Staying safe in any workplace ultimately comes down to decision making.
Richard Field is an acclaimed African safari guide and speaker. Born in Africa, Richard's family moved to Australia when he was five. Ever since then he's been trying to get back. At 16 he volunteered on an anti-poaching unit in a South African reserve and at 19 spent six months doing work experience in the photographic safari camps in northern Botswana.
Here he fell in love with the wild areas and wild animals of northern Botswana and knew this was where he would come to work.
After finishing a science degree, he and his life partner, Beck, moved to Africa in 1996 starting work building a safari camp on the Lower Zambezi River in Zambia. They did guide training in South Africa before moving to Botswana at the end of 1997 where they were stationed in the spectacular and wild Linyanti Reserve.
It was during this time that they took on the role of relief manager for Savuti Camp. It was here in April 1999 that Richard was attacked by a lion whilst guiding. He is one of very few people in the world to have a lion bite him on the head and still survive.
After the attack Rich and Beck took time to recuperate and get married in Australia before returning to the wilds of Botswana. They spent several years doing mobile safaris through out northern Botswana and Zimbabwe.
Richard has also spent three seasons guiding Polar Bear trips in the Canadian arctic. He has successfully exhibited his wildlife photography a number of times. He now runs his own African safari travel company and leads safaris to his favourite wildlife areas of Africa for 8-12 weeks each year.
He and Beck now live on a property outside of Bellingen with their two daughters and an assortment of animals including a dog named Jock and a flock of 5 crazy guineafowl.
Talking Points
The Lion in the Workplace
Richard Field is a world renowned African safari guide. At 25, he survived a lion attack in the wilds of Botswana — a moment that reframed his entire worldview and has given him the understanding and perspective to become a leading voice in workplace safety. His ethos is that individuals need to take personal responsibility for their own safety and this means being fully present and consciously making better decisions. The Lion in the Workplace
Drawing on decades of guiding in unpredictable & dangerous environments as well as his dramatic near death experience, Richard uses a storytelling approach founded in authenticity and hard-earned insight. He brings the African savannah to the work place, and seamlessly builds relevance.
His story is compelling. Invariably you can hear a pin drop in an audience of any size. Richard then leads audiences on a virtual walk through the African bush, revealing how internal mindset, assumptions, fatigue, distractions and rushed thinking are invariably more dangerous than elephants, buffalo and lions.
His talks don’t lecture — they engage and then invite reflection, ownership and change. Richard has delivered keynotes across Australia to frontline workers, contractors, executives, and safety leaders, leaving lasting impact across high-risk industries.
Both senior management and front line workers will be excited to listen to and create the platform for positive cultural change in safety awareness.
This is the safety presentation that will save lives.
Video
Richard Field- Workplace Safety Speaker
Discover Richard Field, one of the most exciting and impactful voices in workplace health and safety. A world-class African safari guide, Richard draws on his extraordinary real-life experiences in high-risk environments to deliver powerful, perspective-shifting keynotes. Through immersive storytelling from the African wilderness, he challenges audiences to rethink risk, personal responsibility, and decision-making. Richard’s presentations inspire individuals and teams to elevate awareness, take ownership, and build stronger safety cultures that last. Watch the showreel to experience Richard Field in action.Richard Field was our keynote speaker at our annual safety conference. He was outstanding. The story he told was compelling and resonated with our people beautifully. He took the room “on s ... keep reading George Western Foods
Richard is a remarkable WHS speaker. He tells a fascinating story and links it in a powerful and engaging way to the role of leaders and followers in any environment that contains risks. His story is a journey that leaves the audience with a deeper understanding of the role of team members in jointly achieving a goal and doing so safely.
Richard’s story was pivotal in helping our teams understand that danger doesn’t come from our power lines, but from our decision making. It provided a great base for us to open up further discussions about what we can do to stay switched on and be more conscious of our decisions.
Richard delivered an unforgettable presentation for our organisation during Safe Work Month. Over six sessions, Richard engaged and inspired more than 750 staff members. It was one of the most impactful safety presentations we’ve experienced.
Richard Field presented to over 3,000 people across seven events. His unforgettable story left our team inspired. His keynote cut through compliance fatigue and transformed how our people think about safety.
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