The Human Side of Safety: Mental Health, Behaviour and EHS

Rethinking: EHS Global Goals. Local Delivery.
Campaign: Rethinking EHS Podcast
Podcast title and profile pictures of guest speakers

In this episode, host Charlotte Buffoni is joined by Deepak from Chola MS Risk in India and Giorgia McGuigan from Peter J Ramsey and Associates in Australia to explore how psychosocial risk, mental health and human behaviour are reshaping EHS practice.

They discuss why fatigue, production pressure, impractical procedures and fear of speaking up can affect both wellbeing and physical safety. The guests compare approaches in India and Australia, including workforce consultation, behavioural science and the role of frontline leaders in creating safer choices.
The conversation makes the case for looking beyond individual resilience or counselling alone. Organisations need to understand the conditions people work in, address risks across EHS, HR and operations, and adapt shared principles to local cultures and requirements.

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Time Stamps

  • 00:00:03 – Introduction: Psychosocial risk and a broader view of EHS
  • 00:01:34 – Introducing perspectives from India and Australia
  • 00:02:15 – Why psychosocial safety is gaining attention
  • 00:03:56 – How human factors influence safe choices
  • 00:05:43 – Australia: From compliance to practical risk management
  • 00:07:31 – Workplace consultation and preventative support
  • 00:08:57 – Balancing immediate help with long-term prevention
  • 00:09:17 – Organisations seek guidance on psychosocial risks
  • 00:10:26 – Beyond traditional behaviour-based safety
  • 00:13:11 – Understanding why unsafe behaviour occurs
  • 00:15:31 – Procedures, change and barriers to speaking up
  • 00:17:20 – Comparing operational risks across regions
  • 00:20:32 – Leadership and common mental health myths
  • 00:23:29 – Why mental health is an organisation-wide issue
  • 00:25:50 – Global principles and local approaches
  • 00:26:21 – Fairness, respect and cultural context
  • 00:30:47 – Integrating psychosocial risk into EHS systems
  • 00:34:53 – Leadership, culture and frontline safety
  • 00:40:28 – From incident response to prediction and prevention
  • 00:43:37 – Closing reflections and where to follow the series

Guest Quotes

Giorgia McGuigan:
“We have to consult our workforce. We have to reflect on the changes. We have to assess the risk and then action the risk.”

Deepak:
“We have to look at the systems, the culture that we have driven.”