Mental Awareness, Respect and Safety (MARS) Workshop #4 - Psychosocial Risks: Identification and Mitigation Strategies

Psychosocial risk management begins with understanding and identifying what psychosocial hazards and risk factors can look like.

Exposure to workplace psychosocial hazards and risk factors that are frequent, prolonged, and/or severe, can harm workers, both psychologically and physically. Further, the Mental Awareness, Respect and Safety (MARS) Landmark Study found that psychosocial hazards do not operate in a vacuum, but can in fact combine and interact with one another. While some hazards are assessed to be easier to manage, others may be more challenging to control.

This FREE workshop, funded by the MARS Program and delivered by the Centre for Transformative Work Design at Curtin University, is designed to develop and enhance the skills of managers and HR/WHS professionals in the WA mining industry to understand the influence of workplace conditions on workers’ health, and to develop context-specific psychosocial risk management strategies for their workplaces.

This workshop will cover the fundamentals of psychosocial hazards, explore data from the MARS Landmark Study related to psychosocial hazards, and support psychosocial risk management in WA mining.

In this workshop, you will gain an understanding of:

• The fundamentals of understanding and identifying psychosocial hazards

• How to assess risks

• Creating psychosocial risk management strategies

  
  

Who is this workshop for?

• Frontline managers and supervisors working in the WA mining industry

• Other managers and professionals working in functions such as as HR, WHS, well-being and related areas

  
  

Please note enrolment in the MARS Program Workshops prioritises eligible participants employed primarily in the mining sector. If a registrant does not meet this eligibility criteria, we may be in touch to discuss their registration. If you are unsure about your eligibility, we encourage you to contact us at marslandmarkstudy@curtin.edu.au.

Important notes:

• This is an in-person workshop only, and no online option is available. 

• Early registration is recommended as places are strictly limited to 50 participants.

• To maintain workshop cohort diversity, there is a cap of a maximum of 5 employees per organisation. If there is exceptional interest you may have the opportunity to be placed in a waitlist.

• While an organisation may register multiple employees from the same department or function (e.g., HR), we recommend registering individuals from a range of functions (e.g., frontline managers and supervisors, HR and WHS) to ensure the greatest overall benefit for the organisation.

Enquiries: marslandmarkstudy@curtin.edu.au

About the facilitators

Dr Cheryl Yam is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Transformative Work Design. She holds a PhD and a Masters in Psychology (Industrial and Organisational), and is an Organisational Psychologist Registrar. Within the Centre for Transformative Work Design at Curtin University's Future of Work Institute, she is the lead Research Fellow on the MARS Program Landmark Study. She has also previously provided support in a wide range of projects, including the 2018 FIFO worker mental health study conducted for the Western Australian Mental Health Commission, and Women in Research – an initiative aimed at supporting the unique gendered experiences of women working in academia, as well as an ongoing large-scale, national project aimed at reducing psychosocial risks in the workplace.

Leah Zoszak is an Organisational Psychologist and a board approved supervisor who holds a second master's in clinical psychology. With extensive consulting experience, she currently works at the Centre for Transformative Work Design at Curtin University’s Future of Work Institute. Leah specialises in psychosocial risk assessment and work design interventions, leadership development, and diversity & inclusion initiatives. Her work is focused on enhancing employee wellbeing, cultivating inclusive leadership capabilities, and promoting organisational growth.

In the clinical space, Leah has worked extensively with perinatal women, older adults, and, more recently, in the assessment and treatment of children with neurodiverse needs.

Dr Michael Chapman is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Transformative Work Design (CTWD) at Curtin University. He specialises in organisational psychology, with expertise in work design, workplace well-being, and collective performance within high-stakes environments. Michael’s research focuses on applying evidence-based approaches to improve employee mental health, engagement, and productivity across diverse sectors, including healthcare, the public service, and defence. He currently leads the research program for one of the eight partner organisations within the Design for Care program and is working with Comcare to develop a work design initiative aimed at building leadership capability across the Australian Public Service.