Critical incident
Also known as: CISD · CISM · PFA
A critical incident is a workplace event with the potential to cause significant psychological distress — fatality, serious injury witnessed by colleagues, armed robbery, assault, near-miss to self or co-worker, large-scale evacuation. The PCBU's response triggers Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) processes including EAP activation, structured debrief and return-to-work follow-up.
Legal context
Critical-incident response is the SDA s47C / ISO 45003-aligned process by which a PCBU manages the psychosocial aftermath of a significant event. The accepted models include CISD (Critical Incident Stress Debriefing), CISM (Critical Incident Stress Management), PFA (Psychological First Aid), structured Defusing and Informal Conversation. The choice depends on incident severity, time elapsed and worker preference. The PCBU's duty is not to provide therapy — it is to activate EAP, assign peer support, run a structured debrief, monitor for delayed-onset trauma, and coordinate with the return-to-work pathway. Failure to manage critical-incident response is now treated as a psychosocial-hazard control failure under the Model Code 2022.
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Related terms
EAP
An Employee Assistance Program is a confidential counselling and short-term-support service provided to workers (and often their immediate family) by an external provider. EAP access is the most common mental-health control in Australian workplaces and a near-baseline requirement for psychosocial risk management.
MHFA
A Mental Health First Aider is a trained worker who can recognise mental-health issues in colleagues and connect them to appropriate support. The standard course is Mental Health First Aid Australia's 12-hour Standard MHFA, with certifications valid for 3 years.
Psychosocial hazard
A psychosocial hazard is a hazard that may cause psychological or physical harm and arises from how work is designed, organised and managed, or from the social context of work. Examples include high job demands, low job control, poor support, role conflict, exposure to traumatic events, harassment and bullying.
Return to work
Return-to-work is the structured pathway by which an injured or ill worker resumes work, typically through staged suitable duties under a written RTW plan. Each Australian state has its own statutory scheme (e.g. NSW SIRA, Vic WorkSafe, Qld WorkCover) with employer obligations including timelines, designated coordinators and plan reviews.
Platform pillars
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47 WHS and HSWA terms with legal context, FAQs and regulator references.