OHS Leaders 2026: Rethinking Safety in a Digital, Human-Centred Future

Last week, the My Occ Health Record team had the opportunity to attend the Focus Network OHS/EHS Leaders Summit on the Sunshine Coast. Over three intensive days, the event brought together health, safety, environment and risk leaders from across industries to tackle some of the most pressing challenges shaping the future of work.

More than a traditional conference, the summit felt like a genuine inflection point for the profession. The conversations reflected an industry that is no longer defending the importance of safety, but actively redefining its role. Safety has earned its place at the executive table—and is increasingly influencing how organisations think about technology, work design, leadership and risk.

Set at the Novotel Twin Waters, the atmosphere from early morning through to late evening was one of collaboration and intent. Across formal sessions, roundtables and informal discussions, there was clear alignment around the need to move beyond compliance-driven thinking and towards integrated, future-focused safety systems.

Several themes consistently emerged.

AI in WHS: Beyond hype, towards responsibility

Artificial intelligence featured prominently throughout the summit, but notably, the conversation was more measured than speculative. Rather than viewing AI as a silver bullet, leaders spoke candidly about its role as an amplifier.

AI has the potential to significantly improve how organisations identify, predict and prevent risk—but only when strong foundations are in place. Poor data quality, unclear accountability structures and weak governance will not be fixed by AI. Instead, they risk being scaled faster and more visibly.

What became clear is that the question is no longer if AI will influence health and safety, but how responsibly it will be implemented. Guardrails, governance and human oversight are essential. Without them, organisations risk introducing new forms of harm alongside promised efficiencies.

Equally important was a growing awareness of the psychosocial risks associated with AI adoption. When people feel left behind by technology—lacking confidence, capability or clarity—it can drive anxiety, disengagement and reduced trust. Addressing these risks requires more than training; it requires leadership intent and inclusive system design.

The convergence of technology and WHS

Another strong theme was the accelerating convergence between WHS and technology functions. The longstanding divide between “safety systems” and “IT systems” is closing rapidly—and leaders are feeling the pressure when platforms don’t integrate.

Fragmented systems create duplication, administrative burden and missed insights. Across industries, there is growing frustration with disconnected tools that fail to support decision-making at scale.

Discussions, including practical roundtables with leaders such as Lisa Crawford from Jemena, reinforced a key message: when safety is embedded early in technology design and implementation, adoption improves and outcomes strengthen. WHS can no longer be bolted on after systems go live. It must be part of how data, processes and governance are designed from the outset.

System integration is no longer a “nice to have”; it is fast becoming a baseline expectation.

Psychosocial risk and the redesign of work

Psychosocial risk continues to be a dominant focus across the profession, but the nature of the conversation is evolving. At the summit, the emphasis moved beyond awareness and reporting towards accountability and work design.

Leaders are increasingly examining the work itself—job demands, role clarity, change processes and organisational structures—rather than relying solely on policies or individual resilience strategies.

Powerful discussions with Teegan Modderman and others highlighted what is working, what is falling short, and where organisations need to lift. There was strong interest in sharing practical examples of work design initiatives across industries, and growing momentum for communities of practice that extend beyond organisational and sector boundaries.

This shift reflects a broader understanding that culture, trust and clarity are not “soft” considerations—they are core infrastructure for safe and sustainable work.

Data, insight and asking better questions

Despite the proliferation of dashboards and metrics, many leaders echoed a recurring frustration: data does not always equal insight.

As highlighted by Luke Bartlett from Downer, data can tell a story, but it is the responsibility of health and safety professionals to interrogate what that story truly represents. Over-reliance on lag indicators, incomplete datasets or poorly contextualised trends can create false confidence or misdirect resources.

The focus is shifting towards asking better questions, not just collecting more information. Insight comes from interpretation, integration and alignment with operational reality.

This links closely to the broader AI conversation—technology can surface patterns, but human judgment remains critical in understanding meaning and impact.

Attending the Focus Network OHS/EHS Leaders Summit reinforced why these events matter. The energy, openness and shared ambition across the industry are encouraging signs of a profession that is maturing and stepping confidently into its influence.

The conversations that began during this conference will continue to shape how we rethink risk, responsibility and the future of work.