2026 targeted audit – early intervention to prevent secondary psychological injuries
In 2026-27, Workers’ Compensation Regulatory Services (WCRS) will be undertaking a series of targeted audits across all Queensland insurers, focused on the prevention and management of secondary psychological injuries.
Audits commence in July 2026 and will assess if insurers are complying with their obligation to minimise the risk of secondary psychological injuries.
What you need to know
Under the Workers' Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003, insurers must take all reasonable steps to minimise the risk of a worker with a physical injury developing a secondary psychological injury. This includes providing reasonable services such as medical treatment, counselling, and support services.
This targeted audit will assess how insurers comply with their obligation to identify psychological injury risks and provide early support.
WCRS will report back to the scheme in December 2026.
Best practice
Employers can create a psychologically safe environment by supporting a worker’s emotional and mental wellbeing as they recover from a physical injury.
In practice this means:
- Reach out early.
- Be genuine in your communication and take time to listen.
- Guide the worker through their claim and recognise when they may need additional support.
- Work closely with your insurer to ensure a worker’s rehabilitation and return to work plan is tailored to their individual needs and circumstances.
Why it's important
Workers’ Compensation scheme data (PDF, 1.51 MB) reports that 5.1 per cent of workers with a physical injury requiring time off work go on to develop an accepted secondary psychological injury. This rate has doubled over the past five years.
Affected workers spend an average of 303 days away from work (significantly reducing their overall likelihood to return to work) and the average claim costs $130,785.
Evidence shows the main drivers of secondary psychological injuries for workers are uncertainty and lack of control, financial stress, pre-injury psychological health and the mechanism of injury.
Research also shows the workers’ compensation system can influence a worker’s mental health. Many of the factors that cause stress for workers, including stakeholder interactions and workers’ compensation processes, are within the control of insurers, employers and service providers to improve.
What actions can I take now?
- Review your practices, systems and processes to ensure you’re meeting your obligations to help an injured worker return to work.
- Reduce uncertainty for workers by maintaining regular contact, discussing next steps and communicating in a way that respects their preferences.
- Understand what support services are available to you and your workers and how to access them and proactively refer workers when needed.
- Ensure direct supervisors are trained in workers’ compensation requirements and return to work processes so they can provide consistent, informed support.
- Know where to get help for your workplace or workers about workers’ compensation.
Your toolkit
- Access and share information about the free, independent, confidential and expert support and advisory services available to employers and workers and people making a claim at any point in the claim journey.
- Learn more about creating a psychologically safe workplace and Safe Work Australia’s Model code of practice: Managing psychosocial hazards at work.
- Read our previous article Prevent a physical injury becoming a physiological injury.
- Read Monash University’s recently published Research examining pathways to secondary psychological injury.
- Access Workplace Health and Safety Queensland’s Mentally health workplaces toolkit (PDF, 10.61 MB)
- Understand your obligations by reading the Managing the risk of psychosocial hazards at work Code of Practice 2022 and watch an event recording about the Code of Practice.
- Watch the event recording Psychological health for small business.
- Watch the event recording on understanding and preventing Secondary psychological injuries.
- It Pays to Care has resources for work injury management in Australia and New Zealand.