Supervision as a Control

Supervision is often overlooked as a control, but make no mistake, if done properly it’s one of the most effective risk controls available to organisations across all industries.

While it might not be a piece of equipment or a formal system, supervision is a dynamic, real-time control. One that can intervene, course-correct and support risk-based decision making at the exact moment it matters most.

Whether you’re in a high-risk operational role, a desk-based function with complex systems, or a people-centred industry like healthcare or education, supervision plays a pivotal role in protecting people, assets and reputation.

When Is Supervision Critical?

Supervision becomes a necessary control when:

• The task is high-risk, involving significant potential for harm or serious consequences if something goes wrong.

• The person performing the task is new, young or unfamiliar with the specific activity or work environment.

• The task has few or weak formal controls, relying heavily on procedures or human behaviour (such as administrative controls).

• The activity involves multiple interfaces, such as contractors, multidisciplinary teams or public-facing roles.

• The consequences of failure are high, such as in finance, medical settings, or critical system operation.

Supervision isn’t just important on construction sites or manufacturing floors. It matters when a junior IT technician rolls out software that impacts an entire system. It matters when a graduate HR officer makes decisions that affect psychosocial risk. And it matters when a young employee in retail handles a customer complaint that could escalate.

Young and Inexperienced Workers

Young workers (typically under 25) and inexperienced team members bring enthusiasm and a fresh perspective, but they’re also at higher risk of incidents due to:

• Limited experience recognising hazards

• Gaps in understanding system limitations or escalation points

• Higher likelihood of ‘pushing through’ tasks to prove capability

• Reluctance to ask questions or raise concerns

Supervision bridges that gap. It's not just about watching someone work, it's about mentoring, guiding decision-making, and validating whether critical thinking and safe behaviours are in place before the person acts.

Key Elements of Effective Supervision

To truly function as a risk control, supervision must be:

• Planned: Built into the task design and resourcing, not an afterthought.

• Proportionate: Aligned to the risk profile, task complexity and the competence of the worker.

• Present and Active: Remote or passive supervision doesn’t cut it in high-risk situations.

• Authoritative and Approachable: Supervisors need both the trust of their team and the authority to act decisively.

• Knowledgeable: They must understand the hazards, controls, procedures and likely failure points.

• Empowered: Supervisors should have the authority to stop work, escalate concerns and verify control effectiveness.

• Documented: In many industries, the level and method of supervision should be detailed in risk assessments, safe work procedures, or job plans.

Supervision Across All Industries

Let’s break the stereotype. Supervision is not exclusive to apprentices with a hard hat.

• In finance, a senior analyst might review and approve the actions of a new graduate managing sensitive transactions.

• In healthcare, an experienced nurse may shadow a newly registered nurse during high-risk procedures or medication administration.

• In tech and cyber security, supervision includes the peer review of code or permission controls before critical changes are deployed.

• In community services, supervision includes supporting a volunteer or casual staff member to navigate complex client behaviours or trauma-informed care.

Supervision is the human layer that catches what systems and processes miss. It detects risk in real time and allows action before harm occurs.

Supervision as a Risk Control

If we map supervision using the Hierarchy of Controls, it generally falls under administrative controls, but unlike a static document or one-off training, supervision is live. It is often the only control that adapts in real time to changing conditions.

In critical control management, supervision can:

• Validate that controls are in place and understood

• Observe behavioural or system drift

• Escalate and troubleshoot issues quickly

• Protect young or vulnerable workers from being left to figure it out alone

If supervision is the only control in place for a critical task, it must be structured, skilled, supported and more importantly, present. Informal buddy systems, 'just give them a call if you're stuck', or line-of-sight assumptions are not sufficient for critical work.

Before You Assume Someone Is Ready...

Have you ever asked yourself:

• Have I clearly defined the level of supervision required for this task?

• Is the person fully competent, or just familiar?

• What would supervision look like if we considered it as a formal risk control?

If you’re managing risks in your organisation and you don’t have a supervision plan in place for high-risk or unfamiliar tasks, now is the time to act.

Supervision as a Control