How was your day?
Get it off your chest.
Civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, mining, environmental and software engineers, on site and in the office. Put down what you're carrying before you go home.
Which best describes you?
This changes a few questions and which support lines come first. You can change it any time.
Everything you enter stays on this phone. Nothing is sent to your employer, your manager or anyone else. Unladen Span is a prototype. It is not a medical or emergency service and is not connected to any company, client or government agency. · Give feedback
Take a moment.
Step away from the site or the screen if you can. Tell your supervisor you need a few minutes. That's allowed.
Breathe with this
What you might be feeling
- Shaky, sick, or a racing heart
- Numb, or oddly calm
- Tearful, angry, or both
- Going over what you could have done differently
These are normal reactions. They usually settle over hours or days.
If you're worried about something you signed
Raise it now, with your principal or a senior engineer. It's always better to speak up early. If it's a safety risk, say so clearly, and write down who you told and when.
Ground yourself
Look around. Name them, out loud or in your head.
Call someone now
Add your principal, a colleague or your EAP in so they're here when you need them.
Not sure who to tell?
If you don't feel safe telling your manager or principal, there are other people you can go to. Or write down what happened, just for you, while it's fresh.
What helps after
Handover to yourself
A few minutes at the end of the day. Notice what you're carrying, then leave what you can on site or at your desk.
Please talk to someone now
You said you've had thoughts of harming yourself or not wanting to be here. Please call one of these now. If you're in immediate danger, call 000.
Light load
This phone isn't letting the page save. Your result shows here but won't be kept.
Your safety
You said you didn't feel fully safe. That matters. Tell your manager or supervisor, and report it through your incident system. On site, you can stop work you believe is unsafe.
Getting home safely
You said you've got very little energy left. If you're driving, a 15 to 20 minute nap before you leave can help, or get a lift. Text someone when you're home.
What might help
People you can call
This isn't a medical assessment. It's a way to notice how you're going over time.
How it's been going
Last 14 days
Handovers
This phone isn't letting the page save, so handovers won't be kept.
Privacy & your data
Add a PIN, download what you've entered, or delete everything from this phone.
Building things that last takes something out of you
What to watch for, and what helps. Tap a heading to open it.
Carrying a sign-off
Signing a design, a calculation or a certificate means carrying responsibility for people who will use it for years.
- If you're not sure, don't sign until you are. Ask for a review.
- Write down your concerns and who you raised them with.
- Saying no to an unsafe design is part of your professional duty.
- Talk it through. You don't have to carry it alone.
After a site incident or injury
- Make sure people are safe and first aid is given. Call 000 if needed.
- Notify as required. Serious incidents must be reported to SafeWork NSW (13 10 50).
- Shock, guilt and replaying it are normal. Talk to someone.
- MATES in Construction (1300 642 111) supports construction workers and their families, 24/7.
Pressure to change a report or cut corners
Being pushed to soften findings, skip a test or approve something you are not happy with causes real stress.
- Write down what you were asked to do, when, and by whom.
- Raise it with your principal or a senior engineer, in writing if you can.
- Whistleblower laws protect people who report certain wrongdoing. Professionals Australia (1300 273 762) can give confidential advice first.
Deadlines and long hours
- Notice if "just until this milestone" has become every month.
- Tired engineers make mistakes. Raise workload before it becomes a risk.
- Protect sleep and leave. They are the first things to go.
Fly-in fly-out and time away
- Swings away from home strain relationships and wellbeing.
- Keep in touch in small ways, and plan time off together.
- Notice if drinking on site or at home is creeping up. ADIS (1800 250 015) is free and confidential, 24/7.
- Loneliness in camp is common. You're not the only one.
When a project fails or is cancelled
- Grief and frustration are normal when years of work stop.
- It is rarely about one person.
- Debrief with your team, and take a break before the next one.
After a mistake in your work
Finding an error in your own design or calculation can be frightening.
- Tell someone straight away. Most errors can be fixed when found early.
- Don't try to hide or quietly patch it.
- Tell someone you trust how you're feeling. You don't have to carry it alone.
- If you are worried about a formal process, talk to your union first.
Bullying, harassment or conflict
You don't have to put up with it, and you don't have to sort it out alone.
- Write down what happened, with dates, while it's fresh.
- If your manager is involved, talk to someone outside your reporting line.
- The Fair Work Commission can make orders to stop bullying at work.
- For sexual harassment, 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) is there 24/7.
- On site, sexist or racist "jokes" are harassment too. You can report them.
