Aurizon
Leading for Safety
From "Zero Harm" to "I Choose Safe" - embedding psychological safety into leadership
Humanology partnered with Australia's largest rail freight operator to redesign its Leading for Safety program, embedding psychological safety as the foundation of both physical safety and leadership excellence. Over 200 leaders so far, have participated in workshops and coaching that transformed compliance into choice, accountability into care, and safety into a lived culture. As an ASX-listed company navigating structural and leadership change, Aurizon recognised that technical systems alone couldn't sustain performance — psychological safety became the catalyst for reframing what safety truly meant and driving sustainable industry leadership.
Challenge
Aurizon was transitioning from "Zero Harm" to a proactive, people-centred approach: "I Know Safe" → "I Choose Safe." Leaders' safety practices remained compliance-driven, limiting engagement. Safety conversations were procedural rather than developmental, and trust varied across sites. The challenge was redesigning leadership capability to connect behaviour, culture, and operational performance.
Solution
Humanology Group redesigned the Leading for Safety program, embedding psychological safety across all leadership levels:
Executive & Manager Masterclasses: Senior leaders aligned on expectations and built program sponsorship
Frontline Leader Workshops: 120+ operational leaders engaged in immersive, scenario-based learning
Ongoing Coaching Pods: Post-workshop support embedding behaviours and enabling peer-to-peer learning nationwide
Integration & Sustainability: Program embedded into Safety Leadership Framework as a measurable operational control
Result
The program delivered behavioural and measurable results:
· 200+ leaders trained in psychologically safe leadership practices
· Executive and manager engagement and sponsorship established
· Improved trust and psychological safety scores across key operational teams
· Greater confidence and consistency in "leading through uncertainty"
Recognition: Finalist – 2025 Resource Industry Network Safety Foremost Award
Leaders reported a fundamental mindset shift: "We've seen leaders move from silence to choice — from doing safety because they have to, to leading safety because they choose to."
WHY IT WORKED
The redesigned program succeeded by aligning all leadership levels around a shared journey. Executive masterclasses created sponsorship and context, while immersive frontline workshops equipped leaders with practical skills for real operational challenges. Ongoing coaching pods sustained behaviour change and enabled peer learning across a geographically dispersed workforce. Integration into the Safety Leadership Framework ensured psychological safety became embedded practice, not a standalone initiative. "We've seen leaders move from silence to choice — from doing safety because they have to, to leading safety because they choose to." Exec Leader