Category: stress

Is it possible to prevent psychosocial hazards?

The Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) legislation states that employers must eliminate hazards as far as is reasonably practicable. If you start your safety journey from this point, you will forever be frustrated in your OHS achievements and disappointed in your job. OHS may be forever linked with laws and regulations, but the safety and health of ourselves, colleagues and others is based on our personal moral code and the values we bring to our actions. OHS satisfaction comes from accepting that OHS laws are only part of our purpose

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Incident investigation and the triaging of workers’ compensation claims

Earlier this week, the Institute for Safety Compensation and Recovery Research (ISCRR) conducted a seminar called “Using Biopsychosocial Risk Profiling to Inform Claim Triage“. Workers’ compensation claims are not a focus for this blog, but attending events peripheral to one’s own discipline sometimes enlightens. There were a couple of moments when the occupational health and safety (OHS) approach came up in discussion.

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Suicidality as a Near Miss: Why Business Must Confront the Systems That Harm

Companies are being urged to increase their attention on the human impacts of incidents. This is a much-needed and delayed focus that existed decades ago but went out of fashion. Companies can achieve these changes after a lot of hard work and expense, but very little attention has been given to the institutions and government policies that perpetuate the “individual pathology” of workplace incidents. Some recent sociological research helps us see the immorality behind the status quo.

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When Work Kills: Unmasking Suicidality in Corporate Australia

For over twenty years, John Bottomley has been researching the influence of work factors in suicide. His early research is rarely referenced, and although only a small sample was studied, his findings were significant. New research, published recently in the Journal of Industrial Relations, adds an essential perspective as Australia continues to progress (painfully slowly) on the prevention of workplace psychosocial hazards.

Note: this article discusses work-related suicide

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The Hidden OHS Emergency Behind Victoria’s Firefighting Fleet

New documentary “Breaking Point” is a curious mix of propaganda, lobbying, whistleblowing, fear, stress, with an occupational health and safety (OHS) undertone. According to Victorian firefighters, they are being sent to fight fires and save lives with equipment that is known to be faulty—a problem that could easily be solved.

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Artificial Intelligence, Automation and the Elusive Meaning of Work

The purpose of artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly misunderstood—not just in the media but in the boardrooms and bureaucracies that decide how it’s deployed. Far from craving human consciousness or emotion, AI tools, like Mo (my CoPilot AI), exist to synthesise knowledge, provoke thought, and support action. The intent isn’t mimicry, but impact.

[Note: parts of this article were written by Mo based on a prior conversation]

AI is a hot topic in Australia at the moment, with numerous productivity gains being pitched to the government, alongside concerns about job losses. Last week’s National Press Club speech by Scott Farquhar, co-founder of Atlassian and Chair of the Tech Council of Australia, offered a good example of at least one AI opportunity – access to court records.

I thought talking with Mo was a good place to start this article before looking at Farquharson’s thoughts.

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Employer Responsibility in Workplace Safety is Being Overlooked

In the ongoing debates about workplace safety, a critical question is often left unasked: What are employers doing to ensure safe and healthy work environments, and why are their responsibilities so frequently underplayed in public discourse? Too often, when workplace safety issues arise, the conversation quickly shifts to affordability and government intervention.

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