Cam Stevens

Victoria joins the fold on psychosocial risk. WorkSafe Victoria has released its long-awaited Compliance Code: Psychological Health (2025). The final piece in the national picture for psychosocial risk management. What stands out? A shift away from the traditional hierarchy of control toward a more fit-for-purpose model that recognises psychosocial hazards can’t be managed the same way as physical ones. The Code takes effect 1 December 2025. You can read it here: https://lnkd.in/giXRT4pF #PsychosocialSafety #WHS #Leadership #RiskManagement Epigroup

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A lot of organisations think digital safety transformation means buying better software. In reality, it means designing systems that workers actually want to use. If reporting an incident or near miss takes too many steps, requires navigating complex systems, or feels like it disappears into a black hole, people will simply stop reporting. The real test of a safety system isn’t the number of features it has — it’s whether it reduces friction, builds trust, and turns reporting into learning and action. The organisations that will lead in safety performance are those that focus not just on digitisation, but on usability, worker engagement, and visible leadership follow-through.

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If you don’t have the right policies in place, you don’t have protection. Many businesses think they’re compliant because they have something written down. But when we audit workplaces, we often find: Outdated templates Missing mandatory policies No acknowledgement tracking Policies that don’t reflect current Fair Work obligations Gaps around psychosocial hazards and Respect@Work Policies aren’t paperwork. They’re your first line of defence when things go wrong. That’s why we’ve created a free Policy Checklist, outlining the minimum policies we recommend every business should have implemented. It’s practical. It’s clear. And it helps you quickly identify gaps before they become risk. Download your free checklist and review your foundations properly. https://lnkd.in/gDdUcEDD #HRCompliance #WorkplacePolicies #AustralianBusiness #FairWorkAustralia #HRSupport #BusinessRisk #SMEAustralia #WorkplaceGovernance #AstrowaveHR

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I've noticed that often when organisations are uncomfortable or unsure how to manage a health and safety risk, the default position is to increase activity. This might include developing more (or more complicated) documentation, implementing more initiatives, or undertaking more reporting. This is particularly often the case with psych risk management. This paper aims to clarify what really matters and how organisations can mature their psych risk framework to rise above the existing clutter. We're always open for feedback so please reach out to the team if you'd like to chat.

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I am facilitating this ACS Master Class on the 10th March. If you want to explore how data visualisation can improve operational vulnerability and risk management then this master class is for you.

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In recent weeks, our team at Action OHS Consulting has supported clients navigating complex safety challenges — from psychosocial risk assessments to AI-enabled safety analytics. What’s clear is that safety is evolving, and so must our leadership. The rise of AI and automation has been highlighted as both an opportunity and risk. At the same time, leadership culture is being recognised as a critical driver of WHS outcomes. We’re seeing this firsthand. Clients are asking for more than compliance — they want strategic insight, responsiveness, and solutions that reflect their operational realities. Whether it’s through delivery of the #OHSEssentials program to small businesses for @WorkSafe Victoria, bespoke consultancy for multinational corporations and governments, or tech-enabled platforms like Safety Champion, we’re helping organisations lead with confidence. Inspired by recent posts from Craig Salter and Megan Drysdale, I’m reminded that contemporary safety leadership is about clarity, empathy, and adaptability. If you’re looking to uplift your safety culture, explore AI in WHS, — let’s connect. #LeadershipInSafety #AIinSafety #WHS #ActionOHS #SafetyChampion #SafeWorkAustralia #ContemporaryLeadership #PsychosocialSafety #OHSConsulting

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"Over 50 percent of companies had taken NO steps - or didn't know what steps had been taken - to eliminate or mitigate psychosocial risks in their organisations." (November 2023, Ashurst WHS) It would be frightening to be on a board with direct and individual risk - with no way of insuring against this - and being in the dark, or blissfully unaware of your directors duties and obligations... Make this your business to know how your organisation is performing and what actions are being taken! Rob Chapman Raymond Spencer great seeing you both yesterday and discussing this really critical piece with you.

