A1.1
Tracks
Stream A
| Thursday, October 29, 2026 |
| 1:45 PM - 2:00 PM |
Overview
A mixed-method validation study to update the People at Work (psychosocial risk assessment) scale | 15 mins
Presenter
Associate Professor Kirsten Way
The University Of Queensland
A mixed-method validation study to update the People at Work (psychosocial risk assessment) scale
1:45 PM - 2:00 PMAbstract
Way, K.A, Hodroj, B., Jimmieson, N.L., Hobman, E.V, Hankin, K., Constantine, A., Hopcraft, A.
Identifying psychosocial hazards is fundamental for assessing and mitigating psychosocial risks and preventing work-related harm. In Australia, the 2007 People at Work (PAW) Project significantly advanced workplace capacity to conduct such risk assessments by providing a validated survey. This risk assessment tool is unique, being developed via a national collaboration involving academics and Australian WHS Regulators. Since its inception, the legislative landscape and the evidence base on psychosocial hazards have evolved, leading to the formal recognition of additional hazards, such as Sexual Harassment, Gendered Violence, Poor Environmental Conditions, and Exposure to Traumatic Events or Content. Furthermore, there are opportunities to increase the uptake and improve the utility of psychosocial risk assessments - evidence suggests that while legislative policy recognises the importance of identifying workplace hazards, a practice gap exists, with resistance to conducting psychosocial risk assessments evident in workplaces across Australia. To resolve these concerns, and funded by WorkSafe Victoria, this project revises the PAW tool and investigates the new tool’s psychometric properties. This will involve a) updating existing items to reflect current evidence base, b) incorporating newly identified hazards derived from both academic research and legislative review, and c) reducing the overall length of the survey to improve its usability.
Our research applies a multi-method validation strategy that includes:
1. Reviewing the literature to examine recent developments in constructs commonly known to be psychosocial hazards.
2. Using secondary data from the PAW digital database to inform item reduction.
3. Developing and integrating new items for four key psychosocial hazards (Sexual Harassment, Gendered Violence, Poor Environmental Conditions, and Exposure to Traumatic Events or Content).
These steps will guide the creation of a new scale, which will be validated by conducting focus groups and collecting data from subject matter experts to determine current understanding of psychosocial constructs and to assess the content validity of new items, and validating the revised scale through item analysis, factor structure verification, and criterion validity testing. This approach is expected to yield a psychosocial risk assessment tool that is contextually relevant, contemporary, and succinct.
Identifying psychosocial hazards is fundamental for assessing and mitigating psychosocial risks and preventing work-related harm. In Australia, the 2007 People at Work (PAW) Project significantly advanced workplace capacity to conduct such risk assessments by providing a validated survey. This risk assessment tool is unique, being developed via a national collaboration involving academics and Australian WHS Regulators. Since its inception, the legislative landscape and the evidence base on psychosocial hazards have evolved, leading to the formal recognition of additional hazards, such as Sexual Harassment, Gendered Violence, Poor Environmental Conditions, and Exposure to Traumatic Events or Content. Furthermore, there are opportunities to increase the uptake and improve the utility of psychosocial risk assessments - evidence suggests that while legislative policy recognises the importance of identifying workplace hazards, a practice gap exists, with resistance to conducting psychosocial risk assessments evident in workplaces across Australia. To resolve these concerns, and funded by WorkSafe Victoria, this project revises the PAW tool and investigates the new tool’s psychometric properties. This will involve a) updating existing items to reflect current evidence base, b) incorporating newly identified hazards derived from both academic research and legislative review, and c) reducing the overall length of the survey to improve its usability.
Our research applies a multi-method validation strategy that includes:
1. Reviewing the literature to examine recent developments in constructs commonly known to be psychosocial hazards.
2. Using secondary data from the PAW digital database to inform item reduction.
3. Developing and integrating new items for four key psychosocial hazards (Sexual Harassment, Gendered Violence, Poor Environmental Conditions, and Exposure to Traumatic Events or Content).
These steps will guide the creation of a new scale, which will be validated by conducting focus groups and collecting data from subject matter experts to determine current understanding of psychosocial constructs and to assess the content validity of new items, and validating the revised scale through item analysis, factor structure verification, and criterion validity testing. This approach is expected to yield a psychosocial risk assessment tool that is contextually relevant, contemporary, and succinct.
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Dr Kïrsten Way is an Associate Professor and Program Director at the Centre for Business and Organisational Psychology at UQ, where she conducts research on safety regulation, work-related mental health, work design, human factors, and occupational health. She leads the PRISM (Psychosocial Risk and Safety Management) Lab Group, and her work focuses on psychosocial hazards both systemically and focally (investigating specific hazards such as conflict, bullying, fatigue, and sexual harassment). Dr Way is an Organisational Psychologist, Occupational Therapist and Certified Professional Ergonomist. She has significant industry expertise, having worked as the Director of a private consultancy specialising in WHS and organisational psychology, and having held senior positions with Australian and UK WHS regulatory authorities. She has provided expertise to the Australian and UK Governments and, for example, has assisted in the development of numerous WHS jurisdictions' Psychosocial Regulations and Managing the Risk of Psychosocial Hazards at Work Codes of Practice.
