Responding to incidents of suicidal behaviour

This page discusses suicide, suicidal behaviour and related workplace incidents. Some readers may find this content distressing. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 000. If you need support, consider contacting a crisis support service or someone you trust.

What are suicidal behaviours?

Suicidal behaviour is a broad term that encompasses suicide, suicide attempt and suicidal ideation. 

• Suicide – when a person intentionally ends their own life
• Suspected suicide – when it is suspected a person intentionally ended their own life, but a coroner has not yet made that determination
• Suicide attempt – when a person attempts to intentionally end their own life, but survives
• Suspected attempted suicide – when it is suspected that a person attempted to intentionally end their own life, but they survived and have not yet communicated that they were attempting suicide
• Suicidal ideation – contemplations, wishes or preoccupations with the idea of death and dying.

PCBUs should avoid making findings about a person’s intent. For deaths, whether a death was suicide is a matter for formal determination by the appropriate authority, such as a coroner.

Initial response

If anyone at your workplace is in immediate danger, call 000. 

Suicidal behaviours should be included in emergency plans as potential workplace events. PCBUs are not expected to predict an individual worker’s behaviour, but they should have systems in place to respond to incidents of suicidal behaviour, and support people who may be affected.

Controls should be in place to reduce the impact of exposure to psychosocial hazards, support the physical and psychological health of the people affected, and assist in their recovery or return to work if required.

In the initial response to an incident of attempted suicide or suspected attempted suicide, follow the advice of qualified health professionals or first responders. Any physical injuries must be treated as a priority. 

If a worker discloses thoughts of suicide, their safety should be treated as a priority. It is important to act immediately, and encourage the person to seek help. Healthdirect provides guidance and links to further support services that can assist in navigating the immediate response. 

Trauma-informed support

A trauma-informed response to a disclosure of suicidal ideation or a suicide attempt can significantly increase the chances of recovery. Such an approach helps maintain a supportive work environment where workers feel safe to report incidents and discuss their concerns about poor mental health, suicidal thoughts, or colleagues they suspect are having suicidal thoughts.

The 5 principles of trauma-informed practice are safety, trustworthiness, choice, collaboration and empowerment. Being trauma-informed means understanding the significant impact that re-traumatisation or further traumatisation can have on a person. 

Support the affected worker’s autonomy

Discussing what the worker wants and needs to support their recovery, and helping them to achieve this can aid the development of a renewed sense of safety and control. This can include flexible return to work arrangements, referrals to external services or transfer to a different team or workplace.

Any workplace changes should be developed in consultation with the worker, taking into account their expressed needs and preferences. Changes imposed without meaningful consultation can undermine the worker’s sense of autonomy and control, and may have unintended adverse consequences. For example, transferring a worker to another team following a workplace conflict may be counterproductive if the worker feels safe and supported within their existing team.

Facilitate recovery

Have an appropriate person facilitate the worker’s recovery and return to work, with clear expectations about the limits of their role and the support they can provide. Where possible, encourage the worker to be involved in deciding who this should be. Provide guidance or options to help the worker identify a suitable person, such as a trusted manager, HR representative, return to work coordinator, HSR, peer support person or other appropriate support. The facilitator should be someone the worker is comfortable speaking with, who can act in good faith and help coordinate support without overstepping professional boundaries.

Prioritise early access to help

Early access to medical and psychological support services should be prioritised, with systems in place to facilitate access to these services. 

Extend support to others

Sometimes suicidal behaviours are reported by a trusted colleague, family member or other person at the workplace. Where possible, support should be extended to the individual that reported the behaviour, who may themselves be distressed or negatively impacted. Supports should include acute and ongoing support for workers, monitoring for signs of suicidal ideation among other workers, and reinforcing positive mental health messaging and help-seeking practices. PCBUs should ensure that all workers are aware of the support systems available to them, including crisis services.

