Description:
"The broad objective of this study is to explore the role that employer associations can play in delivering an active and sustainable range of OHS services to industry and the potential for greater utilisation of this network by governments in delivering significant improvements in OHS performance in Australian workplaces."
Description:
"The broad objective of this study is to explore the role that employer associations can play in delivering an active and sustainable range of OHS services to industry and the potential for greater utilisation of this network by governments in delivering significant improvements in OHS performance in Australian workplaces."
Description:
"The aim of this exploratory study is to establish the effects of certification to AS/ISO 9000 by Australian manufacturing organisations on their OH&S performance."
Description:
"The aim of this exploratory study is to establish the effects of certification to AS/ISO 9000 by Australian manufacturing organisations on their OH&S performance."
Description:
The purpose of this project is to quantitatively and qualitatively analyse the effect of the WorkCover injury prevention performane standards as a measure of occupational health and safety (OHS) management performance, within the SA public sector and examine the relationship between the standards and costs of workers' compensation."
Description:
"This paper explored the occupational health effects of pesticide use and found evidence that workers are at risk of both acute and chronic adverse health effects, the extent of which largely depends on work practices employed. The label is the focus of the communication system used to inform workers about the hazards and safe handling procedures."
Description:
Safety culture has risen to prominence over the past two decades as a means by which organisations may enhance their safety performance. Safety culture may be conceptualised as an interpretive device that mediates between organisational safety rhetoric and safety programs on the one hand, and local workplace cultures on the other. More recently, risk-awareness has emerged as a cultural approach to safety. Front line workers are encouraged to become risk-aware through programs designed to prompt them to undertake mental or informal risk assessments before commencing work. The problem is that risk-awareness programs have not been the subject of systematic research and the impact of these programs on the culture of safety and the resultant level of risk is unknown. Therefore, this ethnographic study of two sites within a large contract maintenance organisation in Australia explored what impact risk-awareness programs have upon the culture of safety and the resultant level of risk. The researcher spent two months in the field and data was collected through participant observation, semistructured interviews and through a review of organisational documents. This study found that managers focused upon collecting the paperwork associated with the program as proof that workers had a safer workplace, whereas workers preferred to rely upon their common sense rather than the paperwork to keep them safe. As a consequence, the riskawareness program resulted in a culture of paperwork and varying levels of risk reduction because the paperwork associated with the program created an illusion of safety for managers as much as common sense did for workers. The results of this study have implications for safety culture, risk-awareness programs and for organisational learning. They also have implications for organisations wishing to improve their safety culture by encouraging risk-awareness in front-line workers.
Description:
Safety culture has risen to prominence over the past two decades as a means by which organisations may enhance their safety performance. Safety culture may be conceptualised as an interpretive device that mediates between organisational safety rhetoric and safety programs on the one hand, and local workplace cultures on the other. More recently, risk-awareness has emerged as a cultural approach to safety. Front line workers are encouraged to become risk-aware through programs designed to prompt them to undertake mental or informal risk assessments before commencing work. The problem is that risk-awareness programs have not been the subject of systematic research and the impact of these programs on the culture of safety and the resultant level of risk is unknown. Therefore, this ethnographic study of two sites within a large contract maintenance organisation in Australia explored what impact risk-awareness programs have upon the culture of safety and the resultant level of risk. The researcher spent two months in the field and data was collected through participant observation, semistructured interviews and through a review of organisational documents. This study found that managers focused upon collecting the paperwork associated with the program as proof that workers had a safer workplace, whereas workers preferred to rely upon their common sense rather than the paperwork to keep them safe. As a consequence, the riskawareness program resulted in a culture of paperwork and varying levels of risk reduction because the paperwork associated with the program created an illusion of safety for managers as much as common sense did for workers. The results of this study have implications for safety culture, risk-awareness programs and for organisational learning. They also have implications for organisations wishing to improve their safety culture by encouraging risk-awareness in front-line workers.
Description:
"In this work, a quantitative risk assessment procedure for laboratory fume cupboards has been developed using estimates of frequency (probabilty x exposure) and severity."
Description:
Masters Degree in Applied Science, Occupational Health and Safety
Description:
"In this work, a quantitative risk assessment procedure for laboratory fume cupboards has been developed using estimates of frequency (probabilty x exposure) and severity."
Description:
Masters Degree in Applied Science, Occupational Health and Safety
Description:
The study investigated whether there was an increased physiological thermal stress on a group of smelter operators working a 12 hour shift roster.
Description:
The study investigated whether there was an increased physiological thermal stress on a group of smelter operators working a 12 hour shift roster.
