Born, into Mundari Culture in Jayi, a village in Kerchomba, north of Juba inSouth Sudan, Philip Lako’s childhood was marked by unimaginable hardship. At just10 years old, he was forcibly taken by the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA)under the guise of receiving an education. His parents were given ultimatum, by therebels group to give away one of their sons. Philip and his elder brother, Wani. Philipbecame the choice and was taken. He endured a decade of captivity, facing torture, beating, forced labor, sleep andfood deprivation, and was subjected to constant threat of death from lack of food,aerial bombardments and attacks from Sudan Government Army. He lived in squalidconditions, often sleeping on the ground with only hessian bags for warmth.In 2000, Philip escaped to Kenya, where he spent four years in the Kakuma andDadaab Refugee Camps. The camps’ life presented its own challenges—scarceresources, overcrowding, despair, indignity, lack of self-worth, unclear life’s sense ofpurpose and emotional isolation. Yet, it was here that Philip began to rediscoverhope. In 2004, he was granted resettlement in Perth, Western Australia, through thesupport of the UNHCR and the Australian Government. Philip’s journey in Australia has been nothing short of transformative. He beganworking in agriculture [Donnybrook], then transitioned into aged care and disabilitywhere he worked as a support worker and a Trainer and Assessor. In 2008, heentered the mining industry, after earning a Vocational Education Trainingqualifications in Geoscience and later a Work Health and Safety Qualification.Currently, Philip is working for a mining company as a Senior Safety Advisor andprovides ad hoc Training Services to a Western Australian Registered TrainingOrganisation (RTO) - facilitating the Statutory Position Training, Local GovernmentIndustry Regulation Safety Exam Preparations Workshops, Incident Cause AnalysisMethodology (ICAM) investigations skills and other Safety Related short courses. Philip volunteered for Mercy Care, St Vincent de Paul and is an active member ofthe Perth Rotary which is engaged in social program across the state: PassageYouth Hub , Path of Hope, Kimberely Dental Team and many other projects aimed toimprove the quality of human lives internationally.   Philip is a passionate advocate for refugees and migrants, using his personal story toinspire and educate others. He has spoken at national conferences, including theCatholic Youth Conference, and has worked closely with government agencies toimprove services for CALD (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse) communities.One of his most notable contributions was initiating and engaging the then WesternAustralia Premier Mark McGowan’s Government to consider and fund the GoldfieldsMigrant Employment Program (GMEP) Kalgoorlie through the Goldfields CommunityLegal Centre. The project aimed to promote job opportunities and regional living inthe Goldfields to metropolitan communities and assist with attracting and retainingemployees. The pilot program coordinated by Blessings Masuku, was verysuccessful and although, has officially ended, it continues to attract migrantsinterstate many of whom now call Kalgoorlie [Goldfields] Home. Philip has spoken across mine sites, corporates offices, Kalgoorlie and city councils,Schools, Australia Home Affairs Office, WA Office of Multicultural Interest etc., wherehe expressed appreciation to Australia for the life changing opportunity. Philip alsouses the opportunity to thank the mainstream Australian for their generosity andinvites them to get to know the newly arrived migrants better and not only rely onmedia for information on refugees and migrants. Philip’s public engagements attracted media outlets including ABC News and RadioPrograms, Kalgoorlie Miner, Eastern Reporter, Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA,6PR Radio, WA Office of Multicultural Interest. Philip thinks, the best way to integrate well and know the mainstream culture is

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.    

Nathalie Martinek, PhD, helps people build relational leadership capacity and cultivate effective relationships in professional life, while also supporting those who’ve been scapegoated, sidelined, or harmed in environments that protect image over people. As a coach, she works with professionals to shift unhelpful relational patterns and navigate subtle power dynamics. As a group facilitator, she creates spaces for learning, applied reflection, and restoration. As a consultant, she helps individuals make sense of workplace dysfunction and emerge intact, with insight into the system and how to move forward. Her approach draws on years of practice inside and alongside institutions, informed by an early career in developmental biology and cancer research, where she studied how environments shape behavior and how systems enable dysfunction. Nathalie writes and teaches on scapegoating, narcissistic systems, relational leadership, and the emotional forces that shape them. She is the author of The Little Book of Assertiveness, The Scapegoating Playbook at Work, and creator of Hacking Narcissism on Substack.

