Queensland names secondary psychological injury as a psychosocial hazard in return to work

WHS Queensland used Safe Work Month to make a point that is easy to miss: workplace health and safety is not only about stopping physical injuries. It is also about protecting psychological health while a worker recovers from one. The regulator warns that secondary psychological injury, the harm that builds up during rehabilitation and return to work, is increasing across Australia and can push up claim costs. The regulator describes how it tends to arise. A worker feels unsupported, disconnected from the workplace, uncertain about their recovery, or left out of decisions that affect them. Those are not abstract feelings. They are conditions an employer can see, manage and record. WHS Queensland lists five actions: managing psychosocial hazards in the workplace, making early supportive contact after an injury, communicating clearly, respectfully and with empathy, treating psychological recovery as part of recovery, and involving the worker in their rehabilitation and return to work. Each one leaves a trail. A named contact and the date of first contact, a documented return-to-work plan the worker helped shape, and a review date on the psychosocial hazards that were identified. If you can't show those, you can't show you managed the risk.