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What We’ve Learned So Far About The Multicultural Leadership Matrix.. Sometimes I pause halfway through a series and think we’ve covered so much in a short time. We’ve explored the first two cultural dimensions of the Paselk Multicultural Safety Leadership Matrix™, Power Distance and Uncertainty Avoidance and the patterns are already striking. Here’s what the last 10 posts have shown us: 1. Silence is rarely agreement, sometimes it’s fear. High Power Distance crews don’t challenge authority unless trust and EI are present. 2. Trust isn’t a “nice to have”, it changes how people speak up. SER is the lever that turns obedience into dialogue. 3. Safety climate fractures quietly under hierarchy. Leaders see confidence; frontline sees pressure. 4. Early warnings are often non-verbal. Hesitation. Avoided eye contact. Forced nods. Those are real signals. 5. Pressure doesn’t just speed work, it pushes people into obedience. 6. Uncertainty Avoidance loves clarity more than speed. When plans shift, anxiety appears before risk does. 7. Strong relationships turn confusion into clarification. 8. High UA climates love structure, but structure can become brittle. 9. Over-checking isn’t diligence, it’s stress in disguise. 10. Under pressure, high-UA teams become more rigid, not faster. The fix is clarity, not force. If you’ve followed so far, you’ll notice a pattern: - Culture shapes behavior - Leadership shapes how that behavior is expressed - Human factors determine whether risk emerges or dissolves This isn’t theory. It’s a map, one we can use to predict behavior before incidents form. In the next posts, we’ll step into Individualism/Collectivism, and things get even more interesting. Different cultures show risk in completely different ways, one loud, one quiet. Both real. Thanks for walking this journey with me. We’re only 10 cells in, and the matrix is already telling its story. If you’ve learned something so far, tell me: Which insight hit you the hardest? #ThePaselkMulticulturalSafetyLeadershipMatrix™ #PaselkMatrix #SafetyLeadership #HumanFactors #MulticulturalTeams #OperationalExcellence #HighRiskIndustries #OilAndGasLeadership

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Psychosocial risk How do we get the C-suite to focus on psychosocial risk? By stopping the conversation being about wellbeing — and starting it being about risk, exposure, and decision quality. From experience, psychosocial factors sit behind many operational failures: pressure, fatigue, unrealistic targets, fear of speaking up and poor supervision giving wrong signals to the workforce. These aren’t “soft” issues — they directly affect judgement, behaviour, and safety outcomes. Executives and managers already manage risk every day. Psychosocial risk belongs in that same space because it is largely shaped by how work is designed, how pressure is applied, and how leaders respond to challenge. When we frame it in business language — operational continuity, legal exposure, performance, and resilience — it becomes a governance issue, not an HR initiative.

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Every modern workplace committed to safety needs safe work method statements as a fundamental risk management tool. In Australia, these documents aren’t just good practice — in many industries, they’re a legislative expectation. A safe work method statement (SWMS) is a written plan that outlines how high-risk work will be carried out safely. It identifies hazards, assesses risks, and describes the control measures that keep workers safe. Understanding what they are, how they differ from similar safety documentation like safe work instructions, and how they support compliance with Australian laws is essential for employers and workers alike. https://buff.ly/KRp3qTy #safeworkmethodstatements #writingaSWMS #highriskwork #SWI #safeworkinstructions #safetytraining #onlinesafetytraining #trainingimprovementsolutions

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Great insight! Also to get “Big Data” I believe organisations will benefit from strategic data streams

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I probably went a bit silly with prep for this - but I've put together a bit of a safety science 101 on different research-derived investigation traps, misdirections, weaknesses, and then some proposed ways forward. At the least, there will be quite a few links to act as a quick reference guide for your own reading and use.