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’s book, Creating Transformation: Advanced Training Skills for Workshop Facilitators, was published in 2024.  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-sellingauthor who is passionate about preventing harm in the digital world. She is the Founder ofAway From Keyboard (AFK) Inc., a charity that delivers workshops, personalised support,and peer group sessions to help families and communities build safer online experiences.AFK’s work goes beyond advocacy, with Sarah leading policy submissions, governmentreporting, and initiatives that influence safety frameworks globally. As an accredited United Nations delegate, Sarah has represented civil society at theCommission on the Status of Women in New York, observed the Committee on theElimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and attended the Human RightsCouncil in Geneva. She is also Chief Revenue Officer of Women 4 STEM, where she focuseson creating opportunities for women and girls across the STEM pipeline. Her advocacy is deeply shaped by her lived experience, fuelling a mission to create systemicchange. Sarah has spoken at global summits and events, including Geneva Peace Week,delivering thought leadership on technology-facilitated gender-based violence, AI ethics,and digital wellbeing. Her work has been recognised with numerous awards, includingGlobal Volunteer of the Year and Youth Impact Awards, and she has been a finalist in theWomen in AI APAC Awards and Australian Women in Security Awards.

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.

Michelle is an endorsed Organisational Psychologist and works for FIFO Focus and PerMentis. She has experience in mental health assessment and treatment, psychosocial risk management, trauma-informed care auditing and training, recruitment and selection and psychometric assessment, in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. In recent years, Michelle has worked alongside mining organisations to support psychosocial hazard risk management. She has supported individuals and consulted to organisations whose frontline workers were exposed to trauma, stress and high cognitive and emotional demands. She has also worked in partnership with other not-for-profit organisations to provide support in prisons, family and domestic violence refuges, and homelessness services. Michelle has trained workers across government, mining and community services with the skills necessary to provide emotional support and suicide intervention, emphasising the importance of trauma-informed care. Michelle is the current President of the Society for Industrial and Organisational Psychology Australia (SIOPA), and has served as a committee and/or board member since its foundation in 2016. She believes in the advancement of the Organisational Psychology profession, and in protecting the integrity of the profession. As a Psychology Board Approved Supervisor, Michelle also  appreciates the opportunity to support the growth and learning of students and psychologists, and intends to be an active advocate on behalf of her peers and the wider profession for years to come!

Sandra Lam is an endorsed Organisational Psychologist and the Managing Director of FIFO Focus and Permentis. With over two decades of experience across public and private sectors in Australia and internationally, Sandra is recognised for her expertise in psychosocial risk, organisational wellbeing, and shaping positive workplace cultures.Through FIFO Focus, she works closely with the mining and remote workforce sectors, providing psychosocial risk management training and services, trauma-informed practices including in psychosocial investigations, mental health training, resilience-building programs, and FIFO life preparation.As Managing Director of Permentis, Sandra leads projects across justice, utilities, defence, government, and international development, designing and implementing systemic, human-centred solutions to improve performance, engagement, and psychosocial safety.Sandra’s career has taken her to Asia, the Pacific, Africa, and South America, often working in high-risk or high-impact environments. She holds a Master’s in Organisational Psychology and an MBA, and is a Fellow of the College of Organisational Psychologists. I also consider Sandra to be one of those rare people who is not only a friend but someone who will tell you the truth when you need to hear it. 

Dr Nektarios Karanikas is Associate Professor in the Health, Safety and Environment discipline of the School of Public Health & Social Work (Faculty of Health) in the Queensland University of Technology (AU). Before his current appointment, he was Associate Professor of Safety and Human Factors at the Aviation Academy of the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (NL). He studied MSc Human Factors and Safety Assessment in Aeronautics at Cranfield University (UK), and he was awarded his doctorate in Safety and Quality Management from Middlesex University (UK).   Nektarios graduated from the Hellenic Air Force Academy as an aeronautical engineer, worked for about 19 years as an officer at the Hellenic Air Force and resigned in 2014 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. There, he served in various positions related to maintenance, safety and quality management, including accident investigations, and he was lecturer and instructor for safety and human factors courses.   In addition to his academic qualifications, Nektarios has held professional engineering, human factors, project management, and safety management credentials and has been a member of various national and international associations. He has published three books and several chapters and has (co)authored many peer-reviewed journal and conference articles focussing on systems thinking, safety/risk management and investigations. Nektarios has presented his work in over 100 events and actively volunteers in a wide range of scientific and professional activities

