Work redesign may reduce psychosocial risks in aged care

The Centre for Transformative Work Design at Curtin University has completed a two-year research project examining interventions to manage psychosocial risks in the aged care sector. The centre received a Safe Work Australia research grant.

The project covered four residential care facilities operated by a large Australian not-for-profit aged care provider. It focused on eliminating or minimising psychosocial risks linked to increased job demands.

The report concluded that a work redesign process can uncover effective, cost-efficient ways to reduce job demands. Tailoring the redesign to the needs of the organisation and its employees was central to that approach.

Researchers also found that involving workers in identifying psychosocial hazards and redesigning work can deliver improvements beyond those achieved by directly introducing control measures alone.

Good work design supports work health and safety, human performance, job satisfaction and business success. Starting the design process at the earliest planning stage provides the greatest opportunity to remove hazards through design, improve efficiency and incorporate effective risk controls.

The report adds to the evidence on effective work design and the management of workplace psychosocial risks. Safe Work Australia identifies support for high-quality external research as a priority, helping build evidence to inform responses to future WHS and workers’ compensation challenges.

The research report is available on Safe Work Australia’s data website, Our Data. Your Stories.

How Blue Safe can help: Our free WHS self-check can help you review your approach to workplace health and safety, including psychosocial hazards, and identify areas for closer attention. Take the free WHS self-check