Unpacking WorkSafe's NEW Occupational Health and Safety (Psychological Health) Regulations

Dear 

Did you know from December 1, 2025, new Occupational Health and Safety (Psychological Health) Regulations will require all employers, including Victorian schools, to treat psychosocial hazards with the same seriousness as physical risks. This means proactively managing issues like workload, trauma exposure, bullying and emotional demands that your staff experience every day.

School leaders will need to embed psychological health into their OHS frameworks, consult staff and implement practical measures to protect wellbeing. They will be required to:

• Identify psychosocial hazards in their environment (e.g., workload, role clarity, bullying)
• Implement control measures to reduce risks, such as workload management policies, clear reporting channels and wellbeing programs
• Consult with staff when assessing risks and designing interventions
• Train leaders and managers to recognise and respond to psychosocial hazards
• Monitor and review the effectiveness of these measures on a regular basis.

SchoolED is offering a FREE webinar on Monday 8 December, 4:30-5pm (AEST) to help you understand what you will be required to do for the new

Victorian WorkSafe Occupational Health and Safety (Psychological Health) Regulations.

This webinar will outline key components of this legislation and its specific relevance to schools and outline ways in which you can be better prepared including:

• An overview of the legislation and its implications for Principals, delegates and staff
• An explanation of psychosocial hazards and psychological safety
• Identification of key policies that must explicitly include mental health and wellbeing strategies (including child safety).
• An overview of professional development for principals and teachers on managing psychosocial risks.

We understand that schools face distinctive psychosocial hazards compared to other workplaces, including:

• Exposure to traumatic events: Staff may encounter disclosures of abuse or critical incidents that impact mental health.
• High emotional demands: Managing student wellbeing, parental expectations and community pressures can lead to stress and burnout.
• Bullying and harassment risks: Both staff-to-staff and student-to-staff interactions can create psychosocial hazards.
• Safeguarding obligations: Teachers and staff often deal with child protection issues, which can expose them to vicarious trauma.

While adherence is a legislated responsibility, there are also known benefits of a stronger focus on psychosocial safety including: improved staff wellbeing, staff retention and morale, and a safer environment for teachers that ultimately supports schools to achieve better student outcomes.

Does your school need OHS support in 2026?

We offer OHS support to a range of primary, secondary, SDS and specialist schools across metropolitan and regional Victoria. We have a great track record of achieving high results with OHS audits and can tailor our consultancy to meet the needs of your school. 

Other Services We Offer