Managing psychosocial hazards this World Day for Safety and Health at Work

It’s time to gear up for World Day for Safety and Health at Work, which will take place next week on 28 April 2026. Start planning now to recognise this day in your workplace.

The theme this year will focus on healthy psychosocial working environments for all workers.

As with other years, World Day for Safety and Health at Work also coincides with the International Workers’ Memorial Day, which remembers workers killed or injured in the workplace. Memorial services are held in each state and territory, and can be found on your safety regulator’s website.

This year’s theme: Psychosocial harm

There has been a lot of recent focus by regulators on the risks posed by psychosocial hazards. Now businesses are increasingly undertaking detailed reviews of their work systems and processes to ensure common hazards, such as excessive job demands, poor job control, poor job clarity, poor organisational change and more overt hazards such as bullying, harassment and exposure to trauma, are managed effectively.

What can you do?

Each state and territory regulator is promoting World Day for Safety and Health at Work. The national body, Safe Work Australia, has published resources that your business can use to promote and recognise the day.

Resources include co-brandable items, such as a poster, desktop wallpaper, video call background and animated GIF.

The use of social tiles and the hashtags #WorldWHSDay2026 #SafeDay2026 are also good ways to promote the importance of safety, and draw workers’ attention to the systems that your business has in place to manage the risks of psychosocial harm.

And if you need more assistance, the Health & Safety Handbook has a chapter dedicated to helping you manage psychosocial hazards. Plus, Safe Work Australia has published resources on psychosocial hazards in the workplace, which provide examples of how to manage the risks.

Be sure to take the opportunity to plan now for this important event.

*Note: Image sourced from Safe Work Australia.

More than inconvenience required to suspend Queensland rail worker bans, FWC finds
The Fair Work Commission has power to suspend or terminate protected industrial action for a proposed enterprise agreement if satisfied the action threatens public safety, health or welfare ...