Andreas Landwehr is a German journalist who worked for 30 years as Beijing Bureau Chief and also as Head of the Asia-Pacific region for dpa, the German Press Agency (Deutsche Presse-Agentur), until 2023. Since 2005, he has been covering G7 and G20 summits, focusing on trade and development issues, climate policy, and Asia. The former US correspondent began reporting from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Mongolia in 1993. In 2011, he received the Liberty Award from the German Reemtsma Foundation for his journalistic work. After serving as regional head for East Asia from 2013, he took responsibility for the entire Asia-Pacific region in 2019. From 2023 to 2024, he joined the political desk in the newsroom in Berlin before leaving dpa after 40 years. He currently works as a China expert, a keynote speaker and an author for Table.Briefings and others. His first encounter with China was during his studies in Taipei (1980–1982), when he also traveled extensively in mainland China. After graduating from Bonn University, he joined dpa in 1984 in Düsseldorf. At dpa headquarters, he worked as a copy editor at the foreign desk and then at the domestic desk during German unification in 1989. As a Washington correspondent from 1990, he specialized in defense policy, covering the Gulf War for the liberation of Kuwait in 1990 and Bill Clinton's first presidential campaign. In 1993, he moved to China with his wife and three children to become Beijing Bureau Chief. Since then, he has witnessed China's rise to become the world's second-largest economy. He covered Deng Xiaoping's death, the return of Hong Kong and Macao, China's accession to the WTO, the first outbreak of SARS, the 2008 Olympic Games, Xi Jinping's rise to power since 2012, and the Covid-19 pandemic. He has interviewed various Chinese leaders such as Jiang Zemin, Zhu Rongji, and Wen Jiabao. Since 2001, he has also traveled to North Korea several times.  

Professor John Cherrie graduated in Physics from Edinburgh University and went to work at the Institute of Occupational Medicine. His early career involved measuring exposure to airborne fibres, both asbestos and man-made mineral fibres. The latter work was in support of a large European epidemiology study coordinated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. John developed an interest in occupational hygiene, and the science behind occupational exposure to harmful agents. In 1991 he joined the University of Aberdeen to set up a Masters course in occupational hygiene. During this time John developed his interest in retrospective occupational exposure assessment for epidemiological studies, and this work formed the basis of his PhD, which he received in 1996. In 2003 John rejoined the IOM and took on the role of Research Director. During this time he broadened his research interested to encompass the “exposome”, human exposure assessment, occupational cancer, environmental and occupational epidemiology, natural and synthetic fibres, dermal exposure and air pollution. In 2015 John took up the chair in Human Health at Heriot Watt University. John is a retired Chartered Fellow of the Faculty of the British Occupational Hygiene Society.

In this episode Marc Miles & I discuss those difficult conversations and situations that occasionally occuring during training.  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’s book, Creating Transformation: Advanced Training Skills for Workshop Facilitators, was published in 2024.  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.

Dr Lisette Kanse is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychological Science at the University of Western Australia (UWA) and the Course Coordinator of UWA’s Master of and Graduate Certificate in Business Psychology. She has worked as an academic and as a consultant/practitioner in a variety of industrial settings across Europe and Australia, including chemical industry, oil and gas, mining, rail transport, and healthcare settings.   Having entered the field of work health and safety over 25 years ago convinced of the importance of this domain, Lisette’s mission across her entire working life has been to improve work environments, either directly, or through her students, to keep people safe, healthy, engaged, and productive. Occasionally she has been known to extend this mission to keeping people safe outside of the work environment as well.   She uses her dual background in industrial engineering and organisational psychology to identify and facilitate evidence-based improvements, and to warn against ineffective strategies. Her research interests include human factors, work design characteristics, procedures, norms, culture, and leadership, and how these impact on work practice and safety and health.

Nova Gibson is director, founder and primary counsellor of Brighter Outlook Narcissistic Abuse Counselling Service and the go-to expert on narcissistic abuse recovery in Australia. She is the author of Australia's best-selling practical self help book of 2023, 'Fake Love - Understanding and Healing From Narcissistic Abuse' published by Harpercollins and the host of her own Podcast, Fake Love and Flying Monkeys.

Tori Cooke is a thought leader in family and domestic violence practice, prevention, andsystems reform. With over 30 years of frontline social work and teaching experience, Tori is theConsultant/Practice Educator behind Pandora Projects - a feminist consultancy grounded intransformative education, reflective practice, and trauma-informed care. Her work and remit is passionately focused on practice and professional growth anddevelopment. Her experience spans the design and delivery of women’s healing groups andmens behaviour change programs, supervision and mentoring of frontline workers, andgrowing new leadership to support safer, more just responses in family violence. Whether facilitating clinical supervision, training students and practitioners, or standing ona stage, Tori is known for holding space with empathy, edge, and humour. Her work invitesothers to reclaim their voice, reflect deeply on their work, and ultimately resist and pushback on the systems that silence and shrink us.

A regular part of the podcast Sarah brings us news of what's happening in New Zealand in terms of safety and social issues. Sarah is a Health and Safety specialist, Professional Member of NZInstitute of Safety Management (ProfNZISM), Health & Safety AustraliaNew Zealand Registered (HASANZ) and ANZCAL (Australia and NewZealand Coaching Alliance) accredited trainer. Sarah is an experience health and safety professional with over twodecades of experience. With an outgoing personality and an inclusivestyle of communication, clients have described Sarah as facilitative;however, she can also be direct and hold people accountable, whilekeeping a sense of humour. Sarah enjoys helping her clients define what their key health and safetychallenges to develop solutions that are written in their language andwork in their operational context.