Description:
Following a study of back injuries in the Queensland Coal Industry, there arose several questions that needed further research. One of these was the cost of accident and injuries, and the impact of this cost would have on an organisation. The project's research involved a comprehensive study of literature pertaining to the cost of accidents and injuries. This included both insured and uninsured costs. The following four classifications of accidents were researched; first aid treatments; first aid doctor treatments; lost time injury cases; and equipment accident damage cases. A coal mine was selected for the pilot study and, data was collected on the four classifications over a complete year. This means a year that has no out standing accident cases or liablilities. The research was then considered to determine its support for the acceptance or rejection of the hypothesis whic postulates that the current methods used to analyse the cost of accidents or injuries in the coal mining industry are inadequate. As a result of the above condsiderations, a number of key points are put forward in support of the acceptance of the hypothesis. The research established costs both insured and uninsured for the four classifications under review. Then a calculation of a weighted ratio of uninsured costs was made. The paper concludes by making certain recommendations and supporting the need for further research into accident costing within the coal mining fraternity.
Description:
Masters in Applied Science in Occupational Health and Safety
Description:
Following a study of back injuries in the Queensland Coal Industry, there arose several questions that needed further research. One of these was the cost of accident and injuries, and the impact of this cost would have on an organisation. The project's research involved a comprehensive study of literature pertaining to the cost of accidents and injuries. This included both insured and uninsured costs. The following four classifications of accidents were researched; first aid treatments; first aid doctor treatments; lost time injury cases; and equipment accident damage cases. A coal mine was selected for the pilot study and, data was collected on the four classifications over a complete year. This means a year that has no out standing accident cases or liablilities. The research was then considered to determine its support for the acceptance or rejection of the hypothesis whic postulates that the current methods used to analyse the cost of accidents or injuries in the coal mining industry are inadequate. As a result of the above condsiderations, a number of key points are put forward in support of the acceptance of the hypothesis. The research established costs both insured and uninsured for the four classifications under review. Then a calculation of a weighted ratio of uninsured costs was made. The paper concludes by making certain recommendations and supporting the need for further research into accident costing within the coal mining fraternity.
Description:
Masters in Applied Science in Occupational Health and Safety
Description:
"This paper describes an exploratory study into action research and its potential application within the field of Occuptional Health and Safety (OHS) in Australia."
Description:
"This paper describes an exploratory study into action research and its potential application within the field of Occuptional Health and Safety (OHS) in Australia."
The causes and prevention of airline baggage handler back injuries : Safe designs required where behaviour and administrative solutions have had limited effect
Description:
"Back injuries have consistently been the most common types of injuries suffered by people at work. They have been a significant worker injury problem in most, if not all, industrialised countries for many years and manual handling has long been established as a significant task related back injury causal factor.[...] This research project established that the manufacturers of the jet airlines used by the airlines in this study had not previously been acquainted with the issue of baggage handler back injuries.[...] This study also canvassed the opinion of airline safety professionals and airline baggage handlers concerning baggage handling tasks and working environment related causal factors. [...] A major focus of this research project was also to measure the effect of ACE and Sliding Carpet, two commercially available retro-fit baggage systems, on the risk of back injuries to baggage handlers stacking baggage within Boeing B737 narrow-body aircraft."
Description:
"Back injuries have consistently been the most common types of injuries suffered by people at work. They have been a significant worker injury problem in most, if not all, industrialised countries for many years and manual handling has long been established as a significant task related back injury causal factor.[...] This research project established that the manufacturers of the jet airlines used by the airlines in this study had not previously been acquainted with the issue of baggage handler back injuries.[...] This study also canvassed the opinion of airline safety professionals and airline baggage handlers concerning baggage handling tasks and working environment related causal factors. [...] A major focus of this research project was also to measure the effect of ACE and Sliding Carpet, two commercially available retro-fit baggage systems, on the risk of back injuries to baggage handlers stacking baggage within Boeing B737 narrow-body aircraft."
Description:
The aim of the study was to determine if tobacco smoking contributes to elevated blood lead levels, in a study of sulphide exposed mining process workers.
Description:
"This study provides a postcritical analysis of the discourses on workplace health, using data gathered with information technology company Labyrinth Computing."
Description:
"This study provides a postcritical analysis of the discourses on workplace health, using data gathered with information technology company Labyrinth Computing."
