SafetyAtWorkBlog

This audio summary explores the provocative concept of "safety anarchism" through a conversation with Professor Sidney Dekker, author of The Safety Anarchist. Originally broadcast in 2017, the discussion challenges conventional views on workplace safety and bureaucracy, contrasting the disorder of anarchy with the collaborative ethos of anarchism. Dekker critiques Australia’s massive compliance bu...

This episode explores the tragic death of Karla Jordan, an accountant whose workplace environment was identified by the Victorian Coroner as the primary stressor leading to her suicide. It examines the toxic culture at Ballarat Health Services—marked by intimidation, poor communication, and mismanagement—and the systemic failures that contributed to Karla’s decline, including ignored warnings, ina...

What if safety behaviour wasn’t just about ticking boxes or following procedures? In this episode, we unpack the deeper forces that shape how people act at work—from leadership signals and peer norms to production pressures and psychological safety. Moving beyond blame and compliance, we explore how safety behaviour reflects what organisations truly value, and how it can serve as both a mirror of...

This episode exposes the hidden realities of Australia’s FIFO mining jobs, challenging the glamorous image promoted on social media. It highlights issues of isolation, harassment, and psychological harm, and calls for urgent reforms to workplace culture, safety systems, and recruitment practices. The discussion urges a broader approach to safety—one that prioritises dignity and mental health in th...

This episode examines Australia’s current focus on Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs) in workplace safety reform, questioning whether this emphasis accurately reflects the diversity of Australian workplaces. It highlights concerns about the lack of comprehensive national data on HSRs, the potential for survey bias, and the need for a more inclusive, evidence-based consultation approach that...

This episode explores the hidden dangers and cultural failures within Australia’s horse racing industry, drawing broader lessons about workplace safety, leadership accountability, and institutional denial. It examines how harmful practices were excused as “back then,” why such justifications fail, and how silence and reputation protection perpetuate unsafe environments. Parallels are drawn to othe...

This episode explores the widespread use of workplace stretching programs and questions their effectiveness in preventing injuries. Drawing on recent research and industry observations, it examines the psychological and cultural impacts of these initiatives, contrasting them with more trusted interventions like suicide prevention programs. This episode challenges assumptions about safety rituals a...

This episode explores how pandemic preparedness is being reframed as part of a broader workplace biological hazard strategy, highlighting updates from Safe Work Australia, the development of a new model Code of Practice, and the importance of proactive risk management for all biological threats. It discusses lessons learned from COVID-19, the challenges of implementing effective ventilation, the n...

This episode marks the 50th anniversary of the Whitlam government’s dismissal, reflecting on a lost opportunity for transformative workplace safety reform in Australia. Just before the dismissal, a national no-fault accident compensation scheme—based on the visionary Woodhouse Report—was poised to provide comprehensive support for all Australians affected by injury, but the scheme was shelved and...

This episode examines recent developments in workers’ compensation for gig workers in Australia, focusing on legislative changes and ongoing challenges. It explores the evolving definitions of gig work, the complexities of coverage, and the need for national coordination in policy and regulation. The discussion highlights the gaps in health and safety protections for gig workers, the practical iss...

This episode explores the latest evidence on occupational health and safety (OHS) in the context of working from home. Drawing on recent research and expert commentary, this discussion examines the rise of hybrid work arrangements in Australia, their impact on productivity, and the broader socioeconomic benefits—especially for parents, individuals with health conditions, and those facing barriers...

This episode unpacks a heated parliamentary exchange over workers’ compensation premiums in New South Wales, revealing a deeper crisis in workplace mental health. While political leaders debate costs and reforms, the conversation sidesteps the root causes: rising psychological injury claims, structural workplace stressors, and ineffective well-being programs. The discussion challenges compliance-d...

This episode explores a major shift in workplace health and safety: Victoria’s new psychological safety regulations, effective December 1st. With no transition period and no room for delay, employers now face a clear legal duty to prevent psychological harm—not just manage it. The discussion breaks down the regulator’s Compliance Code, the hierarchy of control, and the implications for HR and OHS...

