Work Without Harm: Psychosocial Risk, Leadership Accountability, and Safer Organisations
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This course translates Tom Bourne’s book Work Without Harm into a structured learning programme for leaders, HR professionals, safety practitioners, and officers who carry legal accountability for psychosocial risk. It covers the research evidence, legal obligations, organisational causes, practical controls, and governance — the full arc of psychosocial risk management.
Who this course is for: Senior leaders, directors, officers, HR professionals, WHS practitioners, and anyone accountable for managing psychosocial risk in their organisation.
- 7 learning modules · 26 lessons
- Module quizzes with 80% pass standard
- Final assessment of 25 questions
- Certificate of completion
- Estimated time: 4–6 hours
Curriculum
- 9 Sections
- 26 Lessons
- 10 Weeks
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- Module 1: The Landscape of Psychosocial RiskChapters 1-3: the research evidence and global regulatory framework.4
- Module 2: Legal Obligations and Personal LiabilityChapters 4-6: reasonably practicable, where liability attaches, and officer due diligence.4
- Module 3: How Organisations Create Psychosocial RiskChapters 7-10: policies, invisible hazards, culture, and the cost of poor management.5
- Module 4: Practical Psychosocial Risk ManagementChapters 11-15: assessment, primary controls, secondary and tertiary controls, system design, and evidence-based practice.6
- Module 5: When Things Go WrongChapters 16-17: investigation after harm and the leadership response.3
- Module 6: Leadership and GovernanceChapters 18-20: board obligations, the leadership line that matters, and building a culture that holds.4
- Module 7: Case StudiesCase Studies A-E: applying the frameworks to real organisational scenarios.6
- 7.1Case Study A — Workload and Burnout in a Professional Services Firm
- 7.2Case Study B — Bullying, Leadership Failure, and Regulatory Intervention in Mining
- 7.3Case Study C — Psychosocial Risk in Healthcare: Understaffing as a Systemic Hazard
- 7.4Case Study D — Structural Change, Role Ambiguity, and Psychological Injury in the Public Sector
- 7.5Case Study E — Remote Work, Isolation, and Manager Absence
- 7.6Module 7 Quiz: Case Studies20 minutes10 Questions
- Final Assessment1
- Course Resources1
Certificate
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Instructor
Tom Bourne
Tom Bourne writes about the things organisations find uncomfortable to confront — why accidents really happen, what safety culture actually looks like in practice, and how leadership decisions shape risk outcomes in ways that rarely show up in incident reports.
With more than 25 years working across mining, government and education in Australia, his understanding of workplace safety isn’t theoretical. It comes from time spent with frontline workers and senior leaders alike, watching the gap between what organisations say about safety and how work actually gets done.
In addition to writing, Tom works in adult education and professional training, hosts the podcast Voices from the Edge, and contributes regularly to professional conversation through LinkedIn. He is based in Western Australia and works nationally.
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