Partnering for workplace health and safety

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health and Safety
• Industrial Relations
• Survey Methodology

Background:

• Worker involvement in workplace decision-making is linked to improved safety, health, productivity, and output quality.
• Australian Work Health and Safety (WHS) legislation mandates worker participation and empowers elected Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs).
• Limited research exists on the specific impact of the regulatory framework governing HSRs on the nature, quality, and outcomes of worker involvement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role and impact of elected HSRs on WHS in South Australia.
• To develop and validate a survey instrument for assessing worker participation in WHS.
• To provide baseline data and a methodological approach for evaluating WHS effectiveness.

Main Methods:

• Development of a new survey instrument based on prior research on consultation.
• Refinement and validation of the survey through empirical research.
• The final survey comprises 9 constructs and 61 items, demonstrating face validity and high internal consistency.

Main Results:

• The newly developed survey instrument is validated and shows high internal consistency.
• Pilot baseline data on the impact of HSRs on WHS has been collected.
• The research provides a robust tool for assessing worker participation in WHS.

Conclusions:

• The validated survey instrument is a significant advancement for researchers and policymakers.
• The findings offer a method applicable internationally for assessing the effectiveness of worker participation in WHS.
• This research contributes to understanding and improving worker representation in WHS.