A guide to help you find suitable risk assessment tools to manage psychosocial risk in your workplace.
There are a range of free and fee-based tools available to help organisations manage psychosocial risks in the workplace.
We've compared 3 options in the table below and also identified additional tools, guides and resources to help choose the tool most suitable tool for your workplace.
Psychosocial hazards are aspects of work which have the potential to cause psychological or physical harm.
The Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work Code of Practice 2024 identifies 17 psychosocial hazards.
Employers have responsibilities under WHS laws to adequately manage psychosocial hazards and risks in the workplace.
Psychosocial risk assessment tools can help organisations understand more about hazards in the workplace, however assessment tools alone are not sufficient to manage these risks. They are often a first step in a coordinated approach to managing psychosocial hazards.
Other important steps include securing senior management support, strong communication and consultation with workers, data analysis and interpretation, acting on the findings, and continually monitoring progress.
Key questions for selecting an appropriate tool
Every organisation is different and the most appropriate tool may depend on multiple factors including organisation size and resources, nature of work, workplace culture, structure and budget.
Here are some key questions to consider when selecting an appropriate tool for your organisation:
- Does the tool measure what is important to your organisation?
- What knowledge, skills and capacity are required to implement the tool effectively?
- Which features are the most important to your organisation? For example, evidence-based, validated, benchmarked, secure, cost-effective implementation support?
Comparison of psychosocial risk assessment tools
Use the table to decide which of the tools is most appropriate for your workplace. These tools are:
- free* and relevant within the Australian context
- intended for use by HR and/or WHS managers
- suitable for use across various industries. However, ADDRESS is intended only for Australian Public Sector (APS) organisations.
| Tool | ADDRESS Autonomy, Define, Demands, Recognition, Exposure, Support and Strengths | COPSOQ III Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire III | PSC Psychosocial Safety Climate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Description | An APS model for responding to psychosocial hazards in the workplace. It uses existing APS Employee Census data and provides resources and tools to assess and manage risks at both the organisational and team or branch levels. | An internationally validated evidence-based tool to assess psychosocial risk, stress and wellbeing in the workplace | An evidence-based survey tool to measure the organisational safety climate for worker mental health. It acts as a leading indicator for workplace wellbeing. |
| Key features | The model helps APS agencies map their census results to the ADDRESS factors (Autonomy, Define, Demands, Recognition, Exposure, Support, Strengths). It recognises all 17 hazards identified in the new Commonwealth Code of Practice. Guides and resources are provided to help navigate the process
| The survey assesses common psychosocial domains such as social support, effort rewards, job demands and resources, work-family conflict. It recognises up to 12 out of 17 hazards identified in the Commonwealth Code of Practice. The COPSOQ III Guidelines and questionnaire are freely available*. General information on COPSOQ is available through the international network (*fee may be payable). Development of the COPSOQ AU for the Australian context is currently underway. As the adaptation of COPSOQ AU for the Australian context continues, any questions about implementation or interpretation can be directed to Implementation Support for further assistance. | A short survey that can be embedded in broader surveys. Focussed on management commitment, management priority, organisational participation and organisational communication. * Free access to the tools may be offered. Organisations are required to request permission to use the Psychosocial Safety Climate Tools and a license fee may be payable to the American Psychological Association who own the copyright. |
| Methodology | Self-assessment via APS Learn account. A Psychosocial Hazard Mapping tool is used to identify psychosocial hazards using the organisations APS Census results. OR Use the alternative Hazard Identification screener when there are no APS Census data. There are 30 questions to identify psychosocial hazards. ADDRESS follows four steps:
| A survey sent to workers to assess psychosocial risks and protective factors. COPSOQ III is adaptable. The number of items vary based on the version administered. 3 questionnaires are available:
The short and medium surveys are typically used to screen and assess psychosocial hazards in the workplace, whereas the long version provides a more comprehensive risk assessment suited for academic or policy research. The time to complete ranges from 20 minutes to 60 minutes.
