The Safety Dept.

The Safety Dept. Your one stop shop Australian safety consultancy, where we do safety - differently. Bullying will not be tolerated by any person, nor disrespectful comments.

This page is about promoting health and safety first and foremost so we can all learn, share and communicate on a topic we are passionate about with some light humour on what can sometimes be a dry subject. Each person on this page is of value and each person’s opinion is to be respected. Let your inner safety nerd shine – Sarah-Jane

For more information on Riskology visit us today at www.riskologyconsulting.com.au

Tonight’s Hunter Safety Awards was a genuinely special milestone. Ten years ago, this event started with an idea, a lot...
08/05/2026

Tonight’s Hunter Safety Awards was a genuinely special milestone. Ten years ago, this event started with an idea, a lot of determination, and more hard work behind the scenes than most people would ever realise.

Standing on stage tonight reflecting on that journey was emotional. Talking about where it all began, the challenges, the long hours, the uncertainty, and even some of the funny stories from those early days reminded me how important it is to simply have one person believe in you.

Sometimes all it takes is one person to say, “Yes, you can do this.” That belief gives you the confidence to back yourself, to keep going, and to build something bigger than you ever imagined.

What makes tonight even more meaningful is seeing the event now in the hands of someone who truly cares about its future. Huge credit to Alanna Ball for taking on the Hunter Safety Awards for the second year running and continuing to grow something that means so much to so many people in our industry.

I couldn’t be more grateful or proud to see where it’s heading. The future of the Hunter Safety Awards is incredibly bright, and I have no doubt it will continue to become even more successful in the years ahead.

Congratulations to everyone involved tonight, all the finalists, winners, sponsors, and supporters who continue to champion safety and the people behind it.

SJ wrote this book because the findings demanded it.On 25 October 2016, four people boarded a family ride at Australia's...
04/05/2026

SJ wrote this book because the findings demanded it.

On 25 October 2016, four people boarded a family ride at Australia's largest theme park and did not come off it alive.

The Thunder River Rapids Ride at Dreamworld had been operating for thirty years.

It had never received a holistic engineering risk assessment.

The hazards that killed Kate Goodchild, Luke Dorsett, Cindy Low and Roozbeh Araghi were present and identifiable throughout those thirty years.

The hazards were not found because no one was properly tasked with finding them.

That is the finding of Coroner James McDougall 274 pages delivered in February 2020.

What it describes is not a theme park problem. It is an organisational problem. A governance problem. A leadership problem.

The gap between what Dreamworld believed about the safety of its highest-risk asset and what was actually true that gap exists in organisations of every kind.

This book is the account of that finding and what it demands.

Every conclusion is drawn from the coronial findings, court records and public documents. Nothing is invented.

It is written for safety professionals, engineers, executives and directors who understand that the absence of a serious incident is not proof of adequate safety.

If that sentence lands this book is for you.

Available now on Amazon. Link in the first comment. 👇

28/04/2026

International Workers’ Memorial Day

Today we remember those who went to work and didn’t come home.

Behind every incident is a person. A family. A life that should not have been lost.

This day is a reminder of why the work we do matters.

EveryLifeMatters SafetyLeadership

28/04/2026

This wasn’t a prosecution.

It was an enforceable undertaking.

That means the regulator identified a failure…but chose a legally binding improvement program instead of court.

A worker’s hand was caught in a paper converting machine.
Serious injury. Partial amputation.

The company committed to over $1.2 million in safety improvements.

That’s the part people miss.

An enforceable undertaking isn’t a soft option.

It’s a structured response to a failure to manage a known risk.

And in cases involving moving machinery…

That risk is well understood.

If a worker can access moving parts, the system hasn’t controlled the hazard.

28/04/2026

Finalist Business Woman of the year Professional Services

Grateful for the recognition, but more importantly, proud of the work we’re doing in psychosocial risk.

This space is changing fast.

What used to be seen as “people issues” is now a clear WHS obligation.

And businesses are still trying to work out how to manage it properly.

That’s exactly what we focus on at Riskology.

Clear, practical, defensible approaches to managing psychosocial risk.

Thank you for the support.

28/04/2026

Psychosocial risk is no longer optional.

Bullying. Workplace conflict. Aggressive behaviour. Excessive pressure.

These are now recognised workplace hazards under WHS law.

Regulators expect organisations to identify and manage psychosocial risks the same way as physical risks.

But this is where most businesses struggle.

What does the law actually require?
How do you manage people without creating risk?
And how do you deal with difficult situations confidently?

This book breaks it down into clear, practical guidance.

If you’re responsible for people, you need to understand this.

Link in my bio for download

26/04/2026

Most businesses think they’re proactive.
But if you’re waiting for incidents… you’re reactive.

Leadership ConstructionSafety

26/04/2026

Common sense isn’t that common…The law dosesn’t require common sense. It requires risk to be controlled.

24/04/2026

If you are creating dust, you need to ask what’s in it.

RiskManagement SafetyLeadership SMEs Compliance

23/04/2026

Review it. Don’t rewrite it.

NewSouthWales Compliance SMEs SafetyCulture

23/04/2026

A wall collapsed and it cost over $1 million.

On a NSW construction site, excavation works were underway near a large concrete wall.

It looked like routine work.

But the wall wasn’t properly supported.

As conditions changed, stability was compromised—
and the wall collapsed.

A worker lost his life.

This wasn’t unpredictable.

The risks of structural collapse are well known.

But without proper planning, engineering, and controls,
those risks become real very quickly.

If you’re working around structures, stability isn’t optional.

Because when it fails
there’s no warning.

Address

Telarah, NSW

Opening Hours

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Wednesday 6am - 6pm
Thursday 6am - 6pm
Friday 6am - 6pm
Saturday 6am - 6pm
Sunday 6am - 6pm

Website

http://www.safetydept.com.au/

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