Central Safety Group Melbourne

April 2026

Working with the new psychosocial regulations

Presentation by: Dr Natassia Goode, Director, Psychological Health Division, WorkSafe Victoria

CSG event video now available (members only)
Presentation package now available (members only)

*Due to technical reasons, the podcast version of this presentation is unavailable.

Employers are now required to manage psychosocial risks like any other workplace safety hazard as a result of new workplace laws in Victoria. The long-anticipated Occupational Health and Safety (Psychological Health) Regulations 2025 came into effect on 1 December 2025.

Dr Natassia (Tas) Goode, Director of the Psychological Health Division at WorkSafe Victoria, discussed the new regulations, and what they mean for both workers and employers, in a presentation to Central Safety Group on Tuesday 14 April.

Research has shown the importance of managing psychosocial risks, where psychological injuries in Victoria have led to longer periods away from work than physical injuries. Only 42% of workers with a mental injury return to work within 6 months, compared to 75% of those with physical injuries.

Tas outlined what are classified as psychosocial hazards, and discussed how employers are expected to identify, assess and manage them. The regulations apply to all Victorian employers, regardless of size, and cover employees, independent contractors and labour hire. Breaches attract penalties for both companies and individuals.

The presentation included a Q&A session.

The presenter:

Dr Natassia (Tas) Goode) leads the new Psychological Health Division at WorkSafe Victoria. Tas has been with WorkSafe for the last six years in a series of strategic and operational roles focussed on influencing industry-wide health and safety improvements. Tas has a PhD in psychology from the University of Sydney. She has expertise in systems thinking as well as a significant track record of research in safety science, and training as an appointed inspector.

February 2026

What makes a great OHS executive

Presentation by: Helen O’Keefe, Director, HOK Talent Solutions

CSG event video now available (members only)
Presentation package now available (members only)

What truly differentiates top candidates in today’s current employment climate? Expert in health & safety recruitment, Helen O’Keefe, gave a presentation on 10 February to Central Safety Group that delved deeply into the critical factors driving recruitment decisions for senior HSW roles.

Helen began by discussing in-demand skill-sets. She provided a detailed breakdown of the technical expertise and strategic capabilities that employers are actively seeking. This goes beyond foundational HSW knowledge.

Helen also explored essential behavioural competencies, including the soft skills and leadership traits that are predominantly requested when she is recruiting HSW executives reporting to CEOs or C-Suite leaders.

Helen concluded with an overview of the state of the HSW market in 2025. She identified the industries that experienced the most demand for HSW talent and those that slowed down, as well as the underlying economic or regulatory factors that drove this.

A popular annual speaker for Central Safety Group, Helen’s extensive experience in the field, specialised focus and deep network, make her insights highly valued by our audience.

The presenter:

Helen O’Keefe is the founder of HOK Talent Solutions, which celebrated 10 years of dedicated service to the OHS community in 2025. Operating Australia-wide, Helen manages recruitment assignments across various sectors and her passion for the health and safety industry stems from her extensive experience in the field - from both a recruitment perspective and having worked alongside OHS peers in her earlier career. Prior to establishing HOK Talent Solutions, Helen held the position of National Recruitment Manager at the Australian Red Cross and served as an HR Manager for the pharmaceutical company Glaxo-Smith-Kline (GSK).