Driving change in workplace health and safety through collaborative research
The Health, Safety and Wellbeing at Work research team has conducted a number of impactful research projects in partnership with industry, trade unions, government partners and other stakeholders. In particular, our team has established and developed a highly productive and longstanding partnership with WorkSafe Victoria and the Institute for Safety Compensation and Recovery Research (ISCRR).
These successful partnerships continue to achieve a range of advancements to workplace health and safety policy and practice. This includes developing tools for assessing leading indicators of health and safety and a checklist that inspectors and consultants are using to assess OHS workplace performance across Victoria. We have also collaborated with WorkSafe Victoria to evaluate the training and professional development provided to their safety inspectors.
In addition, this research team has partnered with WorkSafe Victoria, unions and employers in several industries to provide robust evidence of the prevalence, antecedents and consequences of workplace bullying and occupational violence and aggression. Importantly, our research identifies and promotes approaches to prevent and mitigate these incidents. This research has been critically important in identifying strategies for supporting those who have experienced these negative behaviours, in particular workers in high-risk industries for psychosocial harm such as healthcare and education.
Outcomes
- Raising awareness and understanding of preventive actions that can be implemented in workplaces to improve workers’ health and safety;
- Informing policy-makers, employers and unions of better-practice approaches for protecting workers from psychosocial hazards and promoting psychological health;
- Development and validation of tools used by organisations and the safety regulator to help ensure that people are healthy and safe at work;
- Refinement and improvement of training and professional development for safety experts; and
- Designing and evaluating interventions to address negative attitudes and to promote positive behavioural change among leaders and workers.
Monash researchers
Want to know more?
Our research informed a 10-point guide developed by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (Victoria)in their campaign against occupational violence:
- 10-Point Plan to End Violence and Aggression: A Guide for Health Services
- Occupational violence and aggression - It's never ok
Our research is cited as key evidence in reports by the Victorian Auditor-General’s Office: Bullying and Harassment in the Health Sector and Occupational Violence against health workers: