OHS & forensic mental health

It is always fascinating to hear about different workplaces, and Forensicare is certainly different.  Craig began by stepping us through the scope of this service and the health and safety challenges.  There are occupational violence and aggression hazards as well as psychological health hazards associated with the work. 

The most interesting part, for me, was hearing how Craig entered this field of work without a great understanding of what the challenges would be, but was able to draw on his many years of experience in the health and safety field to face those challenges with great effect.  The skills we have as health & safety professionals cross industry groups and a set of fresh eyes and experiences can really make a difference.

Craig offered a range of practical tips that can be adapted to many workplaces. He also stimulated a lot of discussion as proven by the extensive conversation following the formal part of the presentation.

A great talk, Craig, and a great professional development story.  

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Site Visit: Opal Specialty Packaging

Date & Time: Tuesday 19 August 2025, noon

In person only

Host:  Gavin Kenny, Opal Specialty Packaging

Venue:  100 Carroll Road, Oakleigh South, Vic, 3167

Topic: Site Visit - Opal Specialty Packaging

Opal Specialty Packaging provides tailored cardboard-based packaging solutions for small, medium and large businesses. Their fully integrated packaging development service is based on circular economy principles.
Join CSG for a tour of their Oakleigh South production facility on Tuesday 19th August and see Opal’s advanced manufacturing capabilities. Learn how they deal with hazards such as mobile plant, traffic management, noise and machine guarding.
We will also hear about recent safety programs related to video SOPs and streamlining the on-boarding of casuals.
Opal’s sustainable corrugated cardboard packaging solutions cover every application you can think of, from smartly designed bespoke boxes and vibrant digital print to high-end corrugated cardboard point-of-purchase displays for retailers. ..read more.

Numbers limited: book early to secure your place.
Non-Members welcome to attend

Note: RSVP by close of business Monday 18 August 2025.  When booking, please ensure you select the August Event from the dropdown list (shaded orange), to RSVP.

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Behind the scenes at CSG

On a windy, wintry day in Melbourne I decided it would be prudent to tag along to a CSG event, given my role as web developer, video editor, and all-round tech support. Besides Marina and I did need to do lunch!

This proved to be an enlightening experience, especially seeing what is involved with setting up a hybrid event. Marina told me that, most of the time, there is some sort of technical glitch that needs to be sorted out prior to the start of the event. It has been a steep learning curve!

Sure enough, on the day I attended, they did have issues to trouble-shoot. Despite Marina‘s diligent attention to detail, we still ended up with a small hiccup that, inexplicably, resulted in the presenter not being seen on the recording, despite everything looking fine on the laptop.

Aside from these technical issues the event was a delight; Craig‘s presentation was brilliant and engaging. What's more, the location in the boardroom on the 50th floor, 120 Collins Street Melbourne has a magnificent view of the city and the bay.

Despite my initial reluctance to embark on the journey ahead, it was surprisingly really easy. A simple train trip to Parliament station, then a hop, skip and jump around the corner, and I had arrived at the CSG location.

As it turned out, I had a delightful day, an extended lunch, and I would thoroughly recommend the experience.

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OHS & forensic mental health

Date & Time: Tuesday 8 July 2025, noon

CSG Hybrid Lunchtime Presentation - via zoom or in person

Speaker:  Craig Ramadge, Health Safety & Wellbeing Advisor, Forensicare

Venue:  Regus Yarra Room, 50th floor, 120 Collins Street, Melbourne

Topic: OHS & Forensic Mental Health

As many of you know, Victoria is entering a new era of workplace safety with the upcoming implementation of the Occupational Health and Safety (Psychological Health) Regulations, set to take effect in December 2025. Craig Ramadge’s presentation to Central Safety Group on July 8 will draw on his experience working in the area of forensic mental health to explore the implications of Victoria’s new psychosocial regulations for employers and employees.
These regulations place a stronger emphasis on identifying and managing psychological hazards - including exposure to trauma, violence and high-stress environments - all of which are highly relevant in forensic settings.
Craig will take us through the unique physical and mental health challenges faced by workers in forensic mental health roles, and how the changes to WorkCover Mental Injury claims in Victoria impact these workers.
..read more.

Note: RSVP by close of business Monday 7 July 2025.  When booking, please ensure you select the July Event from the dropdown list (shaded orange), to RSVP.

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Challenging mainstream OHS views

Kevin Jones zoomed in this year, but it didn't take away from his engaging presentation, as I'm sure the many attendees will attest.

He began with what he called his "old man rant" - his current view of the OHS world that is guaranteed to provoke our thinking. One issue for him is why there is no outside voice as influential as that of the Trade Unions. This is not a criticism of unions, but rather of the lack of diversity in the voices out there.

As we have come to expect in his presentations, Kevin included an extensive book list and gave an overview of each. You could say that Kevin reads all these books and publications so that the rest of us don't have to, but, on the contrary, a number of attendees were left inspired to delve into some themselves.

What is particularly great about Kevin's reading list is that not all of the publications are directly related to OHS, and yet there is always useful information that can be applied within the OHS sphere. Two such books were The Burnout Doctor and Why Are We Here? Creating a work culture everyone wants.

He also directed us to a recent journal article based on recent UK research, Employee well-being outcomes from individual-level mental health interventions. Full details of all the books he discussed are in the presentation package.