This episode explores the overlooked and often misunderstood world of occupational health and safety in Australia’s sex work industry. Drawing on 18 years of reporting and analysis from SafetyAtWorkBlog, the discussion highlights how stigma, legal ambiguity, and political inertia have left sex workers exposed to physical and psychosocial risks. From violence and poor ventilation to regulatory negl...

14,000 tuned in to WorkSafe Victoria’s webinar on new psychological health regulations—taking effect December 1, 2025, with no transition period. This episode unpacks the urgency, the compliance code, and the cultural resistance to real change. From retail violence to “adequate resourcing,” we explore what’s mandatory, what’s missing, and why reactive safety won’t cut it anymore.

This episode explores how language—particularly verbs—shapes perceptions of leadership and commitment in political and workplace safety contexts. From the AUKUS submarine announcement to COVID-era vaccine pledges, it examines the use of “soft” verbs that dilute responsibility and obscure intent. Drawing parallels with occupational health and safety legislation and corporate risk management, the di...

This podcast examines who truly shapes safety on infrastructure worksites — and why the client often holds the decisive power. The episode explains how client decisions on budgets, timelines and procurement set the incentives that drive safety culture, why current procurement and political pressures frequently prioritise cost over worker protection, and how embedding minimum OHS standards into ten...

This episode explores the evolving concept of workplace safety, inspired by Matthew Hallowell’s book "Energy-Based Safety". The discussion expands on traditional safety frameworks, highlighting the importance of considering not only physical hazards but also the impact of emotional energy and psychological harm in the workplace. Topics include the idea of “Hazardous Human Interaction”, the role of...

In this episode, I reflect on RMIT University’s inaugural SHINe Symposium—an overbooked, research-driven event that brought international safety experts to Melbourne during Safe Work Month. From Dr Matthew Hallowell’s insights into the Construction Safety Research Alliance (CSRA) to Professor Michelle Turner’s call for systemic change in mental health, this episode explores how evidence-based rese...

In this episode, I explore a critical question: If clients—especially government bodies—hold so much influence over workplace safety, why aren’t we using it to protect workers? I discuss how clients set project budgets, timelines, and standards, yet often fail to enforce basic safety protections. I challenge the common excuses about cost and disruption, arguing that real leadership means setting,...

Join me, Kevin Jones, I share a candid audio summary reflecting on a recent webinar about psychological safety in the workplace. In this episode, I critique the dominance of HR concepts and pop psychology in safety discussions, highlighting the lack of focus on legal obligations and genuine psychosocial hazards. I explore the need for better integration between OHS and HR, especially as new psycho...

Kevin Jones explores the political tensions and evolving landscape of workplace health and safety in Australia, tracing the journey from the heated OHS harmonisation debates of 2010—when NSW Premier Kristina Keneally clashed with the federal government—through to today’s renewed focus on psychosocial hazards, union rights, and regulatory reform. This Safe Work Month episode discusses pivotal momen...

In this episode, Kevin Jones—OHS adviser and writer of the SafetyAtWorkBlog—dives deep into the messy, misunderstood world of workplace culture. Drawing on nearly two decades of writing and research, Kevin explores how safety culture is inseparable from organisational culture, and why psychosocial hazards have pushed culture into the spotlight. He challenges the superficial treatment of culture in...

Join Kevin Jones, OHS adviser and writer of the SafetyAtWorkBlog, as he dips into Victoria’s new psychological safety regulations and what they mean for workplaces. In this episode, Kevin explains why these long-awaited changes matter, how they align Victoria with national standards, and why HR’s role is crucial in making workplaces safer and healthier. Discover practical controls for psychosocial...

This episode explores the tragic story of Brodie Panlock and its profound impact on workplace safety in Australia. As we mark Safe Work Month 2025, Kevin reflects on Brodie’s experience of relentless bullying at Café Vamp in Melbourne, which led to her untimely death in 2006. The podcast examines the legal and cultural changes sparked by this case, including the introduction of Brodie’s Law and th...