Description:
"There is a dearth of information about the current use and management of hazardous substances in workplaces. This project aimed to contribute knowledge in this area by drawing on the practical experience of worker-elected health and safety representatives. This was undertaken by surveying a random sample of 7178 representatives registered with former South Australian Occupational and Safety Commission's Health and Safety Representatives Database. The survey results indicated widespread use of hazard substances although there were differences between industries and work force sectors in the range of chemical types used, the nature and degree of contact that workers have with them. Use of some chemical types was also widespread in a number of industries. Container labelling and access to material safety data sheets were found to be established in many workplaces and some form of assessment to decide how to protect workers was also often undertaken. Baseline information was obtained against which the impact of proposed regulatory reforms to control workplace hazardous substances (consistent with Workplace Australia's National Model Regulations for the Contol of Workplace Hazardous Substances) can be evaluated. This information can also be used in the planning and targeting of educative and other preventive strategies to minimise risks to health and safety arising from work with hazardous substances." Taken form Abstract
Description:
"There is a dearth of information about the current use and management of hazardous substances in workplaces. This project aimed to contribute knowledge in this area by drawing on the practical experience of worker-elected health and safety representatives. This was undertaken by surveying a random sample of 7178 representatives registered with former South Australian Occupational and Safety Commission's Health and Safety Representatives Database. The survey results indicated widespread use of hazard substances although there were differences between industries and work force sectors in the range of chemical types used, the nature and degree of contact that workers have with them. Use of some chemical types was also widespread in a number of industries. Container labelling and access to material safety data sheets were found to be established in many workplaces and some form of assessment to decide how to protect workers was also often undertaken. Baseline information was obtained against which the impact of proposed regulatory reforms to control workplace hazardous substances (consistent with Workplace Australia's National Model Regulations for the Contol of Workplace Hazardous Substances) can be evaluated. This information can also be used in the planning and targeting of educative and other preventive strategies to minimise risks to health and safety arising from work with hazardous substances." Taken form Abstract
Description:
This thesis examines and reports upon the application of ergonomics interventions to OHS-based industrial problems. The study focuses on the values of these interventions as investment opportunieties for management. A wide review of the scientific and commercial literature, personal information, observation techniques, and a selected series of seven case studies and eleven separate data-sets within the Australian Postal Corporation have been undertaken.
Description:
This thesis examines and reports upon the application of ergonomics interventions to OHS-based industrial problems. The study focuses on the values of these interventions as investment opportunieties for management. A wide review of the scientific and commercial literature, personal information, observation techniques, and a selected series of seven case studies and eleven separate data-sets within the Australian Postal Corporation have been undertaken.
Description:
"This research investigated whether engineers, graduating from universities more than a decade after the introduction new occupational health and safety (OHS) legislation in Australia, were being equipped with the knowledge and skills to fulfil their professional, legal and moral responsibilities in relation to occupational health and safety. The study focussed on engineering students as future business leaders and designers of working environments. An instrument was designed to examine the ability of OH&S education to affect decision-making and problem solving competence in engineering students and graduates. The study found that engineering graduates in the 1990's were departing [from] their academic institutions with superficial knowledge of occupational health and safety responsibilities and accountability in the workplace. The evaluative tool identified an absence of safety management skills and knowledge within graduate and student engineer groups and an extensive urge to blame and discipline the victim or blame a government regulatory authority. The research found that although occupational health and safety professionals adopt a strategy of a safe work place rather than place emphasis on individual workers the engineers did not adopt the safe place approach and focussed on the person. It is recommended that the evaluative tool or a derivative of it should be used to evaluate the extent to which our community progresses in developing the vital OHS decision-making skills of the people who will manage and design workplaces." --p.ii.
Description:
"This research investigated whether engineers, graduating from universities more than a decade after the introduction new occupational health and safety (OHS) legislation in Australia, were being equipped with the knowledge and skills to fulfil their professional, legal and moral responsibilities in relation to occupational health and safety. The study focussed on engineering students as future business leaders and designers of working environments. An instrument was designed to examine the ability of OH&S education to affect decision-making and problem solving competence in engineering students and graduates. The study found that engineering graduates in the 1990's were departing [from] their academic institutions with superficial knowledge of occupational health and safety responsibilities and accountability in the workplace. The evaluative tool identified an absence of safety management skills and knowledge within graduate and student engineer groups and an extensive urge to blame and discipline the victim or blame a government regulatory authority. The research found that although occupational health and safety professionals adopt a strategy of a safe work place rather than place emphasis on individual workers the engineers did not adopt the safe place approach and focussed on the person. It is recommended that the evaluative tool or a derivative of it should be used to evaluate the extent to which our community progresses in developing the vital OHS decision-making skills of the people who will manage and design workplaces." --p.ii.
Description:
"Using case studies from Australian industry, the aim of this research project is to study team members' and their customers perceptions of the effectiveness of team approaches to inmproving health and safety, and to identify the organisational and team factors that may enhance effectiveness."
Description:
"Using case studies from Australian industry, the aim of this research project is to study team members' and their customers perceptions of the effectiveness of team approaches to inmproving health and safety, and to identify the organisational and team factors that may enhance effectiveness."