In the realm of occupational health and safety (OHS), Enforceable Undertakings (EUs) have emerged as a significant alternative to prosecution for companies that breach safety legislation. Recently, I had the opportunity to catch up with Naomi Kemp to explore the concept of EUs, their implications for workplace safety, exceeding compliance, and the restoration of relationships following incidents.
Wade Needham provides his personal responses to a series of questions regarding psychosocial hazards, offering a fresh and more corporate perspective. This continues the series of articles based on speakers at the recent Psych Health and Safety conference.
The 2025 Psych Health and Safety (PHS) Conference, held in Sydney and hosted by FlourishDx, marked a significant evolution from its inaugural event. With over 200 delegates, a larger venue, enhanced facilities, and a more polished exhibition space, the conference built on its foundational success. Centred around four key themes—evidence-based practice, leading mentally healthy workplaces, inclusive work design, and international perspectives—the event delivered a robust platform for professionals from occupational health and safety (OHS) and human resources (HR) to converge on the critical topic of psychosocial health and safety.
Two prominent experts on psychosocial hazards at work, featuring at the Psych Health and Safety Conference later this week in Sydney, Mary Ann Baynton and I. David Daniels, responded to my question to them (and other speakers) listed in the title above.
Mary Ann Baynton’s response first:
“The two most persistent barriers to employers preventing psychosocial hazards are a misunderstanding of what is required and the belief that it would cost too much in terms of time and effort….”
The concussion risks of sportspeople continue to appear in the media and popular discussions after every suicide, death, or retirement of sportspeople who play contact sports. Recently, Alan Pearce, Professor, Adjunct Research Fellow, School of Health Science, Swinburne University of Technology, wrote an opinion piece for The Australian newspaper (paywalled) that touched on some occupational health and safety (OHS) themes that deserve expanding.
[This article discusses suicide]
The latest government in New Zealand has some wild ideas and policies. Surprisingly, some involve reforming occupational health and safety (OHS) laws. Reform is usually positive as it progresses laws and fixes errors, oversights, or shortcomings, but this NZ activity is different. To start, it is necessary to look at the policies and some of the media statements from the current Prime Minister and Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety.
The latest edition of Creighton & Stewart’s Labour Law book (7th edition) has been released. I say “book”, but it is almost a brick, weighing in on my scales at 1.8 kilograms (see photo below). The book is excellent and probably authoritative, with the primary negative being its size and format. This article focuses on the 79-page occupational health and safety (OHS) chapter written by Richard Johnstone.
