Digital communication and work stress. This project aims to examine email load and its effects on work pressure, health, sleep and recovery using a national longitudinal design and innovative diary research. The project intends to advance theoretical and practical understanding of the well-being of staff and the impact of technological and competitiveness in the context of Australian universities. Expected outcomes include will address a gap in research by including casual employees, so that the ....Digital communication and work stress. This project aims to examine email load and its effects on work pressure, health, sleep and recovery using a national longitudinal design and innovative diary research. The project intends to advance theoretical and practical understanding of the well-being of staff and the impact of technological and competitiveness in the context of Australian universities. Expected outcomes include will address a gap in research by including casual employees, so that the findings can potentially benefit all occupational groups. In addition to assisting university management to attain healthier work environments, the project may benefit other Australian workers.Read moreRead less
Work-related fatal and non-fatal accidents and injuries and exposure to workplace hazards in migrant workers in Australia. Do migrants have worse workplace conditions and more work-related accidents and injuries than Australian-born workers? This project will analyse national deaths and hospital discharge data, and determine best practice methods to include migrant workers in a future cross-sectional study looking at occupational health and safety.
Precarious employment and health: new knowledge, new solutions. This study examines why insecure forms of employment, such as casual work and self-employment, are usually associated with poorer health than more secure employment. The aim is to identify causes of these adverse effects and to develop policy and practice interventions to minimise them.
Occupational injury prevention in high temperature environments. This project aims to explore the contribution of heat as a risk factor in work-related illness and injury. Approximately 600 000 Australians experience a work-related illness or injury each year. Hot weather may directly or indirectly lead to accidents, but heat as a risk factor has not been systematically explored, and is particularly relevant in a warming climate. This project aims to improve safety and productivity in Australian ....Occupational injury prevention in high temperature environments. This project aims to explore the contribution of heat as a risk factor in work-related illness and injury. Approximately 600 000 Australians experience a work-related illness or injury each year. Hot weather may directly or indirectly lead to accidents, but heat as a risk factor has not been systematically explored, and is particularly relevant in a warming climate. This project aims to improve safety and productivity in Australian industry by generating new evidence and predictive models to inform injury prevention policy and guidance, and facilitating the development of practical, targeted resources. This project expects to add to the body of knowledge regarding workers’ health and safety and to be of benefit to industry and subpopulations at risk.Read moreRead less
The Implementation of Process Regulation in Occupational Health and Safety: A Comparative Study of Policy and Practice. The shift from prescriptive to process regulation of occupational health and safety (OHS) over the past 25 years represents the most significant transformation of OHS law since the nineteenth century. OHS regulators hoped process standards would provide a comprehensive and adaptable regulatory framework to address hazards at work. Yet the implementation and enforcement of proce ....The Implementation of Process Regulation in Occupational Health and Safety: A Comparative Study of Policy and Practice. The shift from prescriptive to process regulation of occupational health and safety (OHS) over the past 25 years represents the most significant transformation of OHS law since the nineteenth century. OHS regulators hoped process standards would provide a comprehensive and adaptable regulatory framework to address hazards at work. Yet the implementation and enforcement of process standards and systematic OHS management has been little researched. This project will analyse the development and implementation of process standards in six jurisdictions, assessing their evolution, effectiveness and ability to meet changing workplace circumstances. It will provide knowledge and tools for improving interventions.Read moreRead less
'Just right' job design: A new model using the Goldilocks paradigm. This proposal will generate new knowledge about designing jobs with the right amount of human movement. Prolonged sitting is now a serious work hazard that contributes to cardiovascular risk and obesity. The high incidence of these conditions in many work systems, such as rail, also presents a critical safety hazard due to threat of sudden incapacity while driving. Expected project outcomes are a ‘Just Right’ Job Design model sh ....'Just right' job design: A new model using the Goldilocks paradigm. This proposal will generate new knowledge about designing jobs with the right amount of human movement. Prolonged sitting is now a serious work hazard that contributes to cardiovascular risk and obesity. The high incidence of these conditions in many work systems, such as rail, also presents a critical safety hazard due to threat of sudden incapacity while driving. Expected project outcomes are a ‘Just Right’ Job Design model showing how tasks can be designed to enhance safety and health while maintaining productivity, and in the unlikeliest of workplaces. This will provide significant benefits for the many working Australians whose safety and health are compromised by exposure to prolonged sitting in seemingly intractable environments.Read moreRead less
