The person most likely to cause psychosocial harm on your worksite is the same person best positioned to prevent it. Research shows supervisor support is one of the strongest protective factors for tradies' mental health — but most frontline leaders have been given the responsibility without the tools.

Working a 12-hour day increases injury risk by 37%. In NSW, the average psychosocial injury claim now costs $288,542 — and only half of those workers return within a year. The signs build across the shift, not at sign-on — which is why SOV·32 checks in three times, not once.

SafeWork NSW has named psychosocial risk a top priority for 2026-27 — backed by an expanded inspectorate and legally enforceable Codes of Practice. Here's what that means for NSW businesses, and what a defensible record of psychosocial risk management actually looks like.