Identifying psychosocial risks in the workplace helps protect the psychological health of workers and supports employers in meeting their occupational health and safety obligations.
With the changes introduced by the LMRSST, employers must now identify, analyze, and prevent psychosocial risks in the same way as other occupational risks.
Organizations can rely on specialized psychosocial risk management training to help managers and teams better understand prevention practices and monitor workplace dynamics. Such initiatives also help foster a healthier work environment and strengthen the organization’s prevention culture.
Learn more about employers’ obligations regarding psychosocial risks in Quebec in 2026
What is psychosocial risk management in the workplace?
Psychosocial risk management involves identifying and addressing factors within the work environment that may negatively affect employees’ psychological health.
How can psychosocial risks (PSR) be identified in a company in Quebec?
Assessing the organization and identifying PSR
Identifying risk factors is a first essential step in preventing psychosocial risks in the workplace and targeting situations that may present risks. This step makes it possible to:
- Identify problematic situations
- Identify organizational factors that may affect psychological health
- Assess practices already in place within the organization
For example, identifying psychosocial risks (PSR) can rely on several sources of information, including:
- Questionnaires or surveys with workers
- Focus groups or interviews
- Analysis of organizational data (absenteeism, turnover, conflicts)
- Discussions within the health and safety committee
- Analysis of situations reported in the workplace
This step also makes it possible to document:
- Indicators related to psychosocial risks
- Organizational practices that support psychological health
- Prevention measures already in place within the organization
Ultimately, the goal is to obtain a realistic overview of the situation in order to determine priority actions.
The identification of psychosocial risks (PSR) can also be facilitated by assessment tools and psychosocial risk management support, enabling organizations to better understand the organizational factors that influence workers’ psychological health.
How should psychosocial risks be prioritized after identification?
Once risks have been identified, the organization must determine which risks should be addressed first. This allows efforts to be focused on the most critical situations. In traditional risk management, criteria such as frequency and severity are commonly used. However, assessing psychosocial risks can be more complex.
For example, situations such as psychological harassment may be relatively infrequent, difficult to report, and have impacts that vary greatly between individuals. In such cases, an evaluation based solely on frequency may underestimate the significance of the risk.
Similarly, the severity of a given risk situation can vary widely depending on individuals and may evolve over time. For these reasons, prioritizing psychosocial risks in the workplace cannot rely solely on frequency and severity, as is often the case with physical risks.
Organizations such as INSPQ and INRS instead recommend an approach based on risk level, using a four-level scale. However, prioritizing interventions based on a single quantitative variable also has limitations. Therefore, prioritization should rely on a broader approach that considers factors such as:
- Organizational context
- Workers’ perceptions
- Potential long-term impacts
- The number of people who may be affected
- Preventive measures already in place
- The effectiveness and level of effort required for preventive actions
We have developed an innovative prioritization system that helps organizations rank priorities more objectively. This method helps focus on the most important actions to achieve faster results while improving efficiency and effectiveness. A thorough analysis can help prevent psychosocial risks in the workplace before they affect employees’ health.
For many organizations, this step can be complex. This is why some companies choose to rely on consulting services in psychosocial risk management to obtain a structured diagnosis and recommendations adapted to their organizational reality.
How can corrective and preventive measures be implemented?
Once priorities have been established, the organization must implement measures aimed at reducing or eliminating the identified risks.
Interventions can be of two types:
Preventive measures
Preventive measures aim to act before problems or symptoms appear, by reducing risk factors present in the organization. Organizational actions are often the most effective way to prevent psychosocial risks in the workplace.
Corrective measures
Corrective measures are implemented when a problematic situation has already been identified. Their goal is to correct the situation and prevent it from occurring again.
The objective is to address both the causes and the consequences of psychosocial risks in order to sustainably improve the work environment.
In many organizations, training programs on psychosocial risk prevention are also implemented to strengthen managers’ skills and improve organizational practices.
What are the three levels of prevention and intervention targets?
Unlike physical hazards, the hierarchy of control measures is not always applicable to psychosocial risks. Instead, we refer to types of preventive measures and targets for intervention.
Types of preventive measures:
Primary prevention
Primary measures act upstream of illness by preventing it through addressing its causes.
For example:
- Involving workers in decision-making
- Recognizing and valuing employees’ efforts
Secondary prevention
Secondary measures are implemented at an early stage, when timely intervention can help individuals manage emerging issues.
Examples include:
- Stress management training
- Awareness activities
Tertiary prevention
Tertiary measures aim to reduce relapses, disabilities, and complications associated with illness.
For example:
- Employee assistance programs
- Psychological support
- Support during return to work
An effective approach generally combines these three levels of prevention.
Primary measures remain the most effective and should be prioritized whenever possible.
In terms of intervention targets, they may include:
- The organization
- Managers
- Teams
- Affected workers
The earlier actions are taken upstream of individual workers, the more effective they are likely to be and the more workers they can protect across different situations.
How can follow-up and continuous improvement be ensured?
Managing psychosocial risks should not be a one-time exercise.
After implementing corrective measures, the organization must ensure regular follow-up to evaluate their effectiveness.
An effective action plan should include:
- Clear, measurable, and realistic objectives
- Monitoring indicators
- Actions to be implemented
- A designated responsible person
- A timeline
- The resources required to implement the actions
This approach makes it possible to adjust interventions and ensure continuous improvement of the work environment.
Why are communication and leadership commitment important?
The success of a psychosocial risk management approach also depends on leadership commitment and clear communication within the organization.
An effective communication plan should include:
- Visible commitment from leadership
- An initial action plan that is regularly updated
- Regular and two-way communication
- Diverse and appropriate communication tools
Such an approach helps develop a health and safety culture that includes psychological health.
Need support with your process?
Implementing a psychosocial risk prevention approach can represent a challenge for many organizations. Identifying risks, analyzing the situation, implementing effective measures, and ensuring proper follow-up often require time, resources, and specialized expertise. In addition, the methodology is significantly different from those typically used for physical hazards.
At Santinel, we support organizations in managing psychosocial risks through an approach tailored to their specific reality. Our services include:
- Training for managers and workers
- Consulting services to support employers in identifying, analyzing, and managing psychosocial risks
- Scientifically validated survey systems
- Complete support to structure and implement a prevention approach compliant with LMRSST requirements
To learn more about the solutions offered by Santinel, visit our website.