Exposure to workplace hazards among migrant workers in Australia. This project aims to compare the prevalence of exposure to workplace hazards, namely carcinogens and psychosocial risk factors (eg bullying and precarious work), among migrant and Australian-born workers. The international literature suggests that migrant workers are exposed to more workplace hazards than native-born populations, but the evidence base for Australia is patchy despite the fact that Australia has such a large migrant ....Exposure to workplace hazards among migrant workers in Australia. This project aims to compare the prevalence of exposure to workplace hazards, namely carcinogens and psychosocial risk factors (eg bullying and precarious work), among migrant and Australian-born workers. The international literature suggests that migrant workers are exposed to more workplace hazards than native-born populations, but the evidence base for Australia is patchy despite the fact that Australia has such a large migrant population. The anticipated goal of this project is to address this gap in evidence. The intended outcomes are the necessary first step in the process of reducing exposure to harmful substances and behaviours for all workers.Read moreRead less
The development of chronicity following whiplash injury: the fear-avoidance model versus a neurobiological stress model. The economic burden of musculoskeletal conditions is second only to cardiovascular disease and Whiplash Associated Disorders are one of most economically costly musculoskeletal conditions. This project brings together leading Australian multiprofessional spinal pain researchers to investigate physiological and psychological processes involved in the development of chronic pain ....The development of chronicity following whiplash injury: the fear-avoidance model versus a neurobiological stress model. The economic burden of musculoskeletal conditions is second only to cardiovascular disease and Whiplash Associated Disorders are one of most economically costly musculoskeletal conditions. This project brings together leading Australian multiprofessional spinal pain researchers to investigate physiological and psychological processes involved in the development of chronic pain after whiplash injury. The results will improve the understanding of the processes and inter-relationships between these processes in the development of chronic whiplash pain thus leading to the development of improved early intervention strategies in order to prevent the transition to chronicity. Read moreRead less
The significance of psychosocial safety climate, health and happiness for productivity at work. Despite national efforts, for a decade workers compensation claims for work stress have remained stable. This project proposes an innovative science driven multilevel process model, with organisational psychosocial safety climate as a lead indicator of productivity loss (for example, time loss), and a conditioner of paths linking job demands, job resources, work engagement, happiness, mental (for exam ....The significance of psychosocial safety climate, health and happiness for productivity at work. Despite national efforts, for a decade workers compensation claims for work stress have remained stable. This project proposes an innovative science driven multilevel process model, with organisational psychosocial safety climate as a lead indicator of productivity loss (for example, time loss), and a conditioner of paths linking job demands, job resources, work engagement, happiness, mental (for example, depression) and physical health to productivity. This four wave longitudinal study of 3000 Australian workers, also linking to objective workers compensation data, will provide fresh insights regarding workplace primary prevention. Read moreRead less
Tranquillising Work Stress: Corporate Climate and Antidepressant Use. This national project will investigate the plausible link between distress at work and Australia’s high levels of antidepressant use, through creative linkage of data from the Australian Workplace Barometer (10-year longitudinal study) to antidepressant medication data (via the national Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme). The project advances theory by probing the role corporate climate plays in work design, distress, mental hea .... Tranquillising Work Stress: Corporate Climate and Antidepressant Use. This national project will investigate the plausible link between distress at work and Australia’s high levels of antidepressant use, through creative linkage of data from the Australian Workplace Barometer (10-year longitudinal study) to antidepressant medication data (via the national Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme). The project advances theory by probing the role corporate climate plays in work design, distress, mental health problems and antidepressant use. It will determine if antidepressant use has led to an underestimation of work stress effects. It will estimate the $AUD cost of work related antidepressant use. The project will yield evidence to stimulate corporate climate change to protect worker psychological health and wellbeing.Read moreRead less