Using machinery safely
Read our research report here.
Research question
Does improved leadership improve safety culture and front-line machine safety behaviours?
What is this research about?
Traumatic injury resulting from poorly guarded machines is a priority area in the Work Health and Safety Roadmap for NSW 2022 (SafeWork NSW, 2016). Past research has demonstrated that leadership, safety culture and the way training is implemented, followed up and incorporated into the organisation by managers is important to improve front-line machine safety behaviours.
This research aims to improve the behaviours in front-line young male worker surrounding the safe use of machinery in heavy manufacturing industries. The research will develop and test a bespoke intervention to improve the leadership skills in upper and middle managers. Improved leadership is hypothesised to enhance safety culture, which in turn will influence front-line workers to adopt better machine-safety behaviours.
Timeline
This project has been completed. Click here to read the report.
What did the researchers look at?
- Undertook interviews with manufacturing businesses, health and safety professionals, and inspectors to identify the behaviours, practices, and workplace characteristics that influence machine operating behaviours
- Developed the toolkit and measures
- Established baseline performance in the participating manufacturing businesses
- Distributed the toolkit
- Determined impact of the toolkit on participating manufacturing businesses
Outcomes
This project explored the culture for safety in 70 metal and wood manufacturers through questioning their day-to-day operations and organisational procedures. This identified that measurement of safety culture (via the industry-specific diagnostic survey), combined with conversations with workers and managers is an effective way to identify areas of improvement and to get added detail around the nature of safety, leadership and work practices in the organisation.
The tension between safety and production pressures is particularly clear in these industries and needs to be monitored and kept at the forefront of operational decisions. Leaders should “walk the talk”, be visible on the production floor, and engage with workers to appreciate their experiences. Underlying issues should be dealt with rather than focussing on resolving the tension directly e.g. providing adequate rest breaks is more effective than penalising short-cuts since rushing behaviours is often shaped by the organisational context rather than the individual’s attitudes around safety. Two-way communication is therefore key to support the organisation’s ongoing efforts to push safety forward.
While the leadership training package, aimed at enhancing the leadership skills and behaviours mentioned above, did not significantly increase survey scores during the period of the study, both the survey tool and the training package received positive feedback from the participants.
As the industry specific safety culture tool was deemed to be important, we have begun developing survey tools that are contextualised for industry implementation for other target industry groups (identified in the WHS Roadmap for NSW 2022). To learn more about this project, visit the Industry Specific Safety Culture Tool project page.
Research partners and stakeholders
The Griffith University Safety Science Innovation Lab
Want to know more?
To work with the Centre, or stay up to date with our research, head to our Engage with us page.
Supporting documents
Centre for Work Health and Safety Research Blueprint - Core Stream of Research
Work Health and Safety Roadmap for NSW 2022 - Action Area II - 'Traumatic injury from poorly guarded machinery'