A straight-talking safety professional telling it how it is…
“I don’t just talk about safety — I’ve lived it.”
I'm Jon Hillis aka Safety Jon, a former WorkSafe Victoria Inspector, national health and safety manager, and current CFA firefighter. For many years, I’ve worked across some of Australia’s most dangerous and regulated environments — transport depots, warehouses, roadside crashes, remote bushland, and complex emergency scenes.
But my commitment to safety goes deeper than compliance or codes of practice. It’s personal.
I’ve witnessed trauma, survived it, and built a career focused on helping people and businesses take safety seriously — not just to meet legal obligations, but to protect lives, futures, and families.
My Mission
To leave a real, measurable impact through straight-talking safety leadership, trauma-informed messaging, and boots-on-the-ground guidance.
Why I do this
I've witnessed workplace fatalities and serious injuries, seen families shattered by preventable incidents, and lived through trauma most will never face. That's why I don't compromise on safety — ever.
Technical Career Experience
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12+ years full-time in health and safety roles across transport, logistics, warehousing, material handling, emergency services, outdoors, corrections and government
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9+ years part-time in health and safety in a defence-based workplace
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Former WorkSafe Victoria Inspector with experience in workplace inspections and enforcement
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National safety manager for a multi-jurisdictional transport company
Operational Roles
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Active firefighter with the Country Fire Authority (CFA)
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ADF Veteran and 19+ years serving in the Air Force Cadets
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Former Bush Search and Rescuer throughout Victorian high country
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Experienced working at large warehouses, transport yards, airports, seaports,
rail yards, corporate offices and in the mountains -
I've even marshalled in 80-tonne aircraft in all weather conditions, day and night...
Safety Jon on duty - Sandown 500, 2022
From trackside to truck yards, my job is to keep people safe.
Behind my technical skills is a deeply human story
I’m a survivor of childhood abuse and a vocal advocate for justice and protection. Over the years, I’ve been the victim of serious workplace incidents — including a physical assault while on duty — and experienced life-threatening trauma during the 2016 Thailand boat capsizing disaster which took the lives of four people. I’ve witnessed fatalities firsthand, stood beside people through unbearable grief, and witnessed what no one ever should.
I live with complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD), Persistent Depressive Disorder (PDD), Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD), and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) — and I use my recovery as a driving force, bringing empathy, clarity, and resilience to every conversation about safety, risk, and leadership.
I’m a dad, a first responder, and a bloke who’s learned the hard way that systems alone don’t save people — leadership does.
