Managing psychosocial risk, step four: How to review control measures

Psychosocial risk management

Try our risk control review tools and templates

Fast-track your psychosocial risk management process with our free-to-use resources.

Control effectiveness matrix

An easy-to-use framework to help leaders objectively measure the effectiveness of their controls, so they can assign them a rating.

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Risk control examples

If your psychosocial hazard risk controls aren’t working as intended, here are ten questions to consider to help you understand why.

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Understanding how to measure the effectiveness of your controls, and pinpointing what success looks like at your organisation, is a key part of psychosocial risk management. Check out our effectiveness matrix and question checklist to help you with this step.

Regularly review risk controls

Psychosocial risk management isn’t just about identifying hazards and implementing strategies to mitigate these risks. In fact, monitoring and assessing the effectiveness of your controls is arguably the most crucial part of the risk mitigation process.

Leaders need to establish mechanisms to continuously monitor the effectiveness of control measures and provide channels for employees to share feedback.

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Reviews shouldn't just happen periodically

There may be situations where an immediate review of control effectiveness may be necessary. Examples include a complaint of bullying or harassment, the identification of a new hazard (for example a new system that requires additional training and increased responsibilities), significant organisational changes, or requests for review from employees, teams, or inspectors.

Image description: Katherine Morris, Health and Safety Specialist and Partner at Norton Rose Fulbright.
Katherine Morris
Health and Safety Specialist and Partner at Norton Rose Fulbright

The four steps to managing psychosocial risk

Sonder’s free-to-download tools and templates will help you identify, assess, and effectively control psychosocial risks. Use them to support your four-step process, and take proactive steps to support your employees’ psychological wellbeing.

Step one: Identify hazards

Understanding the risks that exist within your organisation is the first step towards managing them and creating a safer environment for your workers. This step often involves reviewing existing data and seeking new information, by talking and listening to your employees.

Step two: Assess risks

Once you have identified psychosocial hazards in your workplace, our risk matrix template will help you assess the risks they create. This will help you determine what is reasonably practicable in managing the risks.

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Step three: Control risks

Once you know which psychosocial hazards are present and you have assessed the risks they create, you are in a position to control them. Try our control suggestion tool and examples to get you started.

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Step four: Review control measures

If a control measure is not working effectively, it must be reviewed and modified or replaced. Our effectiveness matrix and question template will help you determine what’s working – and what should be modified.