What does occupational health and safety (OHS) have to do with Industrial Relations? It depends on who you ask. I think it is integral, but many, such as the trade union movement, seem to call on OHS only when needed, and then in the shallowest of ways.
Category: research
Poor Editing Undermines Good Safety Thinking
There is a strong trend among occupational health and safety (OHS) professionals and leadership coaches to self-publish books. Printing technology has made this much easier than previously. Artificial Intelligence will make it more so. The content might be okay, but many of these books need professional editing. Reading and learning are not just about the words on the page but also about the experience of reading a book that should become a treasured friend and a reliable reference.
Sadly, I recently purchased a book that is full of good intentions, but it’s not enjoyable.
Stop Blaming Workers for Problems They Didn’t Create
Australian occupational health and safety (OHS) is moving from a focus on interventions at the individual worker level to examination of the operational and managerial systems that may cause or encourage harm and incidents, especially in relation to psychological safety at work.
Although a new book from the United States does not address OHS specifically, its long title indicates its relevance – “It’s On You – How the Rich and Powerful Have Convinced Us That We’re to Blame for Society’s Deepest Problems”.
“She simply had too much work to do” – WorkSafe Awards 2025
Psychological safety dominated the 2025 WorkSafe Victoria Awards held in late February 2026. (At somepoint, WorkSafe is going to have to bring the awards back to the Safety Month schedule of October) This is perhaps not surprising, as psychological safety and psychosocial hazards remain hot issues in Victoria, but some other important finalists shone.
Suicide prevention lessons from Finland
Over twenty years, Finland decreased the male suicide rate by 61%. What can the rest of us learn from that country’s achievement?
[The following article discusses the management of suicide and suicide prevention.]
Why AI Still Can’t Tell What SafetyAtWorkBlog Really Thinks
Many internet search engines and browsers offer an Artificial Intelligence (AI) search function. The answers seem palatable, convenient and accurate, but are they? I tested the AI search function to see for myself.
Continue reading “Why AI Still Can’t Tell What SafetyAtWorkBlog Really Thinks”Soldiering on to Burnout is Nonsense, Unsafe and Unwise
One of the best summaries of burnout was an article in The Guardian on February 15 2026, written by Zing Tsjeng, titled “Facing meltdown? Over 75% of people suffer from burnout – here’s what you need to know” (paywalled). It has its flaws, but the selection of sources, including Christina Maslach, is impressive.