Workplace investigations and review of controls

A decision that an incident is not notifiable does not remove the PCBU’s duty to manage work-related health and safety risks. This includes reviewing controls where the incident may indicate exposure to workplace psychosocial hazards.

Review controls

Whether or not an incident is notifiable, PCBUs should consider whether the incident indicates that psychosocial hazards or other work-related risks have not been adequately controlled.

This review is separate from the statutory notification process. 

The review should focus on work-related factors, hazards, risks, and follow-up actions within the PCBU’s influence. It should not involve investigating the personal circumstances of the individual, including seeking information from the worker, their family or others about intent, medical history or other private matters.

A PCBU should conduct this review regardless of whether it is required to notify Comcare of the incident, and regardless of any separate investigation conducted by other organisations. Reviewing systems and control measures helps to identify factors that may have increased the risk of suicidal thoughts or behaviours and any areas for improvement.

Investigate promptly

Investigate as soon as possible after the incident. This will ensure that information can be gathered while the people involved can accurately remember events. However, any investigation should be conducted in a trauma-informed manner. Avoid requiring witnesses and affected workers to repeat what happened on multiple occasions. Investigations must be treated with the utmost sensitivity and confidentiality.

Focus on the work-related hazards and risks

Workplace investigation activities should focus on: 

• organisational and work environment risk factors that may have contributed to the incident 
• the frequency and likelihood of repeat exposure to the hazard or risks 
• the identification and implementation of control measures that can assist in preventing recurrence of workers’ exposure to these hazards and risks. 

Consider the below list of questions as a starting point. This list is not exhaustive:

• Were there identifiable work related psychosocial hazards present in the work area?
• Were any known industry or role-specific risks present?
• Were supervision, management support and escalation pathways appropriate and accessible?
• Were any performance, conduct or workload issues managed in line with policy, and if so, does this policy require revision?
• Were mental health supports (e.g. EAP, peer support, WHS pathways) available, known and accessible?
• Were concerns raised previously, and how were they responded to?
• What system or control improvements are needed to prevent recurrence?

Avoid stigma and victimisation

During workplace investigations, it is important not to stigmatise, blame or judge the person affected by suicidal behaviours. 

A person that is suspected to have died by suicide or is demonstrating suicidal behaviour is not in and of themselves a hazard. Escalation of behaviours from ideation to death is the risk resulting from uncontrolled exposure to a hazard or hazards. Removing a person exhibiting suicidal behaviours from the workplace does not control the hazard or hazards. While the behaviour may be hazardous in circumstances where the means and methodology used may cause harm to themselves or others, this should be managed appropriately, while also considering the hazards that led to the behaviour occurring.

Take a confidential, trauma-informed approach

Suicide and attempted suicide are not crimes in Australia and should be approached with sensitivity, confidentiality and support. Where a PCBU reviews an incident of suspected or actual suicidal behaviour, the focus should be on work-related factors and risks within the PCBU’s control, not on assessing the worker’s intent, personal medical history or circumstances. 

Records should be managed in a way that maintains the confidentiality of the affected worker and others involved. It may not be appropriate to speak with the affected worker as part of the review. Before approaching them, consider whether the discussion is necessary for WHS risk management and whether it can be conducted safely, without the worker’s involvement.

If the affected worker does not wish to participate, the PCBU should still review available information about potential exposure to psychosocial or physical hazards and risks in the workplace, without seeking private information about the worker’s personal circumstances. For example, consider asking the affected worker’s colleagues about psychosocial hazards in their work area that may have contributed. This can be done without discussing the incident if it is not known to the work group. 

Conduct the investigation in a trauma-informed manner. Avoid requiring witnesses and affected workers to repeat what happened on multiple occasions, as this may create a risk of psychological harm. The worker conducting the investigation may be exposed to traumatic information and subsequent psychosocial injury. Assess this risk and implement control measures.

Protect investigators from psychosocial risks

PCBUs should recognise that workers conducting investigations into incidents involving suicidal behaviour may be exposed to confronting, distressing or potentially traumatic information. 

