Two Perth hospitals have been issued with WorkSafe improvement notices linked to psychological hazards and an increase in stress claims. Armadale Hospital received a notice two months ago ordering it to make a risk assessment of workplace stress. It is believed to be linked to widespread staff unrest, triggering calls for an emergency meeting of heads of department to be held as early as today. The WA Health Department also confirmed two improvement notices had been issued to Rockingham Hospital over an incident reported to WorkSafe. A spokeswoman said Armadale Hospital was ordered to do a risk assessment in relation to workplace stress among employees. “The hospital is complying with the notice to ensure a clear and sustainable strategy is in place to reduce risk, and a staff survey is under way to identify areas of concern,” she said. “In the case of Rockingham, two notices were issued in respect of a single incident that was reported to WorkSafe. “The hospital is undertaking risk assessments of all departments as a priority to identify psychological hazards, as well as raising awareness and understanding of existing risk assessment procedures. “It will also provide managers with further training and information on how to investigate psychological health injuries.”
