In the landscape of occupational health and safety (OHS), executive leadership is often framed through the lens of compliance. However, as I and others have long argued, the law is the minimum; leadership must aim higher. Across hundreds of SafetyAtWorkBlog articles, a consistent theme emerges – safety leadership must evolve from bureaucratic oversight to moral accountability.
This shift begins with reframing psychosocial risk. Despite the introduction of ISO45003 and new WHS regulations, many boards still treat mental health as a wellness initiative rather than a core governance issue. Psychosocial safety must be embedded into strategic oversight, with clear reporting lines, resourcing, and accountability. It is not enough to delegate this to Human Resources (HR) or OHS advisors—executives must own it.
Leadership also falters when systems become cluttered. Safety documentation, risk registers, and dashboards often obscure rather than enable prevention. Executives should audit their systems for usability, asking whether they empower action or merely signal diligence. One form that is used is more useful than a hundred that are not.
Listening is another critical gap. Too often, leadership hears from consultants and lawyers but not from workers, injured persons, or frontline safety professionals. I have repeatedly highlighted the value of lived experience, but cautiously—whether through coronial inquests, victim impact statements, or practitioner forums. These voices are not anecdotal; they are essential.
Data, too, must be reclaimed. Injury statistics and audit scores are frequently used as shields against criticism. But leadership should ask: what are we learning from this? Metrics must be accompanied by qualitative context, trend analysis, and narrative. Boards should demand transparency, not just reassurance.
Ultimately, executive leadership must play a crucial role in driving industry reform. I support national data warehouses, open-source safety knowledge, and inclusive consultation. Executives can lead by investing in these initiatives, amplifying the voices of underrepresented individuals, and challenging the limitations of regulatory bodies. Passive compliance is no longer enough (it never was).
Leadership is not about having all the answers. It is about asking better OHS questions, listening harder, and acting with integrity when no one is watching. The future of safety leadership lies in courage—not just compliance.
This article is an edited version of a compilation of past SafetyAtWorkBlog articles.