By name: qld-psychosocial-checker description: Complete Queensland psychosocial hazard management legislative and CoP reference. Use this skill when an action skill within this plugin (e.g. qld-psych-gap-analysis, qld-psych-risk-register, qld-psych-prevention-plan) or another plugin needs to verify or cite QLD WHS Regulation 2011 Division 11 (psychosocial risks, rr 55A–55H), QLD Code of Practice Managing the Risk of Psychosocial Hazards at Work (2022), QLD-specific SGBH provisions (prevention plan, r 55H), or QLD-specific legislative cross-references (Anti-Discrimination Act 1991, Industrial Relations Act 2016, QIRC dispute resolution). Covers QLD-specific additions beyond the Model framework including mandatory SGBH prevention plans, SGBH control measure factors (worker and workplace characteristics), QIRC pathway, and QLD case studies. Not intended as a standalone user tool — loaded by co-located action skills within this specialist plugin.
Queensland Psychosocial Hazard Management — Complete Reference
Purpose
This skill provides the verified Queensland-specific legislative and guidance framework for managing psychosocial hazards at work. It extracts key provisions from two source documents:
- QLD WHS Regulation 2011 — Division 11 (psychosocial risks), rr 55A–55H, including QLD-specific Subdivision 3 (sexual harassment and sex or gender-based harassment), mandatory prevention plan (r 55H)
- QLD CoP: Managing the Risk of Psychosocial Hazards at Work (2022) — approved code under s 274 of the WHS Act 2011 (Qld), PN12796, commences 1 April 2023; 14 hazard categories, risk management process, responding to complaints, issue and dispute resolution (including QIRC pathway), case studies, hazard examples, control measure examples, example bullying policy, example risk register
This is a reference skill — it is not intended as a standalone user tool. It is loaded by action skills (e.g. psychosocial gap analysis, risk register builder, audit criteria generator) when they need to verify or cite QLD-specific psychosocial hazard provisions.
For general WHS Act and Regulation provisions (duties, offences, penalties, incident notification, general risk management), refer to the safetysure-whs-legislation:whs-act-checker-qld and safetysure-whs-legislation:whs-regulation-checker-qld skills.
For Model (national) psychosocial provisions (Model WHS Bill, Model WHS Regulations Division 11, Model CoP: Managing Psychosocial Hazards, Model CoP: Sexual and Gender-Based Harassment), refer to the safetysure-psychosocial-model:psychosocial-model skill.
Critical Rules
- Only cite provisions that appear in the section files. Never fabricate or assume section numbers, regulation numbers, page references or content.
- Citation format — legislation: Use "s [number]" for WHS Act sections (e.g. "s 19 of the WHS Act 2011 (Qld)") and "r [number]" or "rr [range]" for WHS Regulations (e.g. "r 55H" or "rr 55A–55H").
- Citation format — Code of Practice: Reference by title and chapter/section/appendix (e.g. "QLD CoP: Managing the Risk of Psychosocial Hazards at Work, s 3.2.2" or "QLD CoP, Appendix 4 — Examples of Control Measures").
- Use conservative, factual language when describing legislative obligations and Code of Practice guidance. Avoid subjective or emotive terms — describe requirements in objective terms.
- Always use Australian English spelling (e.g. behaviour, organisation, colour, defence, licence [noun], minimise, analyse).
- Distinguish between sources. The WHS Regulation prescribes specific requirements for psychosocial risk management (including QLD-specific SGBH provisions). The Code of Practice provides practical guidance on how to comply with duties.
- QLD-specific provisions must be distinguished from Model provisions. Where a provision is QLD-specific (not in the Model WHS Regulations), this must be clearly noted. Key QLD-specific provisions include: r 55BA (SGBH definitions), Subdivision 3 (rr 55E–55H), the mandatory prevention plan (r 55H), and the QIRC dispute resolution pathway.
- Cross-reference with Model provisions where appropriate. The QLD WHS Regulation Division 11 adopts the Model provisions (rr 55A–55D) and adds QLD-specific provisions (rr 55BA, 55E–55H). The QLD CoP closely follows the Model CoP structure but includes QLD-specific content (case studies, QIRC pathway, QLD legislation references).
- If a provision cannot be located in these files, state that the specific provision should be verified against the current legislation and indicate which source document it is likely found in.
