Category: SafeWork

NSW Debates Dollars While Workers Break Down

In New South Wales, reduced workers’ compensation for those workers suffering from a mental injury remains a politically hot topic. Independent Member of Parliament, Alex Greenwich, asked the Minister for Work Health and Safety, Sophie Cotsis, about maintaining “the sustainability of premiums”. This opened the door for Cotsis to inform the House and to attack the (Conservative) opposition. The debate highlighted the continuing misdirection from much more important and key occupational health and safety (OHS) reforms.

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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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Holding Space for the Ridiculous in Workplace Health and Safety

One of the most divisive speakers at last week’s Research Summit organised by Safe Work Australia was futurist Reanna Browne. Some delegates found her approach to research to be offensive. Others thought she was granted too much time. Some were confused.

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15 SWA Research Summit Ideas and a Translation

Although I have expressed concerns about the application of AI data analytics at the recent Safe Work Australia (SWA) Research Summit, I think it is important to list the 15 Leading Ideas that the analysis process identified from the summit. Some of these will seem like the bleeding obvious, but these outcomes will inform SWA’s research agenda and strategy.

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The 38-Hour Week is not a Myth—It’s an Ignored Safeguard

Safe Work Australia’s recent Research Summit conducted several workshops. Time allowed delegates to only attend two of the eight – a morning and an afternoon. The standout seminar I attended was for “Work as a determinant of our psychological health”.

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Balancing Acts That Miss the Point

One of the aims of Australia’s Model Work Health and Safety Act is to

“… provide a balanced and nationally consistent framework to secure the health and safety of workers and workplaces.” (page 5, Best Practice Review of the model Work Health and Safety laws – Discussion Paper, September 2025)

There are several ways to interpret “balance” – an equilibrium/harmony or the process for weighing interest, a noun or a verb. I am not sure that ‘balance’ or ‘balanced’ are suitable terms in a document that should provide clear guidance on occupational health and safety (OHS) matters. It may be an example of how an inexactitude can lead to over-complexity and OHS’s reputation for business bullshit.

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