compliance – Page 3 – SafetyAtWorkBlog

Safety Behaviour – Beyond Compliance in the Modern Workplace

Safety behaviour is often discussed in terms of compliance—whether workers follow procedures, wear protective equipment, or report hazards. Yet, this view only scratches the surface of what safety behaviour truly means in today’s complex organisational environments. At its core, safety behaviour encompasses the observable actions and decisions individuals make that either promote or compromise health and safety. These actions are shaped not just by rules, but by a rich tapestry of social norms, leadership expectations, and the perceived consequences of speaking up or staying silent.

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Paved with gold and lined with threats

Sexual harassment in Australia’s fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) female mining workforce is well-established after several official inquiries. Sadly, it appears that some of the European holiday visa workers were not aware of the risks, according to a report in The Observer newspaper on November 14, 2025.

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Unsafe Back Then, Unsafe Now. Why Leadership Must Change

To truly understand occupational health and safety (OHS) issues, it is necessary to examine OHS concerns beyond one’s own industry. Recently, this blog has reported on some parliamentary debates on OHS in the horse racing industry. The November edition of The Monthly includes an exposé of the OHS of Australia’s horse racing industry by freelance writer, Madison Griffiths, with lessons for all of us on morality, Godliness, accountability and leadership. The article is paywalled but well worth the purchase.

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Is there even a need for a home office?

In today’s The Age newspaper is an article about a worker who claimed part of his rent for his home office as a work-related tax deduction (paywalled). The Australian Taxation Office rejected the claim, but it is now being considered by the Federal Court. There is a comment in the article that questions the need for a home office and challenges the occupational health and safety (OHS) context of working from home.

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Why do we need a “positive duty” to prevent harm?

In 2023, a Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability recommended that the Commonwealth Disability Discrimination Act 1992 be amended to introduce a positive duty on all duty-holders to eliminate disability discrimination, harassment and victimisation. This echoes the imposition in 2022 of a positive duty to prevent sexual harassment. Occupational health and safety (OHS) legislation has had its positive duty to prevent work-related harm since 1985. So why this current push for positive duties?

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Denmark and Australia Compared on Psychosocial Safety

Niru Tyagi recently wrote on LinkedIn about Denmark’s regulatory approach to work-related psychosocial hazards, comparing it the current Australian approach, framing Denmark as creating an industrial obligation. It is a perceptive comparison but downplays the significance in Australia of the criterion of reasonably practicable.

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Victoria’s Psych Safety Code identifies preventions, and HR help will be needed

The release of new psychological safety workplace regulations and guidance in Victoria is a big thing. Partly because this closes the gap, with similar occupational health and safety (OHS) regulations now in place throughout Australia. Partly because Victoria was an early advocate for changes to these workplace hazards, and the government sat on its hands with this issue for far too long. (No one really knows why)

A quick read of the Compliance Code suggests that many of these hazards are unlikely to be controlled without the cooperation of Human Resources (HR) personnel. This might be the biggest challenge to achieving change and preventing harm.

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