PCBUs must manage the risks associated with this exposure, by implementing control measures so far as is reasonably practicable. Control measures may include:

• restricting enquiries to workplace factors, hazards, risks, systems and control measures
• avoiding investigation of personal circumstances unrelated to work health and safety risk management
• appointing an appropriate investigator who did not have a close relationship with the affected worker, where reasonably practicable
• ensuring the investigator has the necessary training, information, instruction, resources and support to safely and confidently carry out the investigation
• ensuring access to EAP or other psychological supports
• providing additional resources to assist with business-as-usual duties
• facilitating appropriate supervision and peer support 
• undertaking a formal debrief at the end of the investigation.

Communicate the findings

Document findings about work-related risk factors and revised control measures, and communicate these with relevant parties, such as HSRs, health and safety committees, leaders and affected workers. 

Any communications about the incident or findings should be trauma-informed, sensitive and limited to what is necessary. Information communicated within the organisation must be de-identified to maintain the privacy and confidentiality of affected workers and others involved. Before sharing updates, consider the impact on the affected worker, the size of the site, what is already publicly known, and the potential impacts on the workforce, including the risk of distress, stigma, rumours or further harm. 

These risks should be balanced against the benefits of appropriate communication, which can help build or maintain trust, reduce speculation and reassure workers that the PCBU is taking the incident seriously and responding appropriately.

Ensure police investigations are not compromised

In the event of a fatality, or other incident requiring police attendance, ensure any police investigations are not compromised. Advise police of planned actions before conducting activities such as speaking to witnesses or collecting items from the affected worker’s workplace or accommodation. 

Incident notification

Some incidents of suicidal behaviour are notifiable to Comcare.

An incident does not need to occur at the workplace to be work-related. However, a suicide, suspected suicide, suicide attempt or suspected suicide attempt is not notifiable merely because the person was a worker. Consider whether the available information indicates that the incident arose out of the conduct of the business or undertaking.

If you are unsure whether an incident of suicidal behaviour is notifiable, seek advice from Comcare as soon as possible and follow incident notification procedures. Do not delay considering notification because a person’s intent has not been formally determined.

Comcare’s response

Comcare may respond to notifications of suspected work-related suicide or attempted suicide by making inquiries or starting an investigation. As a risk-based regulator, we make decisions about our regulatory response in accordance with our Compliance and Enforcement Policy. 

Comcare also has functions under the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation framework. Injured workers, and where appropriate their families or representatives, may be able to access support through the workers’ compensation and rehabilitation system. This can include information about available supports, assistance to understand entitlements, and help with lodging a workers’ compensation claim where the injury or death is work-related.

Our investigation approach

Comcare inspectors take a trauma-informed approach to conducting inspections and investigations under the WHS Act. Inspectors consider the impact of inquiries on all parties, including the affected person, their family and friends, colleagues, witnesses, emergency services personnel and PCBUs. Inspectors can arrange for Comcare’s Family Liaison Officer to contact witnesses, family members and next of kin to help them find the support they need.

Comcare’s Fact Sheet for Affected Workers following a notifiable psychosocial incident explains our investigative role and how the worker can choose to participate. We may ask the PCBU to give the fact sheet to an affected worker at the start of a reactive psychosocial inspection in which the worker’s personal information is being requested.

When investigating or undertaking inquiries, Comcare inspectors may undertake a range of actions, including:

• providing health and safety information
• issuing statutory notices to require the PCBU to make improvements
• gathering evidence as part of an investigation into potential contraventions of the WHS Act.

Comcare inspectors generally focus on work-related risk factors, such as the presence of psychosocial hazards, and the performance of duties under the WHS Act, including the PCBU’s primary duty of care. Comcare’s role does not extend to making determinations about whether a death was caused by suicide. However, during an inquest, the coroner may ask us to provide the evidence that Comcare inspectors gathered during an investigation.

More information

• Preventing work-related suicide