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The Victorian Government has released the Occupational Health and Safety (Psychological Health) Regulations, which will commence on 1 December 2025. The regulations set out obligations for Victorian employers to identify, assess, and manage psychosocial hazards such as bullying, high job demands, poor support, and exposure to traumatic events. Employers will need to review their systems, consult with employees, and ensure risks are either eliminated or reduced so far as reasonably practicable. While the regulations do not take effect until December, employers may find it valuable to begin preparations now. The Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry can assist with: • Consulting support – tailored advice on managing psychosocial risks. • Member resources – templates and guidance materials. • Training programs – practical education for managers and staff. Contact the Victorian Chamber today to learn how we can support your business in meeting these new requirements or read the full article here: https://ow.ly/SNHo50X4KRS

Oh my goodness it finally happened! During the week the Victorian Government released confirmation the much awaited, much talked about workplace psychosocial safety regulations will be live from 1 December 2025. These regs give some shape to an exisiting obligation employers have - to keep people safe at work. This is a great development - it’s easy to spot a trip hazard, but much trickier to identify and treat a psychological hazard. It’s time to get ready and the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has you covered - from our outstanding training offerings, to our partnership with AP Psychology & Consulting Services (more here - https://lnkd.in/g2n53C2P) to my team’s consulting work in building healthy workplace culture we’ve got your back! Don’t wait to 1 December - take steps now to look after your team. Hit me up if you want to know more and check out this article by m’colleague Michael Sabljak.

We at Access Independent Living Services recognize the widespread impact of trauma on individuals physical and psychological well-being and strive to build an environment where staff and clients feel safe and empowered. Which is exactly why Access has recently completed the Becoming Institute’s trauma informed certification. 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: This organization has completed trauma-informed training with the Becoming Institute and is building a Culture of Excellence-fostering psychological safety, supporting staff through healing-centred policies, and strengthening community connectedness. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗗𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝗻? Acquiring the Becoming Institute’s trauma-informed certification confirms that Access has undergone a thorough review including policy and workplace safety protocols, exposure assessment, context-specific training, and implementation of healing-centered practices. Access has also committed to a bi-annual certification renewal to ensure all policies, training and practices remain effective. #HomecareCareers #Healthcare #IndependentLiving #traumainformed #becominginstitute

Training Isn’t Enough: New Victorian Regulations on Psychosocial Hazards From 1 December 2025, Victoria’s new Occupational Health and Safety (Psychological Health) Regulations will change how organisations must manage psychosocial hazards. A key shift is that information, instruction, and training can no longer be used as the predominant risk control. Training-only approaches are permitted only where higher-order controls (like redesigning work, systems, or environments) are not reasonably practicable. Why does this matter? Because psychosocial risks (bullying, high job demands, poor support, role ambiguity, exposure to trauma, poor interpersonal relationships) cannot be meaningfully addressed through workshops or eLearning alone. We need to go upstream. That means: 1.     Job and system redesign to ensure clarity, fairness, and manageable workloads 2.     Leadership and supervision structures that foster respect and inclusion 3.     Safe environments with adequate resourcing and support mechanisms 4.     Organisational changes that reduce harmful exposures at their source Training is still important, but it’s there to support these changes, not substitute for them. This regulatory reform aligns Victoria with other jurisdictions, but it goes further in spelling out the hierarchy of controls. It’s a wake-up call for organisations that have relied too heavily on education campaigns without tackling root causes. The message is clear: if you want to build a mentally healthy workplace, fix the system first. What does that mean for your organisation? #organisationalpsychology

Are your teams skilled? With workplace mental health legislation becoming even more important in ensuring workplace safety for our sector, now is the time to ensure your organisation is compliant, confident, and resilient. The Frontline Focus: Mental Health First Aid & Aggression Awareness microcredential — delivered by genU Training in partnership with NESA Academy — equips Employment Services leaders and frontline staff with the tools to: - Manage occupational violence and aggression (OVA) - Gain Mental Health First Aid certification - Build confidence in challenging client interactions - Strengthen workplace wellbeing and compliance Study Mode: Virtual classroom Includes: e-learning and an online session Take action now to protect your staff and stay ahead of compliance changes. Learn more or enrol today: https://lnkd.in/g6ckxQjm #NESA #NesaAcademy #genUTraining #EmploymentServices #MentalHealth #WorkplaceWellbeing #FrontlineFocus #Training #EducationForGood #genU #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth

