WorkSafe Victoria will invest $6.9 million in four industry trials aiming to reduce psychological injuries in high-risk areas and shape future health and safety policies.

The three-year projects will focus on the healthcare, social assistance, early childhood education and public administration sectors, bringing together employers, workers, unions and researchers to develop practical, evidence-based approaches to managing psychosocial risks.

The state workplace safety regulator says the industries were selected because of their high rates of mental injury claims.

WorkSafe accepted more than 2400 psychological injury claims last year, including 682 in healthcare and social assistance, 644 in public administration and safety, and 322 in education and training.

Chief health and safety officer Sam Jenkin said: “Finding the right way to address psychosocial hazards in the workplace is not always simple and many industries need tailored solutions to respond to persistent challenges.”

Bayside Health will work with Alfred Health and St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne to improve worker safety in mental health services by reducing restrictive interventions and adopting a trauma-informed approach.

Barwon Health will partner with the Royal Women's Hospital to reduce workers’ exposure to vicarious trauma, and Griffith University will work with Victoria Police to strengthen workplace safety culture and leaders’ capability to identify psychosocial risks.

The University of Melbourne will develop tools to improve safety culture across 20 kindergarten and childcare centres through better job design, work scheduling and preventative risk management.

The funding comes as Victorian employers implement the Occupational Health and Safety (Psychological Health) Regulations, which took effect in December last year and require businesses to identify and control psychosocial hazards such as bullying, workplace aggression, poor support and exposure to traumatic events.

WorkSafe says these hazards “continue to cause significant harm in Victorian workplaces”.