Safe Work Month - 2024 Program - Current staff

October is National Safe Work Month — a time to make your commitment to improving safety and health in your workplace.

While the health, safety and wellness of staff and students should always be front of mind in “how we do what we do” at UQ, October is a great time to collectively focus on the health, safety and wellness of our staff and students, and ourselves.

Mental Health Week is also celebrated annually in October, promoting the importance of mental health and wellbeing in the workplace.

This year our theme for Safe Work Month is 'Safety is everyone's business.' This theme encapsulates a safe and healthy working environment as a fundamental principle and right and emphasises the need for individual, organisational and wider community commitment to safety. A safe and healthy workplace benefits everyone.

Guest Speakers - recordings now available

Sam Popple

Managing psychosocial risks for healthier and more productive workplaces

Psychosocial hazards are at the fore of national and international conversations as there is increasing understanding that significant harm occurs from unmitigated psychosocial risks. Safe Work Australia’s recent report highlights increasing prevalence of reporting mental injuries and demonstrates the time, effort and burden on reactive processes once injury has occurred.

The work health and safety positive duty on employers focuses attention on prevention by using systematic stepped processes. This presentation will highlight some common misconceptions about psychosocial risks and the challenges of allocating adequate time and personnel to risk management. Sam will ‘call to action’ efforts to mature psychosocial risk management processes that emphasises the need for a proactive and comprehensive approach to managing psychosocial risks.

Sam is an organisational psychologist and Director of enscarp Pty Ltd, a boutique organisational psychology firm that has a strong focus on managing psychosocial risks for healthier and productive workplaces. Sam was the Director within Work Health and Safety Queensland that provided the technical expertise for the recent Queensland Code of Practice Managing the risks of psychosocial hazards at work, a field defining piece of legislation for improving workplaces. Sam has a previous career as an intensive care nurse educator prior to switching professions to organisational psychology.

Watch recording here

Dr Peter McGarry

Contemporary Indoor Air Quality Matters at UQ

As urban environments become increasingly complex, ensuring high indoor air quality (IAQ) remains a critical challenge. This presentation explores contemporary issues and advancements in IAQ, emphasizing the multifaceted factors influencing indoor environments. We will examine the impact of pollutants, such as mould, particulate matter, and biological contaminants, on health and well-being. Additionally, the session will highlight emerging technologies and strategies for monitoring and improving IAQ, including smart sensors, air purification systems, and building design innovations. By integrating current research and case studies, this presentation aims to provide a comprehensive overview of IAQ management practices, offering actionable insights for improving indoor environments in both residential and commercial settings. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of IAQ challenges and solutions as they apply to UQ.

Peter has been working in the field of occupational health and hygiene for over 30 years, in both the private and government sectors. He has certified occupational hygienist status with the Australian Institute of Occupational Hygienists and leads a team of occupational hygiene and health practitioners, within the HSW Division at UQ. Prior to that Peter worked for 21 years with the Queensland work health and safety regulator. Peter is involved in current active research as part of the QUT ARC Training Centre Thrive team as a Principal Investigator for the ARC funded project Improving The Resilience of Australian Indoor Environments with a particular focus on a monitoring method to assess the sufficiency of indoor ventilation. In 2024, Peter will be publishing three journal articles to the scientific literature include an article on methods to evaluate indoor air quality.

Watch recording here

WHSQ Safe Work Month events

Darren Flanagan - no recording available

Despite his recognition as a true hero, Darren Flanagan remains humble and exudes an aura of kindness and gratitude. Meeting Darren is like conversing with an old friend, and it’s plain that Flanagan is a down-to-earth man of depth and integrity.

Darren is candid about the impact of the Beaconsfield mine disaster on his life. Darren, as well as the others involved were significantly and eternally affected by their role in the rescue mission. In his presentation, Darren will speak about the very real issues of mental health that can follow such a traumatic ordeal. By addressing these issues, he hopes to spark a broader conversation, encouraging those who’ve suffered to reach out to others.

Darren Flanagan’s presentation will focus not only on the rescue story and mental health awareness but takes a broader approach to workplace and organisational considerations of safety.

Proudly presented in partnership with Bupa.

Safe Work Month - 2024 Program

Guest Speakers - recordings now available

Sam Popple

Dr Peter McGarry

WHSQ Safe Work Month events

Darren Flanagan - no recording available

Health, Safety and Wellness Division