Back pain and musculoskeletal issues are among the leading causes of workplace absence. This week is the perfect reminder to put proactive measures in place to protect your team. At Health Matters, we support organisations with short, elearning courses in Manual Handling Awareness and Display Screen Equipment (DS) - Risk Assessor. A healthier back = a healthier, more productive workplace. 👉 Learn more about our training here: https://lnkd.in/e-YYw4ws #BackCareAwarenessWeek #ManualHandling #DSE #MSK #WorkplaceWellbeing #HealthMattersTraining

Policies on substance use exist in most safety-sensitive workplaces, but they’re not always working. Nearly 4 in 10 managers admit these policies aren’t enforced, not followed, or poorly designed. That gap has real consequences. In fact, 20% of workers and 35% of managers in safety-sensitive roles report using alcohol or drugs before or during work. When policies are ignored, risk becomes normalized, and lives are put at stake. Policies alone don’t keep people safe. Education does. Workers, supervisors, and leaders need to understand how to recognize impairment, how to apply policies consistently, and how to create a culture where safety comes first. 👉 That’s why we created the Alcohol and Substance Awareness Program - ASAP - practical education that helps workplaces close the gap between “having a policy” and actually protecting people. https://lnkd.in/gdsgRfQE #SafetySensitive #WorkplaceSafety #CultureChange #ASAP #CCSA CITATION: McIlwaine, S., Meister, S., Barker, B., Dassieu, L., Noorbakhsh, S., Panesar, B., and Beirness, D. (2025). Workplaces and substance use: Safety-sensitive positions (Brief). Ottawa, Ont.: Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction. 

Under the new Victorian Psychological Health Regulations 2025, training is not a substitute for fixing the system. Psychosocial safety isn’t built in a classroom; it’s built into the way work is done. Regulation 15 is clear - you must first eliminate or reduce hazards at their source. Too many organisations reach for awareness sessions while ignoring the underlying work design that creates risk. Here’s the order that counts – the hierarchy of controls for psychological health: 1️⃣ Eliminate the hazard - redesign roles, resources or processes that cause harm. 2️⃣ Reduce through systems and management - adjust workload, rosters, policies. 3️⃣ Improve environment and culture - leadership behaviours, communication, trust. 4️⃣ Only then, educate and train. If you can train someone to cope with a bad system, you can also fix the system so they don’t need to cope. Eliminate the cause before you educate the symptom. (NB - this is an informal briefing and does not constitute legal advice) humn has designed a risk assessment and control platform to help you navigate this step - contact us hello@humn.global to discuss where you are at. #PsychosocialSafety #HumnCertified #OHSRegulations #WorkDesign #SafeWork #Leadership #ISO45003 #Culture #Governance

🚨 New WorkSafe Victoria Compliance Code: Psychological Health WorkSafe Victoria now provides guidance on psychological health in the workplace under the OHS Act and the new 2025 regulations. Employers should now: - Identify and manage psychosocial hazards - Assess and control associated risks - Review risk controls regularly - Manage reports of incidents ✅ Following the code isn’t mandatory, but doing so demonstrates compliance with legal duties – and helps create a safer, healthier workplace. 💡 Need support? Standby Safety can help businesses assess psychosocial risks, implement controls, and provide expert safety consulting to meet these obligations confidently - reach out to the team today. Victorian Government #WorkSafe #PsychologicalHealth #WorkplaceSafety #OHS #Compliance

FREE WEBINAR: VICARIOUS TRAUMA IN THE WORKPLACE Australian work health and safety (WHS) regulations require employers to proactively manage exposure to traumatic events and materials as a psychosocial hazard. While direct risks to trauma exposure are often widely understood, indirect trauma exposure (such as hearing accounts of traumatic events or materials, or being exposed to traumatic accounts through the course of work) is arguably lesser known, yet no less important. Facilitated by Dr Kim Hamrosi, with insights from Churchill Fellow Amy Nicholas and Transitioning Well's Dr. Eleanor De Ath-Miller, this webinar aims to address: ❇️ What vicarious trauma can look like in a workplace setting ❇️ Emerging approaches to prevention and support ❇️ Practical strategies informed by Amy Nicholas's research. This session will not be recorded. Register here: https://lnkd.in/gJXeqfv3