HSR of the Year.

admin • March 3, 2025

The Annual WorkSafe Awards night was held last week. As always, the highlight was the Health and Safety Representative of The Year Category. We all know what amazing work HSR’s do every day across Victoria to keep workplaces safe and it was great to see a handful of them called out for their great work.


The finalists for 2025 were:

  • Barry McKenna – from United Petroleum Hastings Terminal
  • Cameron Barber – from Delcon Civil
  • Cameron Middleton-Else – from Wodonga Middle Years College
  • Danny Humphrey – from Qenos
  • Mick Puche – from Glenelg Shire Council
  • Sue Healey & Melissa Courts – form Echuca Regional Health


Each of these HSRs was nominated for the award by someone who had seen their outstanding commitment to health and safety. They each had a particular challenge to deal with at work and had persevered until they got the right safety outcomes for their co-workers.

This year, the winner of the award was Mick Puche. As a plant operator and with a previous workplace injury where he lost a finger at work, he is a dedicated advocate for health and safety. Find out more about Mick here: HSR of the Year - Mick Puche | Glenelg Shire Council


Another award on the night was the Worker Return to Work Achievement. The finalists were:

Matthew Manley – from Kinross Farms

Nicholas Johansen – from Mainstream Aquaculture

Steel Anderson – Steel Anderson Carpentry


The award went to Matthew Manley. Find out more about Matthew here: Worker Return to Work - Matthew Manley | Kinross Farms

All three of these workers had suffered severe injuries in their workplace. It was such an important reminder of how important safety is. This award focused on their return to work, but we all know that there are many workers who are so severely injured, physically and mentally, that they will never make it back to work. The work of all HSRs is targeted at preventing such terrible incidents – so that no one has to endure what these three workers, and countless others, experience.


HSR’s, as the workers' representatives, are integral to genuine and meaningful consultation in the workplace. Every workplace should have legally elected and trained HSR’s, with safety structures in place. One can’t help but wonder how much safer the workers of Victoria would be if every workplace had HSR’s!


If you need help with setting up safety structures in your workplace, running HSR elections, or HSR training and support – don’t hesitate to get in touch: HSR Training and support | BeSafe | Regional Victoria

Victoria's New Psychosocial Regulations are Imminent

By admin • September 9, 2025
It has been a long time coming, and the promised released date for Victoria's new Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Psychological Health Regulations is imminent. These regulations, which are anticipated to be released in October and to come into effect on 1 December 2025 , aim to address the growing recognition of psychosocial hazards in the workplace. What Are Psychosocial Hazards? Psychosocial hazards refer to workplace factors that can negatively impact an individual’s mental health and well-being. These include, but are not limited to: Workplace bullying High job demands or low job control Poor workplace relationships Exposure to traumatic events Discrimination or harassment Such hazards can lead to stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges, which not only affect individuals but also reduce workplace productivity and morale. They can also lead to catastrophic consequences for some individuals. Why are new Psychosocial Regulations being introduced? The Victorian government has responded to recommendations made by the Boland Review of WHS, the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System and the Productivity Commission Inquiry into Mental Health. There is already a legal obligation under the existing Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (OHS Act): employers must provide and maintain a working environment for their employees, including contractors, that is safe and without risks to health, so far as reasonably practicable. In addition, in Section 5 of the OHS Act, health is defined as including psychological health. However, there is limited guidance in Victoria as to how this should be done. The new Regulations are intended to close this gap. The new regulations are designed to ensure that employers take proactive steps to identify, assess, and manage psychosocial risks. They will dictate how an employer must identify and control psychosocial risks in the same way that they manage physical hazards. This includes a risk management approach to these hazards and how to implement measures to prevent harm and create a supportive work environment. A Compliance Code will accompany the regulations, providing practical guidance for employers on how to meet their obligations. This will include strategies for risk assessment, consultation with employees, and implementing controls. How Can You Prepare? Review your safety structures in your workplace – do you have elected Health and Safety Representative, Designated Work Groups and Health and Safety Committees - and are they working well? Ensure your reporting and consultation processes are sufficient and working well. Remember that open communication is key and that you have a legal obligation to consult with your employees on any changes which may affect their health and safety in the workplace. Review your existing policies and procedures – are there policies around bullying, harassment and workload management? Make sure your general OHS knowledge base is strong. This might mean looking at your existing training . Are workers, HSR’s, supervisors, managers and the leadership team all up to speed on their rights and obligations under the OHS Act? BeSafe Victoria can help you with HSR training, refreshers and leaders OHS training. HSR Training Courses | BeSafe | Regional Victoria Take a look at Psychological health | WorkSafe Victoria and utilise the WorkWell toolkit at WorkWell Toolkit | WorkSafe Victoria Start to plan how you will implement a training schedule once the Regulations are released. Watch this space – BeSafe will be developing a course to bring you up to speed once we have the Regulations and Compliance Code. Reach out if you are interested in being notified once this is available: HSR Training and support | BeSafe | Regional Victoria As always, if you need any help, reach out to BeSafe on 0467 002 060 or admin@besafevictoria.com.au

New apprentice supervision requirements

By admin • September 1, 2025
New electrical apprentice supervision requirements come into effect in Victoria on September 1 st 2025. It is the role of employer to supervise their apprentices, and this is vital to ensuring their safety in all industries - including electrical apprentices. There have been 5 electrical apprentice deaths in the last 10 years in Victoria alone. It is hoped that the new changes will improve safety and make an impact to prevent electrocution fatalities. The new apprentice supervision requirements will bring Victoria alignment with other states, and the changes include supervision rations and the level of supervision required when an apprentice is undertaking certain tasks. It is now mandatory for the employer to provide any person who is in a supervisory role with a copy of the supervision requirements. These requirements apply to supervision standards only while doing electrical work. The usual OHS standards apply when the apprentice is undertaking other non-electrical work on-site – keeping in mind that the OHS Act does include requirements around supervision also. The new apprentice supervision requirements mandate direct 1:1 supervision when carrying out electrical work. This means 1 supervisor to 1 apprentice and with constant visual contact when carrying out high risk tasks. It is no longer good enough to supervise 2 apprentices at once, or to be ‘within earshot’. There is a grading system for how much supervision is required, which depends on the experience of the apprentice and the tasks being undertaken. For example, 1 st year apprentices must be under 1:1 supervision at all times but will move to reduced supervision as they gain experience throughout their apprenticeship. However, high risk tasks will always require direct 1:1 visual supervision. Work on or near any live or energised equipment must not be performed by any apprentice. However, a fourth-year apprentice may perform fault finding – but only under direct 1:1 supervision. There are very prescriptive requirements which are now in place and must be followed. These changed requirements are intended to ensure the safety of the electrical industry’s most vulnerable workers. For more information, have a look at the video below, or take a look at: Requirements for the effective supervision of apprentice electricians | Energy Safe Victoria