This study interviewed 121 workers across several Canadian sectors in temporary and permanent employment, exploring ways workers managed workplace hazards given employment insecurity. Not a summary – way too much to cover. Extracts: Ref: Hall, A. (2016). Trust, uncertainty and the reporting of workplaces hazards and injuries. Health, Risk & Society, 18(7-8), 427-448. Study link: https://doi.org/10.1080/13698575.2016.1264576 My… Continue reading Trust, uncertainty and the reporting of workplace hazards and injuries
Tag: safety
The Illusive Pipedream of Zero Harm: A South African Mining Industry Perspective
Not much to say here – nor anything particularly new to practitioners – just thought this was an interesting extract from a study that unpacked South African mining company OHS annual reports. They highlight: · “where the injury rates and OD rates show a decreasing trend over time, this should not be construed to mean that health… Continue reading The Illusive Pipedream of Zero Harm: A South African Mining Industry Perspective
Effectiveness of training in reducing accidents in construction companies
This study evaluated the impact of construction safety training on accident rates in Spanish industry. Data from 1,283 Spanish construction companies over 11 years were analysed. They studied the effects of training in the same year of the accident, and the prior three years. I’m not really sure what to make of these findings –… Continue reading Effectiveness of training in reducing accidents in construction companies
An analysis of the relationship between project management and safety management in the Norwegian construction industry
This study evaluated the relationship between project management and safety management in the Norwegian construction industry. Data was from 111 unique projects and 26 firms. They assessed projects on a range of different project management capacities and safety management. Providing background: · While a robust body of research has looked at both project management/production, and… Continue reading An analysis of the relationship between project management and safety management in the Norwegian construction industry
Does sending Safety Toolbox Talks by text message to Residential Construction Supervisors increase Safety Meeting Compliance?
This US study evaluated whether distributing construction safety toolboxes, with workplace fatalities, to supervisors by mobile phone would increase their compliance delivering toolboxes each month, 56 construction supervisors in Oregon were recruited and received a link to a toolbox talk by text message every two weeks for three months. This is based on a tool… Continue reading Does sending Safety Toolbox Talks by text message to Residential Construction Supervisors increase Safety Meeting Compliance?
Safetywashing: The Strategic Use of Safety in the Construction Industry
This paper investigated the influence of safetywashing in the case of 106 Indian newspaper articles relating to construction and 439 reader comments. Namely, they were interested in: · What safetywashing strategies are used? · What are the effects of safetywashing? Providing context: · Numerous safety strategies are used, ranging from design, technology and interpersonal. Some… Continue reading Safetywashing: The Strategic Use of Safety in the Construction Industry
Wrong, Strong, and Silent: What happens when automated systems with high autonomy and high authority misbehave?
This article from Dekker and Woods discusses the ‘risks of literal-minded automation’, being a “system that can’t tell if its model of the world is the world it is actually in”. This issue manifests in automated systems being wrong, strong and silent—and while the issue has existed for at least 70 years, the risk “looms… Continue reading Wrong, Strong, and Silent: What happens when automated systems with high autonomy and high authority misbehave?
Harnessing the power of ChatGPT to promote Construction Hazard Prevention through Design (CHPtD)
This study compared whether ChatGPT can assist in hazard recognition during Construction Hazard Prevention Through Design (CHPtD) sessions (e.g. safety in design). Via randomised controlled experimental design, 162 civil and construction engineering students were tasked with hazard recognition activities with or without ChatGPT assistance. Providing background: Results: Ref: Uddin, S. J., Albert, A., & Tamanna,… Continue reading Harnessing the power of ChatGPT to promote Construction Hazard Prevention through Design (CHPtD)
Thinking About Process Safety Indicators
This well-cited paper from Hopkins (2007) discusses some of the inconsistencies that existed at the time (and likely does still) about process safety indicators, and the definitions and uses of other indicators like leading and lagging. This paper sparked a number of interested follow-up papers from other authors – I’ll cover some of these soon.… Continue reading Thinking About Process Safety Indicators
The relationships between safety professionals and incident performance
What’s the relationship between safety professionals and incident frequency? I was reminded recently (thanks Stuart Hughes) that I ran a simple project a while back looking at if there was any guidance or evidence behind the effects of safety professionals on incidents, and whether having more or less changes the impact. I didn’t find much… Continue reading The relationships between safety professionals and incident performance
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