Section Index
Read the relevant section file(s) based on the subject matter of the query:
QLD WHS Regulation 2011
| File | Content | When to Read |
|---|---|---|
sections/qld-whs-reg-psychosocial.md |
QLD WHS Regulation 2011 — Division 11 (rr 55A–55H) | Psychosocial hazard/risk definitions (rr 55A–55B), SGBH definitions (r 55BA — QLD-specific), duty to manage psychosocial risks (r 55C), determining control measures (r 55D — 9 matters), SGBH application (r 55E), SGBH control measures — worker and workplace characteristics (r 55F — QLD-specific), SGBH review of controls (r 55G — QLD-specific), mandatory prevention plan (r 55H — QLD-specific, 60 penalty units) |
QLD CoP: Managing the Risk of Psychosocial Hazards at Work (2022)
| File | Chapters | When to Read |
|---|---|---|
sections/qld-cop-introduction.md |
Chapters 1–2 | Psychosocial hazard definition, psychological health continuum, WHS duties (PCBU s 19, PCBU with management s 20, designers/manufacturers Part 2 Div 3, officers s 27, workers s 28, other persons s 29), reasonably practicable (s 18), other QLD-specific legislation (AD Act, IR Act, HR Act, WCR Act, Criminal Code, IP Act), consultation with workers (ss 47–49), consulting other duty holders (ss 14, 16, 46, 272) |
sections/qld-cop-risk-management.md |
Chapters 3–3.5 | Identifying hazards (r 34, 14 hazard categories in Table 1, factors increasing risk of violence/aggression and bullying, identification methods, workplace data sources in Table 2), assessing risk (when to assess, duration/frequency/severity, interaction of hazards, risk assessment resources — People at Work survey, psychosocial risk assessment template, focus group guide), controlling risk (WHS Act s 17, WHS Reg rr 35–36/55D, Table 3 — 9 matters, hierarchy of controls, eliminating risks, minimising risks — substitution/isolation/engineering, administrative controls, information/training/instruction under WHS Reg r 39, PPE as last resort, combining controls, addressing individual worker risks), maintaining and reviewing (WHS Reg rr 37–38, review triggers, review questions), recording the risk management process |
sections/qld-cop-response-resolution.md |
Chapters 4–5 | Responding to complaints/incidents/reports (encouraging reporting, barriers to reporting, Part 6 victimisation protections, Table 4 — 9 response principles including trauma-informed approach, HSR role, response procedures, responding to violence and aggression — at the time/immediately after/incident management/incident reviews, notifiable incident requirements under WHS Act ss 35–39, Workers' Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003), issue and dispute resolution (WHS Act ss 80–82, WHS Reg rr 22–23, 4-step process, default resolution procedure, QIRC pathway — QLD-specific, dispute resolution under WHS Act ss 102A–102G) |
sections/qld-cop-appendices.md |
Appendices 1–6 | Appendix 1: Other legislation (7 QLD/Cth Acts with psychosocial relevance). Appendix 2: 5 case studies (community care, construction, call centre, trucking, paramedic — QLD-specific). Appendix 3: Examples of psychosocial hazard situations (14 categories). Appendix 4: Examples of control measures (14 categories + common controls). Appendix 5: Example bullying policy template (QLD-specific — QIRC reference). Appendix 6: Example risk register with completed entries. |
Workflow
- Identify the subject matter from the calling skill's query or the user's request
- Read the relevant section file(s) — read only what is needed to answer the query
- Cite provisions accurately from the extracted text, using the citation formats above
- Cross-reference with Model provisions where appropriate (load
psychosocial-modelif Model-level detail is needed) - Flag any QLD-specific provisions — clearly distinguish QLD additions from Model provisions (e.g. "r 55H is a QLD-specific provision not found in the Model WHS Regulations")
Common Query Routing
| Query Topic | Primary File(s) | Key References |
|---|---|---|
| Psychosocial hazard/risk definitions | qld-whs-reg-psychosocial.md | WHS Reg rr 55A–55B |
| SGBH definitions (QLD-specific) | qld-whs-reg-psychosocial.md | WHS Reg r 55BA; Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 (Qld); Industrial Relations Act 2016 (Qld) |
| Duty to manage psychosocial risks | qld-whs-reg-psychosocial.md | WHS Reg r 55C |
| PCBU primary duty (general) | qld-cop-introduction.md | WHS Act s 19 |
| Officer due diligence | qld-cop-introduction.md | WHS Act s 27 |
| Reasonably practicable test | qld-cop-introduction.md | WHS Act s 18 |
| 14 hazard categories | qld-cop-risk-management.md | QLD CoP Table 1 |
| Identifying psychosocial hazards | qld-cop-risk-management.md | WHS Reg r 34; QLD CoP s 3.1 |
| Workplace data sources for identification | qld-cop-risk-management.md | QLD CoP Table 2 |
| Factors increasing risk of violence/aggression | qld-cop-risk-management.md | QLD CoP s 3.1.3 |
| Factors increasing risk of bullying | qld-cop-risk-management.md | QLD CoP s 3.1.3 |
| Risk assessment process | qld-cop-risk-management.md | QLD CoP ss 3.2.1–3.2.2 |
| People at Work survey | qld-cop-risk-management.md | QLD CoP s 3.2 |
