Health and Safety Conversations

Born, into Mundari Culture in Jayi, a village in Kerchomba, north of Juba in

Philip volunteered for Mercy Care, St Vincent de Paul and is an active member of

Philip is a passionate advocate for refugees and migrants, using his personal story to

Philip’s public engagements attracted media outlets including ABC News and Radio

Philip thinks, the best way to integrate well and know the mainstream culture is to

His message is clear: “We are all human.” Through storytelling, service, and

Dr. Alexander Paselk is a German national whose life and work stretch across continents and, really, across different worlds of thought. He lives in North America now, though much of his work takes him to the Middle East. That mix, the contrast, the constant switching of environments, it’s shaped the way he leads and how he sees people. Over time, it’s become something of a personal compass: learning to read context, to adjust, and to listen first.

He didn’t actually start in safety. His early career was in environmental process optimization, where systems and efficiency were the main focus. That’s where he learned the language of performance, such as numbers, flowcharts, and outcomes. Later, he began shifting toward Occupational Health and Safety, drawn by something a little less measurable: the human side of how systems succeed or fail. Since then, his work has expanded across multiple sites and operations at once. He’s led diverse teams, HSE representatives, and contractors spread across complex projects, sometimes hundreds of people moving in different directions, yet expected to perform as one. What ties it all together, at least for him, is balance between compliance and care, data and dialogue, and structure and trust.

These days, Dr. Paselk moves between three overlapping spheres: academic research, field operations, and what he calls executive safety leadership. In simpler terms, it means he connects ideas to practice. He takes what’s studied and what’s learned and tries to make it real in the field systems that actually help people, not just look good in reports. As a keynote speaker, doctoral mentor, and published researcher, he often explores emotional intelligence, culture, and human factors, how people’s behavior and their sense of belonging affect safety in high-risk, multicultural environments.

He likes to say that safety is less about avoiding failure and more about designing for trust. It’s not a checklist; it’s a relationship between people and systems, always in motion. Maybe that’s what defines his approach: rigorous, yes, but also empathetic. In a way, he stands between two worlds, the measurable and the human, and tries to make them work together, one decision, one conversation at a time.

Today’s guest is Susan Fleming, Managing Director of ACT Australia, a company that’s changing how we learn about safety and leadership through powerful storytelling and live performance. From programs like Hindsight to The Slip, Susan’s work turns real experiences into lessons that help teams lead, reflect, and make safer decisions.

Book here: https://linktr.ee/actaustralia

Dr Drew Rae is an Associate Professor in the Safety Science Innovation Lab at Griffith University, where he teaches courses on research methods and safety engineering, and manages the lab’s research program.

Drew’s own research uses a mix of ethnography, field experiments and theory-building to investigate organisational safety practices. He is particularly interested in understanding the myths, rituals and bad habits that surround the work of managers and safety practitioners, and how this work influences front-line operations.

Drew co-hosts the Safety of Work podcast and is on the editorial board of the journal Safety Science.

I consider myself extremely blessed to have had a chat to one of my safety heroes, Dr Sean Brady.

Dr Sean Brady is a forensic engineer who investigates engineering failures from a technical and organisational perspective.

In 2020, he completed the Brady Review, an investigation into the causes of fatalities in the Queensland mining industry. The review was tabled in parliament and made 11 recommendations to the regulator and mining companies on how to improve safety.

In 2024, he completed the technical and organisational investigation into the catastrophic failure of a turbine generator at Callide C Power Station in Queensland, Australia.

He also speaks, writes and podcasts on the causes of technical and organisational failure.

In this episode Marc and I discuss some of the challenges around trainer PD in the VET sector. 

Marc Miles is a career presenter and trainer. He has written a book on Advanced Facilitation Skills, and for over a decade, has taught public speaking skills, and content from the Training and Education Training Package for Australian Vocational Education and Training.

During his time in the Vocational Education and Training sector, Marc has taught the TAE package over 500 times to people all around Australia in various industries. He has a been an instructional designer, training manager, and currently works as a senior facilitator for Spec Training.

Marc’s students know him as a dynamic and engaging facilitator in both the face-to-face and online environments, believing he has set a new standard for how online delivery can be done.

Marc has a Masters degree in Applied Linguistics, Natural language processing certifications, and has conducted numerous professional development workshops for various audiences across Vocation Education and Training, corporate and entrepreneurial sectors.

Amanda Amaral is a safety professional turned entrepreneur, with over a decade of experience in high-risk industries including Oil & Gas, Maritime, and Transport & Logistics. Throughout her career, she worked hands-on at the frontline, from offshore seismic vessels to logistics hubs, helping organisations reduce risk, improve training, and engage their people in safety outcomes.

In 2025, she co-founded GotSafe Media, a company dedicated to transforming workplace health and safety communications into something that actually connects with people on site. Through innovative videos, tailored safety packs, and leadership messaging, Amanda helps businesses shift safety from a compliance checkbox into a culture of ownership and care. As both a safety communicator and a mum, Amanda brings a deeply human perspective to how safety messages are delivered, ensuring they resonate across every level of the workforce.

Sarah Barnbrook is an award-winning advocate, international speaker, and best-selling

Truly honoured to have Sally North grace our podcast, and our home. Unprecedented. 

Sally North is the WorkSafe Commissioner in Western Australia, having acted in the role for about a year before being formally appointed in July 2024. In this role she is the work health and safety regulator for the resources and general industries sectors. Commencing as an inspector, Sally has over twenty years’ experience at WorkSafe in operational and leadership roles and previously worked in the private sector in occupational health and safety.