The People at Work (PAW) survey is to be decommissioned on 2 October 2026.
With the recent national focus on psychosocial hazards, pushed heavily by the Nation’s regulators, the PAW has been the go-to survey for many organisations
Unfortunately, at a national level it has been identified that the PAW survey no longer meets the needs of employers looking for assistance in identifying psychosocial hazards in their workplaces.
Specifically identified by WorkSafe Queensland are the following issues:
- Developed in 2007, the PAW survey does not adequately address the additional hazards identified in the Model Code of Practice: Managing psychosocial hazards at work.
- A gradual decline in engagement and response rates.
- Lack of detail to better support targeted action and meaningful organisational change.
For employers looking for alternatives to PAW, there is a myriad of proposed assessments flooding the market. Many of these assessments are only in English, lack academic rigor and have not been validated.
PSYCHOSOCIAL HAZARD IDENTIFICATION
To assist employers in this space Aegis Risk Management Services (Aegis) has collaborated with Deakin University to develop the pHx Psychosocial Hazard Assessment. Specifically designed to identify the presence of the 17 psychosocial hazards outlined in Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work – Code of Practice 2024.
The pHx Psychosocial Hazard Assessment:
- Has been specifically designed to assist employers in identify the common psychosocial hazards present in their workplaces.
- Analyses both survey and hard data to provide a comprehensive understanding of the hazards present.
- Has translated the academically built survey into 19 additional languages. (NAATI Accredited Translations)
- Allows for benchmarking against prior pHx Psychosocial Hazard Assessments.
- Allows for industry benchmarking against (Where sufficient industry data is available).
In addition, Deakin University has recently completed a validation study. The paper outlining the validation of the pHx Psychosocial Hazard Assessment will be completed and released in the coming months.
THE pHx PSYCHOSOCIAL HAZARDS WHITE PAPER WORKSHOP
To assist employers in the management of psychosocial hazards, Aegis has developed the pHx Psychosocial Hazards White Page Workshop.
Specifically for employers who have undertaken the pHx Psychosocial Hazard Assessment this workshop:
- Outlines a framework for the risk assessment of psychosocial hazards consistent with the standard risk matrix.
- Trains attendees in the use of the pHx Psychosocial Hazards White Page.
- Details an alternate hierarchy of control more appropriate to the management of psychosocial hazards.
- Provides over 500 researched and referenced recommendations to assist employers in addressing the common psychosocial hazards present in their workplaces.
To assist employers in addressing the void that will be created by the decommissioning of the PAW survey, Aegis is offering their assistance at a significantly discounted rate over the next 2 months.
Employers looking for assistance with the identification and management of psychosocial please contact Alex Stratton: alex.stratton@aegisrms.com.au
