harassment – SafetyAtWorkBlog

Reframing Military Misconduct as a Safety Failure

The goal of occupational health and safety (OHS) is to prevent harm. The goal of most people is to not hurt others with their actions. However, some industry sectors don’t seem to apply these goals, or they rationalise the harm they cause for various reasons, including the greater good, or a corruption of the greater good.

These industries often include those based on military management processes, such as command and control. The emergency services and defence forces are obvious examples. Over many years, the various emergency service organisations throughout Australia have been investigated for bullying, sexual harassment and toxic workplace cultures.

A new report from the United Kingdom seems to illustrate the lack of progress in that country’s military services.

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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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What We Lose When NDAs Win

Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) are a contentious device used by lawyers, often as part of the settlement of a legal dispute. These came to the fore in the context of sexual harassment several years ago. The Victorian government has proposed a bill to Parliament that, according to the Australian Financial Review (AFR), will increase transparency. This should assist in determining changes to work processes that are as low as is reasonably practicable.

NDAs have been an insidious tool, especially in relation to sexual harassment at work.

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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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WorkSafe Victoria’s Wake Up Call on Psychosocial Hazards

WorkSafe Victoria has just concluded a Safe Work Month webinar on psychosocial hazards and psychological risks, attended by around 14,000. The content was familiar to anyone who has been following the development of Victoria’s new occupational health and safety (OHS) over the last four years, but it was an important communications opportunity for WorkSafe with useful insight into employers’ perspectives on mental health at work.

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Culture is the New Compliance in Victoria’s Psychological Health Code

The most significant challenges for employers in Victoria’s new OHS (Psychological Health) Regulations, supported by a new Compliance Code, are likely to be fostering a strong workplace safety culture. Occupational health and safety (OHS) advocates have been emphasising the importance of culture for several decades now (Sociologists examined it decades before). It appears that we will be hearing a great deal more about culture for some time to come, but what is expected of employers?

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