Compensation Funds for OH&S Research, Say Experts

Fifty of Australia’s leading OH&S researchers have called for a percentage of workers compensation funds to be allocated to research.

The meeting, held during the recent Research Conference associated with Safety in Action held in April, identified the need for the design of good jobs.

It also covered the implications of the green economy for occupational health and safety and the role of regulators in determining which methods of surveillance, standards and enforcement are most effective.

“We simply do not have enough knowledge about the impacts of health and safety.

Whilst Australia can usefully call on international research, we need a sound academic base in this country,” Said Dean of the Safety Institute of Australia (SIA) College of Fellows Dr Geoff Dell.

Conference Chair Professor Niki Ellis, CEO of the Institute of Safety, Compensation and Recovery Research said that the poor image of OH&S in the workplace and a limited academic base makes it a difficult area to properly invest in.

“Obviously research is only one part of fixing this.

We need to invest in developing a relevant forward-looking research agenda, working closely with regulators, employers and workers in industry and using the latest foresight research methodologies to understand better the future of work and the workforce,” said Ms Ellis.

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