Trialsafe Update April 2025

Welcome to our April update. We look forward to sharing our insights with you this month.

From the Chair

Welcome to the 4th edition of our Trialsafe newsletter, which we could consider our Easter Edition.

Like Christmas, Easter is a time when we try to spend time with family and friends over the public holidays. However, unlike Christmas, where operations often wind down, Easter represents a time when things are ramping up. This makes the Easter break a double-edged sword for the Trial Services Industry. Workloads and work demands may already be high, and the psychological stress of compensating for the public holidays can almost ensure that we, at some point, enter a rushed state of mind.

This can lead to an increased likelihood of shortcuts being taken, errors being made, and accidents happening. In a rushed state, we are often so focused on the end goal that we miss many other things going on around us.

If you are aware of when you are entering a rushed state of mind, you can take steps to bring yourself out of it. However, on many occasions, we may need others to identify and help break that state. This is where our fellow workers and managers play a critical role.

So, this Easter, let’s look beyond the physical risks and ensure we manage the psychosocial ones as well.

Alan Harris
Trialsafe Chair

 

New Psychological Health Regulations

The Victorian Government has confirmed new psychological health regulations will be introduced by the end of the year.

The new Occupational Health and Safety (Psychological Health) Regulations will put psychosocial hazards on the same footing as physical ones and are expected to make a meaningful difference to safety and wellbeing outcomes across thousands of Victorian workplaces.

Psychosocial hazards are work-related factors with potential to cause harm, such as bullying, sexual harassment, aggression or violence and exposure to traumatic events.

The new regulations will create specific obligations for Victorian employers to identify and control psychosocial hazards in their workplaces. They will also provide flexibility for employers, in consultation with employees, to determine what control measures will be most effective in their workplace and adjust them when circumstances change.

It’s anticipated the regulations will come into effect in December this year and will align with similar regulations introduced in other Australian states and territories.

You can learn more about the new regulations here.

Gendered Violence

Gendered violence is a serious occupational health and safety issue. It is any behaviour, directed at any person, or that affects a person, because of their sex, gender or sexual orientation, or because they do not adhere to socially prescribed gender roles, that creates a risk to health and safety.

Preventing and responding to gendered violence is an employer’s responsibility.

Learn more about your obligations as an employer, tools to support you in preventing and responding to gendered violence, support for health and safety representatives, and where to find more support by visiting the WorkSafe Victoria website or by clicking here.

World Health Day 2025

World Health Day is celebrated globally on April 7th, marking the founding date of the World Health Organisation back in 1948. Each year, the WHO selects a theme to focus on, promoting knowledge, understanding, and action to address key health challenges. Past themes have included topics such as universal health coverage, mental health, and climate change. It’s a reminder of the importance of health equity and the idea that everyone, everywhere, deserves access to good health.

WHO advocates workplace health and safety standards world-wide, and has some great resources for both employers and employees in regard to implementing and improving health and safety within any organisation.

You can find these resources and much more at World Health Organization (WHO).

Sponsor Recognition

Trialsafe would not be what it is today without the support of our generous sponsors. This month we recognise the contributions of one of our Silver Sponsors, Australian Grain Technologies.

Australian Grain Technologies (AGT) is Australia’s largest plant breeding company, and the market leader in wheat genetics. AGT assists Australian farmers, the rural communities that they live in, and people all around the world by developing new field crop varieties that are more productive, better quality and cost less to grow.

Through unwavering passion and commitment to the industry, AGT has become the leading provider of bread wheat, durum wheat and lupin varieties in Australia. The team uses new mechanical solutions, robotics, computer science, GPS, tissue culture, and the latest biological and genetic theory to achieve the best outcomes for their clients and the industry as a whole.

We thank AGT for their ongoing support of Trialsafe.