National Safe Work Month 2026: Prioritise Workplace Safety with an Expert Speaker

National Safe Work Month 2026 is a time to stop, reflect, and act. Each October, Australian workers and employers are reminded that safety in the workplace is not optional but essential. It’s a call for all industries to strengthen their commitment to Workplace Health and Safety.

The key message is simple: workplace safety is everyone’s responsibility. The most recent data shows that in 2023, 200 Australian workers were fatally injured at work, and more than 139,000 serious workers’ compensation claims were lodged. These statistics speak for themselves. But preventable work incidents cannot be reduced to mere numbers. They represent a real impact on real people, families, and communities.

That’s why National Safe Work Month 2026 is more than just a campaign. It signifies a critical check-in point for educating, inspiring, and taking action. One of the most impactful ways to engage your team is through a workplace safety speaker who brings real-world experience, powerful storytelling, and proven strategies to the stage.

Below, we’ve curated a list of Workplace Health and Safety speakers for National Safe Work Month, covering everything from physical safety and risk management to crisis response and psychological safety, who will help your organisation lead with care, clarity, and commitment.

 

Darren Flanagan

Beaconsfield mine rescue hero speaking on risk management and workplace safety

On 25 April 2006, explosives expert Darren Flanagan received the call to help free two miners trapped nearly a kilometre underground at the collapsed Beaconsfield gold mine. Over a continuous 30-hour stretch, he operated more than 70 explosives to reach them.

His keynotes draw on that rescue to explore risk management, teamwork and workplace safety, as well as the very real mental health impacts that can follow a traumatic event.

For National Safe Work Month, Darren reminds teams why reducing risk needs to be part of everyday thinking, and why speaking up about safety and wellbeing can save lives.

Book Darren Flanagan

Kevin Humphreys DSC

Award-winning mental health, leadership and communication speaker. Army & rescue pilot

Decorated Army helicopter pilot Kevin Humphreys DSC draws on two decades of military and aviation experience to help teams lead, communicate and perform safely under pressure.

His personal experience of mental illness and burnout brings a human perspective to resilience, wellbeing and sustainable leadership.

For National Safe Work Month, Kevin gives leaders and teams practical lessons for strengthening safety, supporting their people and making better decisions when pressure is high.

Book Kevin Humphreys DSC

Bardie Somerville

Carpenter and advocate for mental wellbeing in trades

Qualified carpenter and site manager Bardie Somerville brings firsthand experience of the mental health challenges facing Australia’s construction and trades industries.

Through her own lived experience, she opens honest conversations about mental wellbeing and why psychological safety deserves the same attention as physical safety on every job site.

For National Safe Work Month, Bardie helps organisations give their people practical tools for connection, support and healthier workplace cultures.

Book Bardie Somerville

Paul Spinks

Advanced Care Paramedic and Counsellor questioning, “Are we micro-managing ourselves sick, or are we micro-managing ourselves well?”

Advanced Care Paramedic and trauma counsellor Paul Spinks brings years of frontline experience into confronting conversations about mental and physical health.

Drawing on what he has witnessed in emergency care, Paul challenges people to recognise the warning signs early, rethink unhealthy habits and take greater responsibility for their wellbeing.

For National Safe Work Month, his raw, practical approach gives workplaces a strong platform to talk about mental health, resilience and looking after people before they reach breaking point.

Book Paul Spinks

Mark ‘Squiz’ Squirrell OAM

Former Commando and humanitarian aid worker on risk, crisis and decision-making under pressure

Mark ‘Squiz’ Squirrell OAM served with the Australian Commandos before working with the United Nations World Food Programme, leading food convoys through war zones and operating through crises including the Ebola outbreak. He later reached the summit of Mount Everest to raise awareness of global hunger.

Using VR, real-time scenarios and footage from the field, Squiz immerses audiences in high-pressure environments to show how teams assess risk, communicate clearly and make sound decisions when the stakes are high.

For National Safe Work Month, Squiz gives leaders and teams practical lessons in crisis response, managing risk and staying calm and connected when conditions change quickly.

Book Mark ‘Squiz’ Squirrell OAM

Narelle Fraser

Former homicide detective speaking on trauma, workplace stress and PTSD

Narelle Fraser spent 27 years with Victoria Police, including 15 as a detective with the Homicide, Rape and Sexual Crimes squads and the Missing Persons Unit, investigating some of Victoria’s most high-profile cases.

Her own PTSD diagnosis after years of frontline exposure to trauma shapes her powerful message, It Isn’t a Crime to Be Stressed, which helps people recognise the signs of stress in themselves and others, and understand what happens when those signs are ignored.

For National Safe Work Month, Narelle brings a frank, relatable and often humorous perspective to managing workplace stress, supporting staff through trauma and treating psychological injury as seriously as physical injury.

Book Narelle Fraser

Nick Gorman

Former investment banker redefining wellbeing and performance at work

After a high-pressure career in global finance, Nick Gorman brings lived experience to conversations about burnout, mental health, and wellbeing at work. His honest, practical approach helps teams recognise the pressures affecting their people and build healthier ways of working.

For National Safe Work Month, Nick gives organisations a timely opportunity to start meaningful conversations about psychological safety, wellbeing and sustainable performance.

Book Nick Gorman

Lachie Samuel Mariu

Transformational coach using neuroscience to help teams break stress and build resilience

Lachie Samuel Mariu brings neuroscience, lived experience and practical tools together to help people manage stress when pressure hits.

His sessions teach teams how to regulate their responses, communicate more clearly and recognise patterns linked to burnout, shutdown and emotional overload.

For National Safe Work Month, Lachie gives leaders and frontline teams practical strategies they can use immediately to build safer, more resilient workplace cultures.

Book Lachie Samuel Mariu

Robbi Mack

Resilience and mental health inspirational speaker

Robbi Mack combines compelling storytelling with lived experience of mental health challenges to help teams strengthen resilience, manage stress and stay connected through change.

Her engaging keynotes give employees practical strategies to protect their emotional wellbeing, while helping leaders build workplaces grounded in empathy and trust.

For National Safe Work Month, Robbi brings energy, warmth and practical takeaways to an important conversation about healthier, more supportive workplaces.

Book Robbi Mack

Nicolette Beard

Gender Equality, Leadership and Workplace Culture Speaker

Nicolette Beard is an award-winning keynote speaker, educator and workplace culture consultant specialising in gender equality, women in leadership and creating safer, more respectful workplaces.

She is the co-founder of We Are W/M and We Are Consulting, working across education, community and corporate settings.

With 50+ speaking engagements in the past year, Nicolette brings a distinctive mix of humour, relatable storytelling and practical insight to every stage.

Nicolette was named the 2024 BHP Young Western Australian of the Year and is known for making complex and sometimes uncomfortable conversations accessible, engaging and memorable.

Book Nicolette Beard

Book a Safety Speaker for National Safe Work Month 2026

Whether you’re planning a safety awareness day, a leadership training session, or an all-staff event, the right Workplace Health and Safety speaker can help drive your message home. The speakers above have common offerings: lived experience, industry knowledge, and the ability to motivate meaningful change in your organisation.