Women in Safety Podcast

Making Safety Training Work for Rural and Remote AgricultureSafety training looks very different when the nearest help may be a long way away.In this episode, Alanna speaks with Joanna Bone about her journey from agriculture and nursing into safety training, and what those experiences have taught her about the realities of keeping people safe in rural and remote workplaces.Jo shares insights into the safety challenges faced by people working in agriculture, including the practical realities of remote work, emergency response and providing first aid when immediate support may not be close by.The conversation also explores safety culture, human factors and why industry-specific training matters. Jo discusses innovative approaches to first aid training in agriculture and the importance of building confidence and competence so people have the skills to respond when something goes wrong.With experience working across Queensland, the Northern Territory and New South Wales, Jo also shares her perspective on what the agricultural sector needs from safety training and where it could go next.Episode HighlightsJo's journey from agriculture and nursing into safety trainingWhy safety training needs to reflect the realities of the industry it servesThe unique safety challenges of rural and remote workplacesHow distance and isolation can affect emergency responseThe role of safety culture and human factors in agricultural workplacesWhy confidence and competence matter when providing first aid in remote environmentsInnovative approaches to first aid training for the agricultural sectorWhat industry insights can tell us about the changing needs of agricultureThe future of safety training and what the agricultural sector actually needsSafety training is only useful if it prepares people for the situations they may actually face.For people working in rural and remote agriculture, that can mean preparing for emergencies where help is not immediately available and where the environment, work and risks are very different from those found in more traditional workplaces.Jo's experience highlights the value of listening to industry and designing training around real needs, rather than simply delivering a standard solution.Because making agriculture safer is not just about providing training.It's about making sure people have the knowledge, confidence and capability to use it when it matters.Stay connected with Women in SafetyWebsitewww.womeninsafety.netVisit the website for upcoming events, programs, and community updates, and subscribe to the newsletter to stay informed throughout the year.Instagramwww.instagram.com/womeninsafetyFollow along for conversations, community highlights, and insights from women across the health and safety profession.Become an Empowered Memberwww.womeninsafety.net/empoweredmembersExplore Empowered Membership to access deeper learning opportunities, exclusive events, and meaningful connection within the Women in Safety community.

AI in Safety: Where Does Human Judgement Fit?AI is already changing the way people work, including the way safety professionals gather information, analyse problems and make decisions.But using AI effectively in safety is not simply about finding more tasks for technology to do. It also means understanding when to rely on AI, when to challenge it, and where human judgement needs to remain firmly in the loop.In this episode, the conversation explores four different ways of working with AI: delegation, collaboration, asking and exploration. It looks at how each approach can support safety management while also considering the risks that come with relying too heavily on technology.The discussion also considers AI governance, accountability, safety leadership and the future of human-computer interaction, asking what responsible AI use could look like as these tools become increasingly integrated into the workplace.Episode HighlightsFour ways safety professionals can work with AI: delegation, collaboration, asking and explorationHow AI can support safety management and safety innovationWhy human oversight and professional judgement remain essentialThe risks of relying on AI without questioning its outputsThe importance of governance and accountability when using AI in safetyHow safety leaders can think about AI as a tool rather than a replacement for judgementThe changing relationship between people and technology in the workplaceWhat increasing AI integration could mean for the future of safety practice​AI can give safety professionals new ways to work, think and explore problems.But capability does not remove responsibility.As AI becomes more integrated into safety management, the challenge is not simply learning how to use the technology. It is learning how to use it well, understanding its limitations and knowing when human judgement needs to take over.The future of AI in safety will not be shaped by technology alone. It will also depend on the people, systems and governance around it.Stay connected with Women in SafetyWebsitewww.womeninsafety.netVisit the website for upcoming events, programs, and community updates, and subscribe to the newsletter to stay informed throughout the year.Instagramwww.instagram.com/womeninsafetyFollow along for conversations, community highlights, and insights from women across the health and safety profession.Become an Empowered Memberwww.womeninsafety.net/empoweredmembersExplore Empowered Membership to access deeper learning opportunities, exclusive events, and meaningful connection within the Women in Safety community.