| A short 2-to-3-minute survey is sent to workers to measure psychosocial safety climate. PSC-12 includes 12 items, or the PSC-4 is a shorter, 4-item version that can be used. Questions are answered on a 5-point Likert scale. |
| Limitations | For use by APS organisations with a minimum of 20 employees– not publicly available. Requires an APS Learn account to access the content. Not suitable for all industries. | The tool has limited modification. *COPSOQ is licensed under creative commons. Fees may be payable for additional support. | Questions and the scoring methodology are provided – there is no platform, supporting resources or templates. Does not measure specific psychosocial hazards. The researchers will need to be consulted on any use of the tool, and a license fee may be payable. |
| Benchmarking | No | Yes. This generic tool suits any job across industries and workplaces, private or public, of any size. | Yes. PSC-12 and PSC-4 are both reliable and valid in multiple studies and workplace environments, including Australia. |
| Validated | No | Yes. A globally validated survey used across sectors and 18 countries, including Australia. It is available in 25 languages. | Yes. The scales have been translated and validated in multiple languages through international research. Below are the available versions with links to the original sources. |
Other free tools
A Participative Hazard Identification and Risk Management Toolkit (APHIRM)
Developed by Latrobe University, APHIRM provides free tools and resources to help manage physical and psychosocial hazards associated with the increased risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). The toolkit survey assesses a number of hazards including emotional demands, support, workload, physical environment and development opportunities.
Methodology
APHIRM is evidence-based and validated in Australia. The included psychosocial hazards are based on Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ) categories. The toolkit includes case studies. The resources can be customised to be relevant to specific organisational needs. The tool provides risk management actions that align with the top 10 MSD hazards identified in the survey. Industry specific benchmarking is provided.
Limitations
APHIRM is primarily focused on reducing musculoskeletal disorders.
More information
Fee-based tools
Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ)
The questionnaire broadly measures the ‘content’ of work tasks. It’s focused on job demands, control, and social support, primarily assessing work stress and job strain. Also includes physical demands, job insecurity, and macro-level work factors. Based on Karasek’s Demand-Control-Support Model, which links job strain to work-related health outcomes.
Methodology
Self-administered survey. Takes 15–30minutes depending on which version of the questionnaire is used (JCQ1 and new JCQ2).
Limitations
Limited in scope—focuses mainly on job demands, control, and social support but lacks broader work characteristics (beyond stress). May not fully capture modern work contexts (e.g., remote work, gig economy).
More information
- Job Content Questionnaire (JQL)
- To use the JCQ, please submit the Usage Request Information Form – JCQ Center Global ApS
Thrive at Work Survey
Future of Work Institute's Thrive at Work survey measures employee wellbeing and perceptions about the degree to which the organisation mitigates illness, prevents harm and promotes thriving. It is underpinned by the evidence-based Thrive at Work framework that helps organisations navigate and identify strategies for improving mental health at work. It is a reliable and validated assessment tool developed by organisational psychology researchers and practitioners.
Methodology
The results are presented live on the Thrive at Work Platform through interactive dashboards. Different data visualisation techniques and filters are used to make the results easy to interpret. The platform provides analysis on relationships between the variables measured and employee outcomes. Individuals are provided with access to their results, and practical tips and strategies for improving their experience at work.
Limitations
It is beneficial if users are familiar with the Thrive at Work Framework. The tool does not focus on measurement of psychosocial hazards.
More information
Guides and resources
Tailored tools from other work health and safety regulators in Australia
Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire III (COPSOQ III)
- National validation studies
- COPSOQ III Guidelines and questionnaire
- Validation and benchmarks for the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ III) in an Australian working population sample(BMC Public Health)
- Validating the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ-II) Using Set-ESEM: Identifying Psychosocial Risk Factors in a Sample of School Principals (BMC Public Health)
Psychosocial Safety Climate (PSC)
- PSC Tool (Stress Café)
- A Short PSC Tool (Springer Nature Link)
- Development of the PSC-12 (APA PsycNet)
Other resources
- Comcare's Regulatory guide - Managing psychosocial hazards
- Measuring mentally healthy workplaces: A practical guide for medium to large organisations
- Measuring mentally healthy workplaces: A practical guide for small business and sole traders
- Workplace physical and psychosocial hazards: A systematic review of evidence informed hazard identification tools
Do you know of any other psychosocial risk assessment tools not mentioned here?
If so, please email us at research@comcare.gov.au