The Circus of Safety Podcast

🎪 Step right up for another wild ride under The Circus of Safety Big Top! In this episode, the team takes on the Spinning Wheel of Death with the burning question: "Is old school thinking killing our safety culture?" Expect laughs, lively debates, and a few sponsor surprises as pragmatic insights meet tongue-in-cheek banter. They dive into what “old school thinking” really means, from c...

🎪 Step right up, safety fans! In this lively episode of The Circus of Safety, the gang returns to the Big Top to debate one of health and safety’s most controversial acts: do culture surveys really reveal the truth, or are they just telling leaders what they want to hear? Expect mischievous banter, academic hot takes, and an avalanche of socks, vibes, and workplace antics. Plus, there’s a throwba...

🎪 Step right up for another rollicking ride under the Big Top! On this week’s episode of The Circus of Safety Podcast, the fearless trio unpacks the controversial world of Behaviour-Based Safety — is it a helpful tool or a hazardous hindrance? With Brenton away and the wheel spinning, the crew gets candid about the sticky details of observation programs, real-world coaching, feedback gone wild, a...

🎪 Step right up for another rollicking episode of The Circus of Safety, where Brenton Harrison, Desai Link, and Andrew Evans spin the #TheSpinningWheelOfDeath and tackle the safety rule most people are afraid to follow—stopping unsafe work! 🤹‍♂️ From workplace culture and risk normalisation to the social pressures that keep us from speaking up, our dynamic trio dive deep, sharing pragmatic insig...

🎪 Step right up for another delightfully chaotic ride at The Circus of Safety! In this episode, Brenton, Andy, and Des spin the Spinning Wheel of Death [SWOD] and dive into the ultimate safety conundrum: Are risk assessment tools broken? 🤹‍♂️💥 Expect banter, bewilderment, and a whole lot of laughs as the crew debates Take 5s, JSAs, risk matrices, and the difference between tools and methodologi...

🎪 Step right up for another thrilling episode of The Circus of Safety! In this week’s videocast, Andrew, Desai, and Brenton are joined by special guest Brett Murray, CEO of Site Safe New Zealand, for a ringside deep-dive into the Gibson vs Maritime New Zealand case and its high-stakes implications for directors, CEOs, and safety management. Expect tongue-in-cheek banter, razor-sharp insights, and...

🎪 The Circus of Safety VideoCast: Season 4, Episode 5 🎉 Step right up for another riotous round under our virtual Big Top! Join Brenton, Andy, Des and the inimitable Oliver as they spin The Spinning Wheel of Death (#SWOD) and tackle the age-old question: is safety complicated, complex, or just a wicked problem? From comical banter and broken bones to heated debates about risk definitions and out...

🎪 Step right up for a brand new episode of The Circus of Safety! In this punchy, practical, and delightfully irreverent instalment, Brenton Harrison, Andrew Evans, and Desai Link dive into Part 2 of the Health and Safety at Work Amendment Bill—debating critical risks, regulatory confusion, “snake oil” sales, and who really should be writing the rules. From humorous banter about fast food careers...

🎪 Step into the ring with "The Circus of Safety" as Brenton, Des, and Andy take a tongue-in-cheek, practical look at New Zealand's hot-off-the-press Health and Safety at Work Amendment Bill! In this special episode, the trio unpacks what the proposed changes really mean for businesses of all sizes—are we cutting red tape, or just tying new knots? Expect sharp insights, lively debate...

In our Season 4 premiere, hosts Brenton Harrison, Desai Link, and Andrew Evans return from their summer breaks with plenty of banter, big questions, and even bigger laughs. This episode dives into one of the most debated topics in health and safety: is there a true code of ethics for the profession? From the lack of a clearly defined professional ethic to issues of regulation, boundaries, and glob...

🎪 Step right up for an unfiltered, practical, and entertaining look at the world of health and safety! In this SPECIAL episode of The Circus of Safety, Ben Hutchinson joins Brenton Harrison, Desai Link, and Andrew Evans to explore the pitfalls of learning from failure, the myths of organisational safety, and the tricky world of audits. Expect candid stories, expert insights, and plenty of laughs...

🎪 Step right up to The Circus of Safety! In this episode, hosts Andrew Evans, Brenton Harrison, and Desai Link take a pragmatic, tongue-in-cheek look at the real value behind signing a disclaimer. Is it about protecting legal interests, enhancing safety, or just wishful thinking? With stories from adventure tourism, law, and plenty of witty banter, our trio explores myths and truths about risk, r...