Is Safety Culture Really Separate From Organisational Culture?We talk about safety culture a lot in health and safety. But what exactly do we mean when we use the term?In this episode, the conversation explores the relationship between safety culture and organisational culture, and questions whether safety can really be separated from the wider systems, behaviours and expectations that shape how an organisation operates.The discussion looks at how leadership, communication and trust influence safety, while also considering the less visible factors that shape risk and safety behaviour. It explores psychological safety, systemic influences and why measuring safety culture through surveys and metrics alone may not tell us the full story.For safety professionals, the conversation offers a different way to think about their role. Rather than treating safety culture as something that sits alongside the organisation, there is an opportunity to understand how safety fits within the broader organisational system and where safety professionals can genuinely influence risk.​Episode HighlightsWhat we actually mean when we talk about safety cultureThe relationship between safety culture and organisational cultureHow leadership, communication and trust shape safety behaviourWhy organisational systems influence the way people approach riskThe role of psychological safety in safety performanceWhy safety culture surveys and metrics have limitationsHow safety professionals can look beyond individual behaviours to understand systemic influencesThe idea of safety as a subset of organisational cultureWhere safety professionals can influence organisational risk​Safety does not exist in a separate box.The way people respond to risk, communicate concerns and make decisions is influenced by the wider organisation they work within, including its leadership, systems, priorities and relationships.That means improving safety may require more than measuring safety culture or introducing another safety initiative.It may mean understanding the organisation itself.For safety professionals, that creates an important opportunity: to look beyond safety-specific processes and become better at understanding the systems that shape risk.Stay connected with Women in SafetyWebsitewww.womeninsafety.netVisit the website for upcoming events, programs, and community updates, and subscribe to the newsletter to stay informed throughout the year.Instagramwww.instagram.com/womeninsafety Follow along for conversations, community highlights, and insights from women across the health and safety profession.Become an Empowered Memberwww.womeninsafety.net/empoweredmembersExplore Empowered Membership to access deeper learning opportunities, exclusive events, and meaningful connection within the Women in Safety community.

What if the way we talk about wear and tear is actually influencing how people think about their bodies, their work and their risk of injury?In this Safety Unpacked conversation, Alanna Ball and Amy Morris unpack some of the assumptions around physical work, injury and the idea that our bodies inevitably deteriorate through use.They discuss how medical scans can sometimes reveal changes that are not necessarily connected to pain or injury, and why focusing on symptoms and the individual experience can be more useful than treating an image as the whole story.The conversation also explores fear, stress, genetics, physical activity and work design, and how workplaces can focus on building physical and mental capacity rather than creating a culture where people are afraid of getting hurt.​Episode HighlightsWhy the idea of “wear and tear” can influence how we perceive physical work and injuryHow medical scans can identify changes that do not always correspond with painWhy symptoms and individual circumstances matter when assessing pain and injuryThe role of genetics, physical activity and capacity in injury riskHow fear and stress can influence the experience of painWhy building resilience can be more useful than trying to eliminate every physical riskHow work design can support capability, capacity and safer participationWhy injury prevention needs a more individual and nuanced approach​Our bodies are not machines with a fixed expiry date.Understanding pain and injury requires more than looking at a scan or assuming that physical work will inevitably cause damage. It requires us to consider the individual, their symptoms, their capacity, their environment and the way work is designed.For safety professionals, that raises an important question: are we designing work to protect people from every possible risk, or are we also helping people build the capacity and resilience to participate safely?Stay connected with Women in SafetyWebsitewww.womeninsafety.netVisit the website for upcoming events, programs, and community updates, and subscribe to the newsletter to stay informed throughout the year.Instagramwww.instagram.com/womeninsafetyFollow along for conversations, community highlights, and insights from women across the health and safety profession.Become an Empowered Memberwww.womeninsafety.net/empoweredmembersExplore Empowered Membership to access deeper learning opportunities, exclusive events, and meaningful connection within the Women in Safety community.

When Leaders Model Well-being, It Changes the Workplace.Well-being is easy to talk about. Modelling it as a leader is a different story.In this episode, Alanna explores what it really means to lead by example when it comes to well-being. From setting boundaries and asking for help to stepping away from hustle culture, she reflects on the behaviours leaders demonstrate every day and the message those behaviours can send to their teams.The conversation also looks at psychological safety and Simon Sinek’s concept of the Circle of Safety, and why people are more likely to speak openly when they feel safe to do so.For safety professionals, this raises an important question: are we creating the kind of work environment we are asking others to be part of?​Episode HighlightsWhy leadership is demonstrated through actions, not just wordsHow leaders can unintentionally reinforce hustle culture through their own behaviourThe connection between psychological safety, trust and open communicationWhy vulnerability and admitting mistakes can strengthen leadershipHow setting boundaries can support healthier and more sustainable ways of workingThe role safety professionals can play in modelling resilience and well-beingPersonal experiences of burnout, recovery and recognising when to ask for helpHow consistent leadership behaviours shape organisational culture​Well-being is not something leaders can simply encourage through a policy, a wellbeing initiative or a reminder to take a break.People watch what leaders do.When leaders set boundaries, admit when they are struggling, ask for help and make space for honest conversations, they show their teams that these behaviours are not weaknesses. They are part of creating a healthier and safer workplace.Leadership starts with what we model, especially when no one is asking us to.Listen wherever you get your podcasts.Stay connected with Women in SafetyWebsitewww.womeninsafety.netVisit the website for upcoming events, programs, and community updates, and subscribe to the newsletter to stay informed throughout the year.Instagramwww.instagram.com/womeninsafetyFollow along for conversations, community highlights, and insights from women across the health and safety profession.Become an Empowered Memberwww.womeninsafety.net/empoweredmembersExplore Empowered Membership to access deeper learning opportunities, exclusive events, and meaningful connection within the Women in Safety community.