To re-visit Kevin's other presentations from past years, you can do a Search in the Speakers section of our website (log in first).

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Challenging mainstream OHS views

Date & Time: Tuesday 10 June 2025, noon

CSG Hybrid Lunchtime Presentation - via zoom only

Speaker:  Kevin Jones, Editor, SafetyAtWorkBlog

Topic: Challenging mainstream OHS views

We can always count on Kevin Jones to broaden our horizons via new books and publications on a range of topics. His presentation to Central Safety Group on Tuesday 10 June 2025 will be no exception.

Kevin's discussion will include publications that are not directly related to OHS, but provide valuable insights that can stimulate an OHS professional's thinking about their approach to OHS.

By challenging mainstream views on topics such as leadership, Kevin aims to inspire discussion and widen our knowledge of important topics.

Kevin's overview will include topics directly related to OHS as well, such as a recent study about employee well-being and mental health.

The presentation will be followed by a question and discussion session.

Note: RSVP by close of business Monday 9 June 2025.  When booking, please ensure you select the June Event from the dropdown list (shaded orange), to RSVP.

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How do OHS Professionals leverage power and influence tactics?

Occupational Health and Safety Professionals (OHSPs) have always been the unsung heroes of workplace safety, tirelessly working to ensure that environments are safe and compliant. However, one of the significant challenges they face is the lack of direct authority over how work is performed. This often makes it difficult to implement necessary safety measures effectively. 

Rob Dival, the National HS&E Manager at K&S Corporation, addressed this very issue in a lunchtime presentation hosted by Central Safety Group on Tuesday, 13 May 2025. This Zoom-only session was open to everyone, including non-members.

Rob's presentation delved into how OHSPs could leverage power and influence tactics to overcome these challenges. Power, in this context, is based on the perceived values of the intended target, while influence tactics involve the strategic application of this power to achieve desired outcomes.

Drawing from his recently completed Masters of OHS scoping review thesis, Rob provided a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge on this topic. His thesis offered valuable insights into how OHSPs could effectively perform these critical activities, ensuring that safety protocols were not just recommended but implemented and adhered to.

In addition to his academic insights, Rob shared practical experiences from his career, illustrating how he had supported OHS teams in utilizing power and influence tactics effectively in the workplace. These real-world examples provided attendees with actionable strategies they could apply in their own roles.

This presentation was an enlightening session for anyone involved in occupational health and safety. It was a fantastic opportunity to learn from an expert in the field and gain new perspectives on how to navigate the complexities of workplace safety. The notion of how much authority an OHSP should have was an interesting point of discussion during the Q&A at the end.

Thank you to everyone who marked their calendars and joined us for this informative and empowering session. Together, we can continue to make our workplaces safer and more compliant, one strategic influence at a time.

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Cancer Council NSW together with EML (Employer Mutual Limited) are running an Employer Forum in Melbourne to gain insight from an employers’ perspective on outdoor worker sun safety.

Workshop objectives:
Help workplace leaders better understand the risks that UV radiation presents for outdoor workers.
Outline the suggested risk controls based on the available evidence.
Explore what implementation strategies would be helpful for workplaces.

Date: Wednesday 28th May
Time: 8am for light breakfast for 8.30AM start – 10.30AM
Venue: FLEX on BOURKE: 500 Bourke St, Melbourne
RSVP BY 26 MAY: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Thanks to our former speaker, Shannon Jones from Sunsmart, for alerting us to this. Financial members can re-visit her excellent presentation from November last year, co-presented with Dominic Melling from the Victorian Trades Hall Council & CSG committe member: Here comes the sun (log in first).

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Super-charging safety

CSG financial member Catherine Itman gave us an inspirational presentation in April as she outlined the work she, her team and her manager do at Industry Super Property Trust (ISPT).

She demonstrated what happens when you achieve two of the OHS ideals: safety leadership at the Executive level + safety and business decisions working together for mutual benefit - a situation many of us aspire to in our organisations.

ISPT owns a wide variety of commercial properties, and their purview ranges from large contruction projects to operating properties, such as shopping villages. Management and maintenance of the properties are outsourced and, therefore, ISPT's procurement process needs to be vigorous, with safety as the #1 value and with an ongoing active relationship to ensure safety standards are met.

A major component of ISPT's success is the use of data to inform decision-making. Catherine explained how data needs to be of high quality and accessible to all in order to be effective, and she gave examples of this.

Catherine's team was formed 9 years ago by the current manager who, by all accounts, is a very committed individual who has done a lot to create the positive safety culture within the organisation. A question that came up at the end of the talk was how much this person is key to maintaining that culture, especially once they move on in the future. Catherine feels that the culture is so embedded now that it would survive such a move.

There was much in the presentation that can be applied to any workplace. On top of that, with many of us having our superannuation with industry super funds, it was fascinating to learn about the OHS principles underpinning them.

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OHS power & influence

Date & Time: Tuesday 13 May 2025, noon

CSG Hybrid Lunchtime Presentation - via zoom or in the room

Speaker:  Rob Dival, National HS&E Manager, K&S Corporation

Topic: OHS power & influence

Details coming soon

Note: RSVP by close of business Monday 12 May 2025.  When booking, please ensure you select the May Event from the dropdown list (shaded orange), to RSVP.

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