| Control measures — 9 matters (r 55D) | qld-whs-reg-psychosocial.md, qld-cop-risk-management.md | WHS Reg r 55D; QLD CoP Table 3 |
| SGBH control measure factors (QLD-specific) | qld-whs-reg-psychosocial.md | WHS Reg r 55F (worker characteristics, workplace characteristics) |
| Hierarchy of controls | qld-cop-risk-management.md | WHS Reg r 36; QLD CoP s 3.3.2 |
| Eliminating risks | qld-cop-risk-management.md | QLD CoP s 3.3.1 |
| Administrative controls | qld-cop-risk-management.md | QLD CoP s 3.3.2 (Step 2) |
| Information, training, instruction | qld-cop-risk-management.md | WHS Act s 19; WHS Reg r 39; QLD CoP s 3.3.2 |
| Combining controls | qld-cop-risk-management.md | QLD CoP s 3.3.3 |
| Individual worker adjustments | qld-cop-risk-management.md | QLD CoP s 3.3.4 |
| Prevention plan (QLD-specific) | qld-whs-reg-psychosocial.md | WHS Reg r 55H (60 penalty units) |
| SGBH review of controls (QLD-specific) | qld-whs-reg-psychosocial.md | WHS Reg r 55G |
| Maintaining control measures | qld-cop-risk-management.md | WHS Reg r 37; QLD CoP s 3.4.1 |
| Reviewing control measures | qld-cop-risk-management.md | WHS Reg r 38; QLD CoP s 3.4.2 |
| Recording risk management process | qld-cop-risk-management.md | QLD CoP s 3.5 |
| Responding to complaints/reports | qld-cop-response-resolution.md | QLD CoP Ch 4 |
| Encouraging reporting | qld-cop-response-resolution.md | QLD CoP s 4.1 |
| Response principles (Table 4) | qld-cop-response-resolution.md | QLD CoP s 4.2 (9 principles) |
| Trauma-informed approach | qld-cop-response-resolution.md | QLD CoP Table 4 |
| Responding to violence and aggression | qld-cop-response-resolution.md | QLD CoP s 4.3 |
| Notifiable incident (psychosocial) | qld-cop-response-resolution.md | WHS Act ss 35–39; QLD CoP s 4.4 |
| Issue resolution process | qld-cop-response-resolution.md | WHS Act ss 80–82; WHS Reg rr 22–23 |
| QIRC dispute resolution (QLD-specific) | qld-cop-response-resolution.md | WHS Act ss 102A–102G |
| Consultation with workers | qld-cop-introduction.md | WHS Act ss 47–49 |
| Consulting other duty holders | qld-cop-introduction.md | WHS Act ss 14, 16, 46, 272 |
| Other QLD legislation | qld-cop-introduction.md, qld-cop-appendices.md | AD Act 1991; IR Act 2016; FW Act 2009; HR Act 2019; WCR Act 2003; Criminal Code 1899; IP Act 2009 |
| Case studies | qld-cop-appendices.md | QLD CoP Appendix 2 |
| Hazard examples (situations) | qld-cop-appendices.md | QLD CoP Appendix 3 |
| Control measure examples | qld-cop-appendices.md | QLD CoP Appendix 4 |
| Example bullying policy | qld-cop-appendices.md | QLD CoP Appendix 5 |
| Example risk register | qld-cop-appendices.md | QLD CoP Appendix 6 |
QLD-Specific Differences from Model Framework
| Feature | Model Provisions | QLD Provisions |
|---|---|---|
| Psychosocial hazard definition (r 55A) | r 55A | Identical |
| Psychosocial risk definition (r 55B) | r 55B | Identical |
| SGBH definitions (r 55BA) | Not included | QLD-specific — references Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 (Qld) and Industrial Relations Act 2016 (Qld) |
| Duty to manage (r 55C) | General duty only | General duty (r 55C(1)) + explicit SGBH duty (r 55C(2)) |
| Control measures (r 55D) | 9 matters to consider | Identical 9 matters |
| SGBH control measures (r 55F) | Not included | QLD-specific — additional matters: worker characteristics (age, gender, sex, sexual orientation, disability) and workplace/environment characteristics (culture, diversity) |
| Review of SGBH controls (r 55G) | Not included | QLD-specific — must review if SGBH report made |
| Prevention plan (r 55H) | Not included | QLD-specific mandatory requirement — written plan, 60 penalty units, review triggers (after report, HSR request, or every 3 years) |
| CoP — case studies | Not included in Model CoP | QLD-specific — 5 case studies (community care, construction, call centre, trucking, paramedic) |
| CoP — dispute resolution | Model CoP does not cover dispute resolution in detail | QLD-specific — QIRC as designated tribunal for WHS disputes |
| CoP — other legislation | Model CoP references general WHS legislation | QLD-specific — references 7 QLD/Cth Acts (including Human Rights Act 2019 (Qld), not referenced in Model) |
| CoP — bullying policy template | Model CoP does not include a policy template | QLD-specific — Appendix 5 includes example policy referencing QIRC |
Version Information
- QLD WHS Regulation 2011: Current as at 1 March 2025 (Division 11, rr 55A–55H)
- QLD CoP: Managing the Risk of Psychosocial Hazards at Work: 2022, PN12796, 67 pages, commences 1 April 2023
- Extraction method: Text extracted from official Queensland Government publications
- Licence: CC BY 4.0 (State of Queensland)
Note: These are Queensland-specific provisions. For Model (national) provisions, load the
safetysure-psychosocial-model:psychosocial-modelskill. For other jurisdictions, load the relevant jurisdiction specialist plugin (e.g. safetysure-psychosocial-nsw, safetysure-psychosocial-vic). QLD provisions should be cited as enacted QLD law; Model provisions should not be cited as applicable law in QLD without verification against the enacted QLD legislation.