
Psych Health and Safety Podcast
The goal of the psych health and safety podcast is to rapidly advance the practice of psychological health and safety in companies worldwide. Featuring a guest each episode from the fields of health and safety, psychology and academia who are leading the way in their corner of the globe.
Hosts: Jason van Schie (AU), Joelle Mitchell (AU), Peter Kelly (UK), Kate Field (UK), Kim MacDonald (CA), Ian Lewis (CA) and Erin O'Byrne (CA)
Latest episodes

Jun 9, 2025 • 1h 6min
Can Humour Create Psychological Safety? with Jason Rawding
In this episode, hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Jason Rawding, founder of MyBeast. Jason shares the different ways that humour can be used in workplaces to create or enhance psychological safety. He talks about different types of humour and the elements that contribute to humour, and emphasises that humour is a skill that can be developed and refined.
https://www.mybeast.life/

May 26, 2025 • 48min
Exploring the Cobar Enforceable Undertaking - with Sandra Lam
In this episode, hosts Jason and Joelle chat with returning guest Sandra Lam, Organisational Psychologist and Managing Director at FIFO Focus. We chat about a recently published WHS Undertaking between Cobar Management and the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development. Sandra shares her views on the remedial measures outlined in the published Enforcement, and suggests alternative measures that may have more impact.

May 12, 2025 • 49min
How Do Officers Conduct PHS Due Diligence? - with Dr Louise Deacon
In this episode, hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Dr Louise Deacon, psychological health and safety consultant at Thought:Process. Louise shares insights from her PhD research exploring how Officers conduct their due diligence duties in relation to psychosocial risk.

Apr 28, 2025 • 39min
Protecting the Mental Health of Safety Professionals - with Kelly Nicoll
CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains references to suicide
In this episode, UK hosts Peter and Kate chat with Kelly Nicoll, President and Chair of Council for the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH). She shares her observations on generational differences in perspectives on mental health and stigma, and discusses the importance of mental health within the safety profession.

Apr 15, 2025 • 1h 8min
Mental Wellbeing in Rail - with Joana Faustino
In this episode, Australian hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Joana Faustino, Chartered Psychologist and Principle Health and Wellbeing Specialist at The Rail Safety and Standards Board. Joana takes us through the RSSB's 'Mental Wellbeing in Rail: Achieving Change' project and shares learnings and next steps.

Apr 7, 2025 • 33min
What's at Risk? Canadian Study on Workplace Connection (part 2) - with Dr. Leah Ringwald
This episode is the second episode in a two-part series.
Host Kim MacDonald and guest Dr. Leah Ringwald discuss the Conference Board's study into social connection in Canadian workplaces, titled, Real Connections in a Virtual World: Designing Remote Workplaces for Social Connections. Dr. Leah Ringwald is the Conference Board of Canada's associate director of health and human capital and research lead on workplace mental health and well-being.

Apr 1, 2025 • 1h 5min
Psych Health & Safety with Comcare
In this episode Australian hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Luka Campbell, Director National Regulatory Programs, and Kathy Naumczyk, Assistant Director Psychosocial Regulation at Comcare. Luka and Kathy take us through Comcare's recently published psychosocial Code of Practice and talk about their psychosocial inspection program.
https://www.comcare.gov.au/scheme-legislation/whs-act/comcare-inspections/psychosocial-inspections

Mar 25, 2025 • 44min
Drafting a Standard for Suicide Prevention - with Sarah Ambrose
CONTENT WARNING: The conversation in this episode mentions suicide
In this episode, UK host Peter Kelly chats with Sarah Ambrose, Business Psychologist. They talk about recent trends in how UK businesses have been perceiving and prioritising worker wellbeing, and Sarah shares her reflections as a member of the drafting panel establishing a standard for suicide prevention.

Mar 17, 2025 • 41min
Building a workplace that is resistant to sexual harassment - with Michelle Tuckey
In this episode, Australian hosts Jason and Joelle chat with returning guest Dr Michelle Tuckey, Professor of Work & Organisational Psychology at the University of South Australia. Building on her bullying research, Michelle gives us the inside scoop into her latest research project focused on cultivating systemic safety to prevent workplace sexual harassment. She shares the three-year plan for the project, early hypotheses, and intended outputs.

Mar 10, 2025 • 57min
Starting with Trust with Megan Hunter
In this episode Ian Lewis interviews Megan Hunter to explore the dynamics of being an internal or external consultant to an organization and modelling psychological safety while doing psychological health and safety. It seems intuitive but one needs to be reminded organizations need to have pre-requisite trust and psychological safety to do the work required to gather, disclose, and contextualize their data. They also go on a short rabbit trail about why Canadians often begin events and episodes with a land acknowledgment and honour indigenous people.