Step right up to the most chaotic safety debate under the Big Top! In this episode of The Circus of Safety, Brenton Harrison, Andrew Evans, and Desai Link take a hilariously unfiltered look at "supervision as a risk control." Is supervision actually a risk control, or is it just a fancy way to keep tabs on everyone? Dive in as our hosts argue, deflect, and try [mostly unsuccessfully] to...

In this lively episode, Brenton Harrison, Andrew Evans, and Desai Link tackle the big question: Does monitoring failure still have a place in health and safety? Expect sharp insights, plenty of witty banter, and practical advice as the trio debunks myths around lagging indicators, explores the value of learning from both success and failure, and pokes fun at snake oil safety solutions. Workplace s...

🎪 Step right up for Season 3, Episode 18 of The Circus of Safety, where Brenton, Desai, and Andy tackle the age-old question: Can controls become hazards? In classic Circus of Safety style, this episode dives into the not-so-simple world of risk management, safety controls, and the unintended consequences they sometimes bring. Expect practical wisdom, plenty of laughs, and a few wild philosophica...

Welcome to The Circus of Safety! In this lively episode, Andy, Des, and Brenton dive headfirst into the hotly debated world of "Just Culture" and "No Blame" in workplace safety. Expect a whirlwind of sharp banter, practical reflections, and philosophical tangents as our hosts wrestle with the real meaning of blame, accountability, and justice at work. Is "just culture&quot...

Step right up for another episode of The Circus of Safety! In Season 3, Episode 16, hosts Brenton, Desai, and Andy dive deep [and keep it light] as they celebrate the launch of Des’s book, "Beyond the Incident." Join the trio as they unravel the mysteries of workplace investigations—debunking common myths, discussing the vital role of evidence [thanks to Des’s legal background], and expl...

🎪 Is ESG really a thing, or just the latest corporate buzzword? On this episode of The Circus of Safety, Brenton, Des, and Andy spin the infamous Wheel of Death and dive into the world of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles. Expect banter, brutal honesty, and a healthy dose of scepticism as the crew debates whether ESG actually impacts workplace safety—or if it’s just capitalis...

Absolute chaos reigns as Brenton, Andy, and special co-host Matt Sadgrove kick off this week’s The Circus of Safety with technical mishaps, poetic disclaimers, and their trademark irreverent banter! This episode dives into the prickly question: Is safety in New Zealand just “what it is”? The crew unpacks why New Zealand’s safety numbers often lag behind places like Australia and the UK, exploring...

Does everything in safety need to be so black-and-white? In this episode of The Circus of Safety, Brenton, Des, and Andy spin the infamous wheel to tackle the problem of binary thinking in the health and safety profession. With their trademark mix of practical insight, tongue-in-cheek banter, and a dash of philosophical musings [plus a brief detour into polygamy and quantum mechanics], the trio qu...

Step right up for another wild ride under the Big Top! In Season 3, Episode 12 of The Circus of Safety, Brenton, Des, and Andy return from hiatus and dive headfirst into the chaos of "Doing Safety Efficiently." With their signature blend of practical insights, tongue-in-cheek banter, and razor-sharp observations, the trio tackles the age-old question: how can we make safety processes les...

It’s our birthday! 🎉 Join Brenton, Des, Andy, and special guest Oliver as The Circus of Safety celebrates two years of taking a practical, tongue-in-cheek look at all things health and safety. In this special anniversary episode, the crew reflects on their wild ride so far—recounting hilarious moments, recapping their most popular episodes, and debating the topics that matter most in the world of...

Step right up for another wild ride under the Big Top of workplace safety! In this episode of The Circus of Safety , Brenton, Des, and Andy spin the infamous Spinning Wheel of Death and land on a truly divisive topic: Is zero harm stupid? With their signature blend of pragmatism, sharp wit, and a healthy dose of laughter, the trio dives into the realities [and absurdities] of the "zero harm&q...

Get ready for another wild ride under the Big Top with The Circus of Safety! In this episode, Brenton, Des, and Andy are joined once again by Jeff Sissons to unravel the latest round of health and safety reform announcements making headlines across New Zealand. With their trademark mix of sharp insight, irreverent humour, and utter chaos, the crew tackles everything from the infamous traffic cone...

🎪 Step right up for Episode 8 of The Circus of Safety's Season 3! This week, Brenton, Des, and Andy tackle the age-old question: If a model is never used well, is it still a good model? From the New Zealand Occupational Hygiene Society conference highlights to tongue-in-cheek debates about safety models, methodologies, and a surprising detour into zero-harm philosophies, the trio bring their...