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ARTICLE · 03 DECEMBER 2025

Ready or not, new OH&S regulations are here

Barry Nilsson
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Victoria's new OH&S (Psychological Health) Regs mark a shift in employers' obligations to proactively control health & safety risks associated with psychosocial hazards.

AustraliaEmployment and HR
Jane Coventry
Jane Coventry
Tinashe Makamure
Tinashe Makamure
Emily McDougall
Emily McDougall
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On 1 December 2025, Victoria's new Occupational Health and Safety (Psychological Health) Regulations 2025 (the Regulations) came into effect, marking a shift in employers' obligations to proactively control health and safety risks associated with psychosocial hazards.

Accompanying the Regulations is the Compliance Code: Psychological Health (the Compliance Code), a guide designed to assist employers to meet their obligations under the Regulations. Together, the Regulations and the Compliance Code establish a clear and enforceable framework for managing psychosocial risks in Victorian workplaces.

What is a psychosocial hazard?

Whilst the existing obligations under the Occupational Health & Safety Act 2004 (Vic) (OHS Act) required employers to control and manage risks including in relation to psychological health,1 the Regulations have introduced the term 'psychosocial hazard' which is defined as 'any factor or factors in (a) the work design, or (b) the systems

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