Selected Research Projects

Development of a Worker Insight Training Simulation

The effectiveness of a Worker Insight process for engaging with workers in developing and implementing systems of work is only as good as the person facilitating the insight process.  As the skills required for such facilitation involve the development of specific coaching skills, the scale at which these Worker Insight processes have been able to be implemented on Hansen Yuncken worksites to date has been dependent on the availability of a small number of individuals to coach site supervisors and teams in facilitating the process. The development of a virtual-reality simulated scenario-based training program on how to facilitate a Worker Insight will enable more individuals to learn how to lead these conversations for more effective engagement with workers on safety matters. This, in turn, will further enable the implementation of worker-led health and safety solutions. Making such a tool publicly available would also support skill development across the industry as it would enable this type of Worker Insight process to be implemented by anyone who had run through the simulation.

Development of a Technology Enabled Worker Insight Application

The development of a technology enabled application for Worker Insights which will harness artificial intelligence to capture worker insights and enable trend analysis and industry-wide hazard and control identification research at scale for continuous improvement in health and safety management across the construction industry. The Worker Insights Voice and AI Technology Enabled Tool will facilitate improved understanding for Hansen Yuncken regarding lessons arising from Workers Insights across all sites and identifying trends in hazards and risks arising in practice and their control. The Worker Insights tool will also be made available to industry for a period during the Undertaking to support the implementation of a Worker Insights process across the industry. The industry will also benefit from the research findings associated with both Hansen Yuncken’s use of the tool and the use of the tool by the other industry member research participants in understanding the health and safety impacts on health and safety management on project sites arising from the implementation of a Worker Insights process and the results of the trend analysis the tool enables.

Development of animated learning videos for high-risk construction works

This project aims to develop 7 (seven) online training animated videos (animations), utilising cognitive learning methodologies, directed towards facilitating workers (including contractors, subcontractors and more infrequent visitors to construction sites, such as delivery drivers) obtaining a better understanding of mandatory risk controls for critical hazard and risk categories on construction sites. The intent is that these animations would be able to be deployed easily for viewing by subcontractors or suppliers entering sites. The animations would also be made publicly available for use by others in industry.

Examining the Impact of the Interventions on Worker Safety Behaviour

The research study to be conducted by the PhD student will assess the effectiveness of each of 2 diverse safety management learning interventions and simulated coaching on how to facilitate a Worker Insight and examine the application of an artificial intelligence enabled Worker Insights tool for improvement in health and safety management in practice/outcomes on construction sites with participation from Hansen Yuncken managers and up to ten other industry participants over a 12-month period; and measure workers’ safety behaviour patterns before and after the implementation of the learning interventions.

Examining the Impact of interventions at construction project/Supervisor’s safety leadership and communication style

The research study to be conducted by the PhD student will examine the impact of technological and learning interventions on site supervisors’ safety leadership and communication through survey data collection; conduct focus group discussion to identify critical factors that will influence the use of learning and technological interventions to improve supervisor safety leadership and communication in the long term; measure supervisors’ safety behaviour pattern before and after the learning interventions implemented on construction sites with participation from Hansen Yuncken managers and project sites as well as up to ten other industry participants over a 12-month participation period; and identify the link between improved supervisors’ safety behaviour and safety outcome data.

Best practice approaches to supporting families following workplace incidents.

This project will develop a best practice approach for business/industry support for families following workplace incidents. Project will include a literature review on the topic and then provide guidance on best practice and practical approaches to engaging actively in an empathic manner with families following an incident within a restorative justice framework.

Developing a Health and Safety Maturity Framework for Small Construction Businesses

This project is funded by Centre for WHS, NSW. Through this study we will develop a health and safety maturity framework that will allow small construction businesses to identify the status of their current WHS practices and help improving their capabilities with the available resources.

A novel health and safety maturity framework will be developed through:

  • Understanding the key barriers to existing interventions through semi-structured interviews with small and micro businesses in construction.
  • Conducting focus groups and gathering expert opinions to identify emerging themes.
  • Creating innovative strategies and collecting feedback from businesses through surveys.
  • And finally testing the health and safety maturity framework with small businesses through a pilot study to refine it further.

Developing a Health, Safety, and Wellbeing (HSW) Procurement Model for the Australian Construction Industry

This research study will incorporate important value to safety research by utilizing procurement for improving health, safety, and wellbeing conditions of construction industry. The identified research gap reveals that there is lack of researcher concentration towards improvement of construction safety through the process of procurement. This research study will incorporate safety through procurement process. Research data will be collected by Australian construction company professionals, and government procurement officers and academics. By utilizing quantitative research approach, the identified potential HSW factors will be used to generate a HSW procurement model for contractor selection that can improve the construction safety.

Developing an Extrinsic Motivational Framework to Improve Construction Site Safety Outcomes

This project aims to update the approach to health and safety management systems within the construction industry. The primary goal is to create a comprehensive extrinsic motivation framework packaged into a practical toolkit explicitly tailored to the industry. The project team will employ a robust methodology encompassing co-design and participatory approaches, through which they will gather and analyse data from various sources, including focus groups, participant surveys, and pilot studies. Collected data will be used to evaluate the motivation framework's effectiveness, efficiency, and suitability when implemented on construction sites. Industry partner, Richard Crooks Construction (RCC) will pilot the developed framework at their construction site. Upon completion of the study, the project will produce an authoritative report and toolkit to streamline industry stakeholders' adoption of the framework. This initiative is well-positioned to profoundly influence the development of safety management programs for construction companies of all scales.