Our OH&S officer is on a power trip. How do we make them stop?

Opinion

October 30, 2026 — 5:01am

An OH&S rep at my work seems overzealous. There’s no doubt about their enthusiasm for the job, but they are overbearing and sometimes plain rude.

They scold members of the team for “non-compliance”, which would be fine if staff members were being negligent or careless, but I don’t see it like that. I see someone who enjoys wielding power and who doesn’t care if they interrupt work, talk over others or insult people.

I don’t want to seem like I don’t take this stuff seriously. Actually, my main concern is that if this approach continues, people will think of OH&S as a chore or, worse, something to actively ignore just to spite an abrupt colleague. Is there a way around this problem?

This seems to me a problem that a good human resources team could solve without much fuss. I know from our correspondence, however, that you wrote because you feel like you and other colleagues who’ve been subject to the occupational health and safety (OH&S) rep’s over-the-top behaviour are on your own. HR is absent for some reason.

I asked Dr Jonathan Sale, a senior lecturer in human resources management at Adelaide University, about what’s happening here and whether there is, as you asked, a way to deal with it.

“The underlying basis of [OH&S] legislation is the Robens model, which is about self-regulation rather than state regulation,” he explained. “Everyone in the workplace is principally responsible for health and safety, which means a proactive duty of care is prescribed.”

On whether your rep is being overbearing or simply doing their job, Sale said that according to Safe Work Australia, workers and others must be “provided the highest level of protection as reasonably practicable”.

“What is ‘reasonably practicable’ is determined objectively. This means [they] must meet the standard of behaviour expected of a reasonable person in their position,” Sale said.

“There are two elements to what is ‘reasonably practicable’. [They] must first consider what can be done – that is, what is possible in the circumstances for ensuring health and safety. They must then consider whether it is reasonable in the circumstances to do all that is possible.”

Without going into specific examples, I think it’s fair to say your rep is attempting to do “all that is possible” to ensure health and safety, but sometimes failing to meet the “reasonable in the circumstances” stipulation.

“The role of the OH&S coordinator is important in making WHS [workplace health and safety] policy and rules work. However, this does not equate to control or supervision over everyone else in the workplace regarding WHS matters. [They] do not have a ‘roving commission’ to do as they please.”

I can see how frustrating, and sometimes offensive, this person’s behaviour is. And while there’s no need for them to insult anyone as they go about their business, if I were to give them the benefit of the doubt, I do wonder whether the reason for their behaviour might be more about work pressure than it is about personality.

Could it be that part of the problem (especially given HR’s lack of involvement), is that they feel that too much falls onto them? That they feel unsupported and overburdened by responsibility, and in their worst moments, they let the pressure get the better of them?

I think a good test of whether this person feels put upon and companionless in their position, or whether they are simply naturally officious and hungry for power, is to propose a broadening of responsibility for OH&S. The rep can, of course, keep their role (presuming they want to), but authority would be officially spread wider. More voices would be considered.

If you think the idea has merit, and you want to take it to your organisation’s leadership team, my advice would be to frame it not as an attempt to punish a difficult person, but as a way of distributing the load of a difficult job.

Send your questions through to Work Therapy by emailing jonathan@theinkbureau.com.au

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Jonathan Rivett is a writer based in Melbourne. He's written about workplace culture and careers for more than a decade.

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