Rep profile: Gary Topham, St Virgil’s College, Austins Ferry, Tasmania
Gary Topham decided to become a Health and Safety Representative because throughout his career, he has witnessed too many accidents that were ‘preventable with foresight and planning’.
Holding employers to account on staff safety
Reports of student harassment of staff in Tasmanian schools are deeply concerning, but one school’s response shows that union action can make a difference.
Don’t suffer in silence: Combatting workload psychosocial hazards
In Tasmanian schools, there has been a significant increase in the number of sub-branches seeking support with workload and other psychosocial hazards.
Researchers say teachers need support to deliver violence prevention
A new national framework for respectful relationships education sets out an ambitious plan for Australian schools, but early evidence suggests teachers are being asked to deliver it without the training required.
Safe workplace culture starts at the top
What senior management believes and prioritises about psychological safety at work strongly affects whether employees are likely to be mistreated.
Strong union message at workers’ memorial
Each year family members, unionists, workers and their loved ones gather to remember the lives lost in workplaces and to recommit to fighting for the living.
IEU member seeks secondary teachers for Honours research into wellbeing
Karen Lichnovsky, a teacher and IEU member, is looking for current or former secondary teachers to complete a short survey that explores how workplace conditions contribute to emotional exhaustion.
From IE magazine: It’s time to safeguard education’s ‘first responders’
Urgent systemic support and reform is required to safeguard principals and maintain high-quality education.
IEU on school security in the surveillance age
It’s time for workers to demand their rights are not trampled by employers using technology that breaches privacy.
Trades Hall sets standards for injured worker code
On 18 February, unionists and injured workers gathered on the steps of Victorian Parliament to press MPs for a meaningful Code of Claimant Rights.
IEU member Maree McLean wins Worksafe award
IEU member Maree McLean has been named joint winner of the 2025 Worksafe Return to Work Achievement Award.
What are psychosocial hazards?
Psychosocial hazards are aspects of work that can affect a person’s mental health, wellbeing, and safety. They arise from how work is organised, managed, or experienced, rather than from physical dangers.
Trades Hall sets standards for injured worker code
On 18 February, unionists and injured workers gathered on the steps of Victorian Parliament to press MPs for a meaningful Code of Claimant Rights.
Keeping safe in the heat – OHS requirements
Safety legislation in Victoria and Tasmania requires employers to provide and maintain, as far as practicable, a working environment that is safe and without health risks.
Year in review, 2025: Occupational Health and Safety: training and advocacy
In 2025 we doubled down on OHS, training new Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs), supporting them on the job, and advocating for stronger laws – because too many employers still underestimate the risks in our schools.
IEU backs the bullying review – now for action
The IEU says addressing bullying in schools requires a society-wide effort, and schools and education staff must not carry the burden alone.
Protect staff first – IEU backs tougher safety measures
The IEU is backing stronger School Community Safety Orders (SCSOs) and urging employers to act with urgency to counter increasing threats to staff safety.
Resisting surveillance: an OHS necessity in schools
AI is making workplace surveillance cheaper, faster, and more intrusive, posing a significant threat to workers’ privacy. This concern was highlighted at the annual Victorian Trades Hall Council HSR Conference on 28 October.
Balancing safety and inclusion: protections for staff in specialist schools
Employers in specialist schools share the same OHS duty to provide a safe workplace as all employers – but the demands of disability support require them to take extra steps to manage specific risks to staff safety.
A model for safe IEU cooperation
At Holy Rosary Primary School in White Hills, IEU members Paul Wilkinson (Principal) and Jasmin (Health and Safety Representative) demonstrate best practice in managing occupational health and safety.