Review your management arrangements now, brief your leaders, and document each control before an inspector asks. Find out more here.