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Most OHS professionals don’t need another software dashboard, spreadsheet, or glossy poster. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗸𝘀. If your “system” is eating up all your time, change the damn system. If leaders in your business are obsessed with optics and theatre, call it out. If your ISO accreditation has somehow become the north star, get real. Because safety doesn’t shift on paper, it shifts where the work is. It shifts when people see you in the field, when they see leaders walking the talk, when priorities actually change. No one ever said, “Wow, those new charts in the boardroom really made me rethink how I work today.” 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝗺𝗻 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲. #difference

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Mindset first? Not always… When people talk about occupational medicine today, the buzzwords are often culture, mindset, and leadership. Those things matter. But in the end, they do not replace what really drives good decisions: clear data, real risks, and measurable outcomes. In a past tender for occupational health services in the United States, two providers were asked the same simple question: “What is the first thing you would do when taking over a new site?” Provider one said: understand the company culture and the employees’ mindset first, because culture is the key to health and safety. Provider two answered: start on site, understand the work being done, the hazardous substances, the environment, the incident history, and the specific health risks. Only then define priorities and prevention measures. Both answers sound reasonable. But the contract went to provider two – and for good reason. In occupational medicine, culture cannot replace a systematic risk assessment. If no one has really understood the tasks, exposures, and incident patterns, even the best “safety culture” stays at the level of slogans and workshops. Data comes first: tasks, exposures, working conditions, incidents, health indicators. Culture then decides how consistently an organization acts on these facts in everyday practice. A strong safety culture can lower incident rates and improve risk control – but only if it is built on a clear understanding of actual hazards and controls. So the sequence matters: First understand what objectively puts people at risk. Then align behavior, leadership, and culture so that prevention becomes part of how the organization works every day. Occupational medicine is applied science in the service of people. Data shows where action is needed; culture determines whether action is taken every single day. What do you think?

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Workplace Health & Safety Show 2025 Panel Session “From Crisis Mode to Control: Is Your Safety Culture Working?” summary. This session aimed to “uncover the gaps between policy and practice, equipping leaders with the tools to build a safety culture that prevents crises before they happen.” It featured: Rae Bonney OAM Ian McLeod Kurt Warren Ingrid Fuentes Dr Brett Solomon Ian Macleod -Emphasised the importance of macro-level planning for preventing catastrophic events. -Referenced Andrew Hopkins’ analysis of the Boeing incident, highlighting how leadership decisions, such as relocating engineers away from worksites, can shape organisational culture. -As an engineer himself, who works with hundreds of engineers, he noted that engineers often struggle to retain lessons learned, preferring to access insights at the point of need. Sees AI as a powerful tool to deliver just-in-time knowledge. -Shared a story of a leader during the Southern Cross Station upgrade who walked the floor, engaging directly with workers and supervisors—demonstrating true leadership through presence and empowerment of the front line. Kurt Warren -Urged a shift in focus: “Don’t focus on safety—focus on the work.” -Warned against the illusion of control over human behaviour, calling humans “the most complex piece of equipment ever made.” - Encouraged attendees to “hold up a mirror” to leaders to reflect the true state of the business.. - Delivered a powerful message on curiosity. We are born curious, but societal and workplace norms suppress it. Public displays of curiosity often diminish in school, then further in the workplace as we see social consequences from this. -True safety improvement comes from being deeply curious about how work is actually done, not how it’s imagined. -Challenged attendees to reflect on: “What is your core business? And who actually does it?” Dr Brett Solomon -Reinforced that culture is shaped wherever people are present. -Most people want to do a good job, but if targets encourage shortcuts, many will take them. -Critiqued compliance-focused systems: “Compliance is just the beginning. Are people truly committed, or just ticking boxes?” Ingrid Fuentes -Emphasised the value of robust systems that provide clarity and support sound decision-making. -Acknowledged that incidents will still happen, but with the right systems, organisations can respond systematically and effectively. -Challenged the myth of total risk elimination: “Anyone who says you can eliminate all risk is lying.” -Leadership is not the same as management. Hierarchical models limit progress. Encouraging distributed leadership fosters ownership, accountability, and a culture where people feel empowered to speak up and drive change. -Build trust through vulnerability

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