Signs you're carrying too much
- Dreading the next deadline
- Checking and rechecking long after work
- Replaying problems at night
- Feeling numb, or short with people
- Pulling back from people
Carrying responsibility for other people's safety is heavy. Feeling it is a normal response, not a weakness.
Graduates and early career
If you're new, it can feel risky to ask questions or say you're struggling. Good engineers ask. Find a mentor, inside or outside your company.
Getting home safely
After a long or late shift, tiredness can affect your driving as much as alcohol.
- If you're struggling to keep your eyes open, don't drive. A 15 to 20 minute nap before you leave helps.
- After a hard shift, text someone when you get home.
When to get more help
If your load has been heavy for two weeks or more, you dread going in, or it's affecting sleep or home life, talk to your GP or EAP. A GP can set up a Mental Health Treatment Plan for Medicare-subsidised sessions with a psychologist.
People to call
Save the ones that apply to you. They stay on this phone and show up on the Help now screen.
Support lines
You don't have to go through your manager
Sometimes the person you'd normally tell is part of the problem, or it just doesn't feel safe. Here are other ways to get support. You choose what to do, and when.
From your organisation
Your company can add its own EAP, mentoring and wellbeing contacts here.
Someone outside your reporting line
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Free, confidential counselling. Your manager isn't told that you called.
- A mentor or senior engineer outside your project. Someone who has been there.
- Your union. Professionals Australia (1300 273 762) covers engineers and scientists and gives confidential advice.
- On construction sites: MATES in Construction (1300 642 111), 24/7.
- Your health and safety representative. For site safety, hours and bullying.
- Your GP. Outside work altogether, and can refer you on.
Text or chat instead of calling
For when talking out loud isn't possible, or feels like too much.
For particular situations
Whistleblower laws protect people who report certain wrongdoing. Get advice before you share details.
Spiritual and religious support
Some people find strength in prayer, ritual or their faith or cultural community after a hard day. Others find it in nature, music, exercise or quiet. Whatever gives you meaning counts.
If your workplace has a chaplain or wellbeing officer, they support people of any faith or none. Their role is to listen, not to persuade.
Words to start with
The first sentence is often the hardest. You could say:
"I'm not ready to make a complaint. I just need to talk this through."
"Can this stay between us? Is there anything you'd have to pass on?"
"I'm not comfortable signing this."
"I think I've made a mistake and I need help working out what to do."
What happens if I tell someone?
- Counsellors, peer supporters and helplines keep what you say private. The main exception is if someone is at serious risk of harm. If you're unsure, ask at the start.
- A union can give you confidential advice before you decide anything.
- A safety risk still needs to be fixed once you raise it, but you can ask how your identity will be protected.
- Your private record in this app stays on your phone unless you choose to share it.
Not ready to tell anyone?
That's OK. You can write down what happened, just for yourself, and decide later.
Numbers and services are for New South Wales and Australia-wide. Check with your organisation for its own services.
Write down what happened
It stays on this phone. It isn't a report, and nothing is sent anywhere. If you later decide to raise something, notes written at the time are easier to rely on than memory.
My entries
Entries can't be edited, so each one shows when it was written. To add something, write a new entry.
No entries yet.
If you decide to share it, you can download it or send it to yourself.
Your phone, your data
PIN lock
Ask for a PIN when the app opens, and after it has been in the background for a minute.
PIN is on.
The PIN stops someone else opening the app on your phone. It doesn't encrypt what's stored, so keep your phone locked too. If you forget it, you can delete everything and start again.
Hide the screen
Tap the eye button at the top of any screen to cover the app straight away, for example on site or on the way home. Tap to come back, or enter your PIN if you've set one.
Download my data
Download everything you've entered (handovers, private record and contacts) as a text file. You could keep a copy, or show it to your GP or counsellor.
Delete everything
Deletes your handovers, private record, role, contacts and PIN from this phone.
Delete everything from this phone? This can't be undone.
About Unladen Span
Unladen™ Span is a prototype made by Co-Synthesist Pty Ltd, Newcastle NSW. Unladen™ is a trade mark of Co-Synthesist Pty Ltd. It isn't a medical or emergency service, and it isn't connected to any company, client or government agency. The questions haven't been clinically validated yet.
What's stored: your role, handovers, private record, saved contacts and settings, only in this phone's browser. Nothing is sent to anyone. There are no accounts, analytics or trackers.
Feedback: the feedback form is the only part of Unladen Span that sends anything, and only when you press Send. It doesn't include anything else from the app.
Keep in mind: if you clear your browser data or remove the app, what you've entered goes too. Download a copy first if you want to keep it.
Version 0.1 prototype · September 2026