Advisory · Psychosocial Risk Across Multiple Ports
National Maritime Operator
From incident response to board-level psychosocial risk governance.
A defensible, system-wide hazard assessment across multiple Australian port operations.
Client Goals
The mandate
Following a serious incident at one site, the Board needed to know whether the issue was isolated or systemic across the operator's port network — and what reasonable and proportionate measures looked like under the Positive Duty.
- ●Independent, defensible psychosocial risk assessment across sites
- ●Distinguish isolated breach from systemic exposure
- ●Test alignment with Positive Duty and WHS obligations
- ●Provide Board-grade evidence and remediation roadmap
What We Did
Our approach
System-Wide Hazard Assessment
- ●Confidential psychosocial risk diagnostic across multiple ports
- ●Site-level data, interviews and focus groups
- ●Controls and grievance system review
Positive Duty Review
- ●Mapped current practice against the AHRC's seven standards
- ●Identified gaps in leadership, knowledge, risk management, support, reporting, monitoring and transparency
Board-Level Reporting
- ●Findings framed in governance and risk language
- ●Clear distinction between site-level and systemic issues
- ●Sequenced remediation roadmap
The Outcome
What changed
The Board moved from incident reaction to structured psychosocial risk governance.
- ●Clarity on which issues were systemic vs. site-specific
- ●Defensible evidence base for regulator and stakeholder scrutiny
- ●Prioritised, sequenced remediation across the network
- ●Strengthened control architecture and reporting
Key Impact Areas
Where it landed
Governance Clarity
Psychosocial risk surfaced at Board level with defensible evidence.
Systemic vs. Local
Clear differentiation of network-wide and site-specific exposure.
Regulatory Alignment
Positive Duty and WHS obligations addressed in practice.
Sequenced Action
Prioritised remediation roadmap, not a wish list.
Services Delivered
What we provided
- ✓System-Wide Psychosocial Hazard Assessment
- ✓Positive Duty Gap Review
- ✓Board & Executive Reporting
- ✓Control Design & Remediation Roadmap
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