Candid Conversations: Psychosocial Hazards

When you’re both a psychologist and a farmer, it offers a unique vantage point on life. Based near Goodiwindi, Queensland, Chantal Corish of FurtherAField, is no stranger to balancing family, farming and mental wellbeing.

In this Candid Conversation, we caught up with Chantal to share her insights and unpack what psychosocial hazards are, what they mean for farming businesses, the signs to look for and practical steps to manage them.

What Are Psychosocial Safety Hazards?

Psychosocial hazards refer to aspects of how work is structured, managed, and experienced socially that can lead to psychological harm.

These hazards may not cause direct physical injury, but they can result in mental health issues such as stress, anxiety, and burnout. Over time, the psychological strain can manifest physically, contributing to health problems and reduced well-being.

These hazards might stem from:

• Workload and time pressure

• Low job control or autonomy

• Poor communication or unclear roles

• Bullying, harassment or conflict

• Isolation or remote work

• Family dynamics and blurred personal-work boundaries

• Fatigue from long hours, seasonal demands or understaffing

Not every worker will experience these the same way. A hazard for one person may not affect another, but employers still have a duty to prevent or minimise these risks.

Low Job Control: A Common Farm Example

Chantal highlighted low job control as one of the most frequent psychosocial hazards in agriculture. It occurs when workers have little or no say in how or when tasks are done.

This can look like:

• Highly scheduled work with no flexibility

• Constant oversight or micromanagement

• Sudden changes to tasks or hours

• No input into decisions that affect workload or safety

Why it matters:
Low control combined with high demands is a major contributor to stress, exhaustion and disengagement. Over time, this increases the risk of burnout, injury, human error and staff turnover.

What can help:
Even small amounts of autonomy make a difference. For example, letting workers choose the order of tasks or allowing them to negotiate break times. Even giving input into daily planning helps.

Recognising the Warning Signs

Indicators of psychosocial risk or injury on-farm may include:

• Increased sick leave or unexplained absenteeism

• Staff being physically present but mentally disengaged

• Disputes, tension or withdrawal between team members

• Fatigue, slowed reactions, poor decision-making

• Mistakes, near misses or accidents

• Changes in mood, behaviour or social interaction

Often, by the time an injury occurs, the hazard has been present for months or even years.

Managing Psychosocial Risks: The Four-Step Approach

Chantal outlined a practical process suited to farming environments:

1. Identify hazards: Talk to workers, observe behaviour, review incidents or close calls.

2. Assess the risk: Consider likelihood, severity and existing controls.

3. Control the risk: Implement solutions, even small changes, where full control isn’t possible.

4. Review: Check if changes are working and adjust when needed.

Why This Matters for Farm Businesses

Ignoring psychosocial hazards can be costly:

• Psychological injury claims have a median recovery time of 31 weeks, compared to around 6 weeks for physical injuries.

• Replacing staff due to burnout or poor culture is expensive, and workers are 10 times more likely to leave a job due to culture than pay.

• Positive workplaces see up to 30 per cent higher discretionary effort when employees feel supported, respected and safe.

Practical Steps for Farms

Some strategies highlighted in the session:

• Plan reasonable rosters during busy periods like harvest

• Support recovery with rest breaks, meals and communication

• Stay in contact with remote or isolated workers

• Provide training, resources and clear instructions

• Set expectations early about respect, speaking up and mental health

• Address bullying, aggression or harassment immediately

• Train leaders in communication, feedback and decision-making

• In multi-cultural teams, clearly communicate values and expectations to everyone

Legal Responsibilities for Farms

Under Australian Work Health and Safety laws, farm owners and managers (the PCBU - person conducting a business or undertaking) must eliminate or minimise psychosocial risks as far as reasonably practicable.

While each state and territory has slightly different codes and enforcement approaches, the duty itself is consistent nationally: psychological health must be protected the same way physical safety is.

And What About the Farmer?

Farm owners and managers carry unique pressure already. From financial strain and weather events to regulations and family expectations. Research shows farmers are at higher risk of mental health challenges but are less likely to seek help.

Psychosocial safety isn’t just about workers, it includes leaders too. Taking breaks, talking to peers, using support networks and modelling healthy behaviour helps the entire workplace.

Psychosocial safety on farms isn’t about more red tape. It’s about people, the people driving machinery, making decisions and keeping rural businesses alive.

By noticing risks early, involving workers and creating a respectful culture, farms can improve productivity, safety and wellbeing, without it being complicated.