Season 08 Episode 06: Rootin’ Tootin’ Wild Theme Park Rides: When Fun turns Fatal

WARNING: This episode discusses a serious injury to a child – we advise listener discretion.

“Theme parks are workplaces where serious harm could eventuate,” bemoans Trajce.

In this gripping episode, the WhyWork crew dive into the devastating case of a child who suffered a traumatic scalping injury while on a Wile E. Coyote-themed amusement ride

Alan walks us through the case, unpacking the sequence of mechanical and human errors. Trajce brings his classic bluntness and empathy, highlighting how poor design choices - literal holes in theme ride ceilings and safety protocols - lead to traumatic circumstances in people’s lives and, in this case, affects a child. The team pulls the lens back to explore broader lessons on accountability, risk design, and the ethics of foreseeability.

"A kid went to have fun and came back scalped. That’s not a freak accident—that’s a system failure," says Trajce. "We can’t keep blaming workers or bad luck when the problem is clearly baked into the design," argues Sara.

Alan Explains, "The head went through a hole in the ride’s casing - something that never should have been possible. Once we traced what happened, the design gaps were obvious. This case reveals chain of small, overlooked decisions that created a massive risk."

This episode is a tough listen, but a vital one. Through humour, honesty, and some hard truths, the podcast team asks: What kind of systems do we really want to build for our kids, our teams, and our communities? “What will be enduring and sustainable?” asks Sara.

Alan, Trajce, and Sara reflect on some of their favourite Looney Tunes characters - Yosemite Sam, the rootin’ tootin’ red-moustached cowboy; Marvin the Martian, Sylvester (Sufferin’ succotash) – who was yours?

Other episodes addressing theme park and recreation-as-work:

S03 E05: Whakaari – The Smouldering Dragon

S03 E06: Cha-Cha-Chat Thrill Rides

S03 E07: Intentional Design & Submersibles

Season 08 Episode 05: Is it a crime? The syrupy sweetness of criminal recovery, comebacks, and swearing in the workplace

WARNING: This episode discusses human rights breaches - we advise listener discretion.

Does a criminal record mean a life sentence of unemployment? This episode dives into how past convictions keep people locked out of work. Alan reflects, “Inclusive hiring isn’t charity. It’s good business sense. We should not define skills and character by a past conviction.” Alan recounts a case of a government employee hampered by a past criminal investigation. Listen in to learn about the results of this worker’s subsequent appeal to the Human Rights Commission. Trajce offers, “When we shut people out because of old mistakes, we create cycles of disadvantage that hurt everyone—individuals, families, and communities.”

Alan also shares a story about the punitive treatment of a manager whose swearing at a barista prompted a workplace review. “Someone needed their caffeine,” remarks Sara. The workplace investigated reproachable behaviours occurring outside of the principal place of work. The retelling of this story triggers bloopers and bleepers in this episode! For more on swearing at work, check out AIHS story on recent rulings by the Fair Work Commission on swearing in the workplace.

Listen to this episode as the podcasters untangle the legal, social, and human sides of criminal records and employment. Find out how some employers are leading with fairness in and out of the workplace, and why workplaces that give second chances often discover untapped loyalty and talent.

To learn more about Psychosocial Risk Management and Integrated Solutions for Employers (PRAiSE), check out ViVID Design Labs - Designs: https://www.vividdesignlabs.com.au/vivid-designs/

Season 08 Episode 04: Nipple Tweaks & Bottom Taps: The border between play and predatory assault

WARNING: This episode includes discussion on sexual harassment - we advise listener discretion.

Ever wondered when ‘just joking’ becomes sexual harassment? In this eye-opening episode, we unpack real stories of workplace encounters that cross the line—like unwanted bottom taps or nipple tweaks (Are these ever really okay?!) . Alan, Trajce, and Sara discuss why dismissing these actions as both banter and play lets disrespect thrive. Sara says, “We need to normalise calling out these moments, not laugh them off.” Trajce adds, “People think it’s harmless fun until someone finally speaks up—or leaves the job. Then everyone asks, ‘How did we miss the signs?’”

The podcasters break down how micro-assaults affect safety, culture, and performance, while exploring what leaders and colleagues can do when playful turns predatory. Join us as we unpack why micro-assaults like these matter, what the law says about sexual harassment, and how organisations can build cultures that stop them before they start. Alan reflects: “These aren’t grey areas. When someone’s uncomfortable, that’s the line. If you’re not sure, ask—or just don’t do it.”

Expect honest chat, expert insights, and a few laughs as we explore the sticky realities of personal space and respect at work.

To learn more about Psychosocial Risk Management and Integrated Solutions for Employers (PRAiSE), check out ViVID Design Labs - Designs: https://www.vividdesignlabs.com.au/vivid-designs/

Season 08 Episode 03: Too much to carry: The case that alters the landscape of mining prosecutions

WARNING: In this episode, the podcasters discuss extreme mental health duress - we advise listener discretion.

