Psychosocial risk measurement
built on peer-reviewed science.
The Work Health and Safety Act requires employers to identify psychosocial hazards — but identification requires measurement. PsychProof's Audit Module is built around COPSOQ III: the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire, in its peer-reviewed, Australian-validated form. It is the most rigorously validated psychosocial measurement instrument available for Australian workplaces, and it is the instrument regulators and researchers are actively working to standardise at a national level.
The gold standard for psychosocial measurement
The Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ) was originally developed in Denmark in 2000 as a rigorously validated tool for assessing psychosocial factors at work. Now in its third version — COPSOQ III — it has been validated in more than 18 countries and is maintained by the international COPSOQ Network, a collaboration of research institutions, government bodies, and occupational health organisations across Europe, North America, and beyond.
COPSOQ III measures a comprehensive range of psychosocial dimensions across working life — including demands, autonomy, social relations, leadership, work-individual interface, and health outcomes. It is used by governments, universities, enterprises, and occupational health practitioners worldwide, and has been extensively published in peer-reviewed journals.
What distinguishes COPSOQ III from generic workplace survey tools is its psychometric rigour. The instrument has undergone Confirmatory Factor Analysis across multiple national populations, with internal consistency reliability assessed at both individual and workplace levels. It is not a checklist or opinion survey — it is a validated measurement instrument designed to produce results that are comparable across workplaces, sectors, and over time.
Validated for the Australian workforce
PsychProof's implementation is built on the peer-reviewed Australian validation of COPSOQ III:
Rahimi, M. et al. “Validation and benchmarks for the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ III) in an Australian working population sample.” BMC Public Health, 2025. Published under CC BY 4.0.
This study validated the long version of COPSOQ III against a random sample of 2,446 working Australians aged 18–79, drawn from a nationally representative panel. It confirmed that 33 of 38 COPSOQ III scales demonstrated good reliability in the Australian context — consistent with validation findings in other countries — and established population benchmarks across gender, employment status, work sector, professional status, and occupational classification.
The Australian validation was conducted by researchers at the University of Melbourne's Centre for the Study of Higher Education and co-authored by leading occupational health researchers. It is the most rigorous psychosocial measurement validation study conducted on an Australian working population to date.
Identification, not assumption
Under the WHS Act, the obligation to manage psychosocial risk begins with identification. Section 47 requires PCBUs to consult workers when identifying hazards and risks. COPSOQ III operationalises that obligation: it moves hazard identification from manager perception to structured, validated measurement.
In PsychProof, COPSOQ III sits within the Audit Module — the Identify and Consult phases of the identify → consult → control → review evidence pathway. Survey results are not standalone outputs. They are integrated into the compliance record — timestamped, attributed, and linked to the control and review steps that follow.
This means the assessment is not just a measurement exercise. It becomes part of a defensible evidence trail.
Anonymisation by design
Minimum group size enforcement
Results are only computed and displayed when a response group meets the minimum threshold. Individual responses cannot be isolated or identified.
→ Enforced at database level — not a UI toggle.
Aggregate-only outputs
The system produces subscale scores and hazard signals at the group level. Raw individual responses are not retained after aggregation.
→ No individual response data persists in the system.
No individual identification
The data model is structurally incapable of linking a subscale score to a named worker. Anonymisation is architectural, not policy-dependent.
→ Worker trust is protected by design, not discretion.
Work Engagement items excluded
The Work Engagement subscale is excluded from PsychProof's implementation in accordance with the commercial licensing restrictions that apply to those items.
→ Consistent with the data governance model of the national standardisation process.
A compliance tool, not a research platform
PsychProof is not a psychosocial research platform. It does not publish benchmark data, contribute to population datasets, or operate as a clinical diagnostic tool.
COPSOQ III within PsychProof serves a specific and bounded purpose: to give Australian employers a validated, structured method for discharging their WHS Act obligation to identify psychosocial hazards — and to integrate that measurement into a legally defensible evidence record.
Employers remain responsible for acting on assessment results and for engaging qualified professionals where clinical or specialist input is required.
Disclaimer: PsychProof provides structured digital documentation systems designed to align with general principles of record keeping. PsychProof does not provide legal advice, nor does the use of the software guarantee compliance with Work Health and Safety laws, the admissibility of records in a court of law, or protection from legal action. The responsibility for ensuring that workplace practices and documentation legally discharge WHS duties remains entirely with the customer and their legal counsel.
Important Notice
This information is general in nature and provided for awareness and documentation support only. It does not constitute legal, clinical, or professional advice. Regulatory obligations vary by jurisdiction and circumstances. Organisations should refer to relevant regulators or qualified professionals for advice specific to their situation.