Noone died. But two workers were emotionally broken by the weight of their jobs – this time, the system noticed.

In this episode of WhyWork, we explore a landmark $1.2M enforceable undertaking in mining. Not for a collision, Not for a fire. Not for an explosion. And not for a fatality, but for two finance staff affected by their crushing workloads, blurred roles, and the organisational injustice that led to a breach of duty. The WhyWork team discuss a landmark regulatory prosecution in the mining sector for psychosocial harm where no physical injury or fatality occurred - two finance professionals were exposed to serious breaches in duty of care under Section 19 in Australian workplace health and safety law.

“No hazard tape, no broken bones – just people who were no longer coping,” reflects Sara. “This is section 19 – it matters,” Trajce concurs. This is the case that relates mental health harm owing to serious workplace responsibility. “This is a moment of accountability in an industry built on grit,” Alan agrees. It is a reminder that collapse isn’t always accompanied with sirens – it is sometimes like the management of an overflowing, ‘chokka’ inbox at midnight.

Sara urges Trajce and Alan to consider the logic in making sense of ‘psychosocial hazard salad.’ She uses the ‘BLT sandwich’ analogy of Professor Jan Dul and his recent article on the four factors presenting necessary conditions of developing depression: baseline depressive symptoms, self-criticism, rumination, and stressful events.

For more on psychosocial risk management, check out the new Psychosocial Risk Analyser feature - powered by ViVA health at work through a ViVID Design Labs collaboration - in ErgoAnalyst (v3.0). Additionally, ViVA health at work offer the PRAiSE - Psychosocial Risk Analyser and Integrated Solutions for Employers - program.

Season 08 Episode 02: Christmas Day Code Blue: A Tassie healthcare system wake-up call

WARNING: This episode describes a fatality – we urge listening discretion.

In this episode, the WhyWork team debate the issues surrounding a senior hospital doctor who, for years, carried the weight of a health system on his back. His widow’s lawyer claimed he worked seven days a week and was on call 24/7. He shielded his staff from the bureaucracy and advocated for better staffing care ratios. He managed increasingly complex client care presentations. This is a story of duty, care, and silence.

On Christmas Day, this high-achieving healthcare provider died of a heart attack. His wife sought justice from the hospital that demanded so much of him, but the hospital wanted none of the blame.

Sara wrestles with ideas about contributing factors: organisational, interpersonal, intrapersonal, lifestyle patterns, and biological factors – Trajce responds excitedly “Oooh, your analysis is prescient.” Sara further provokes, “Did he say the ‘S-word?’” Alan responds, “this is harder for older workers to do,” and Trajce agrees, ‘yes – use the S-word – S-T-R-E-S-S.” Listen to this episode as the WhyWork team debate interacting risk factors and dissect those that relate to the workplace.

Check out more on healthcare industry tales in this novel book, Healthcare Insights: The Voice of the Consumer, the Provider, and the Work Design Strategist.

Season 08 Episode 01: Flora, Fauna, and the ‘Port-a-Loo’: Beware the arachnids

In this season opener of WhyWork Podcast, we forgo the spreadsheets and the performance statistics – we go straight to storytelling. A toilet. A spider. And a young worker’s unforgettable encounter with risk realities interrupting his routines – when faced with an arachnoid phenom, it was up close and highly personal. “Not once, but TWICE!” exclaims Trajce.

“Sometimes, work gets weird,” Alan laments, as he shares disarmingly intimate conversational snippets from his men’s group. Sara chimes, “And that is where the truth lives!”

This episode is about the things we don’t write down in procedures: the folklore, the warnings passed in whispers, and the rituals we perform before doing the ordinary. It's about vigilance. About humour. About how experience embeds itself amidst bodily functions.

We talk about the risks we manage and the ones we normalise. What does it mean when danger becomes part of the dunny?

Season 08 Trailer 06: Profiling workers: Who is most at risk? Season 08 probes these contemporary work design strategies - from construction workers bitten by a spider while they visit the loo to healthcare professionals prone to work stressors and cardiovascular events.

Season 08 Bonus: WhyNOT? A Wisdom Shot: Work, rest, and play

Should employees be permitted to disconnect from their workplace during their 'downtime'? Alan discusses The Fair Work Ammendment Right to Disconnect Bill 2023 which makes it legislatively clear that the provisions in work health safety laws intend to support workers. Alan contends that workers need to recharge and replenish versus always being 'ON' at work. "... Work, rest, and play," croons Trajce, citing the candybar jingle.

For more on this, listen to:

S06 E07: We revisit the right to disconnect, &

S05 E03: Grab the Pilates socks - its our 'Right to Disconnect' time!