Evaluation of OHS Interventions Workshop 2003
Evaluating Government OHS Interventions
Background
The Evaluation of OHS Interventions workshop was held on Tuesday 15 May 2003 in Canberra. This activity contributes to the NOHSC Research Action Plan priority area 1.1 Establishment of national OHS research priorities [in particular (f) Evaluation of OHS prevention interventions by OHS authorities]. On a broader level this activity contributes to the National OHS Strategy National Priority 5 (NP5). NP5 aims to strengthen the capacity of government to influence OHS outcomes.
Aims and objectives of the workshop
The workshop concentrated on evaluating OHS interventions in government organisations and aimed to:
- present information about OHS intervention evaluation methods;
- develop and provide guidance material on successful government OHS interventions and the methods used to evaluate them; and
- evaluate a restricted number of jurisdictional interventions.
The objective of the workshop was to provide some practical guidance in evaluation specifically targeted to government organisations.
Facilitator
Dr Tony LaMontagne was contracted to provide guidelines and facilitate the workshop. Dr LaMontagne is an Associate Professor in the Centre for the Study of Health and Society, School of Population Health, University of Melbourne. Dr LaMontagne also served as a member on the US NIOSH Intervention Effectiveness Research Team from 1996 through 2001.
Content
During the workshop participants examined three practical case studies provided by jurisdictions. They were:
- CouncilSafe: Building Local Government industry capability to systematically manage OHS. NSW WorkCover undertook this intervention. The workshop exercise was used to retrospectively evaluate the intervention.
The summary intervention report
The full intervention report
- Project Commit. This project is a joint initiative between WorkCover Queensland and the Department of Industrial Relations to assist private sector employers to identify, understand and prevent workplace issues giving rise to increased workers compensation costs. The project commenced in 2002 with an end date of late 2003. The workshop exercise was used to check suitable evaluation methods had been built into the project.
- Premium Structure—Safe Work Incentive. WorkCover SA is undertaking this intervention. The project links the allocation of bonuses under the bonus and penalty scheme to an employer’s demonstrable commitment to OH&S.
- In carrying out this exercise they were provided with a practical guide. This guide can assist in planning and evaluating OHS interventions. The guide, along with associated appendices, can be downloaded in pdf:
Workshop Exercise/Guide (PDF 341 kB )
Appendix A (PDF 194 kB)
Appendix B (PDF 1.47 MB)
Appendix C (PDF 112 kB)
OHS Intervention Research Resources
Goldenhar L M, LaMontagne A D, Katz T, Heaney C, Landsbergis P. 2001. The intervention research process in occupational safety & health: an overview from the NORA Intervention Effectiveness Research Team. J Occup Environ Med 43: 616-622.
Williamson A. 1999. Policy and program evaluation in occupational health and safety. In: Mayhew C, Peterson C, editors. Occupational Health and Saftey in Australia: Industry, Public Sector and Small Business. St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin.
Menckel E and Westerholm P. 1999. Evaluation in Occupational Health Practice. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.
Robson, L. Shannon, H et al. (2001). Guide to Evaluating the Effectiveness of Strategies for Preventing Work Injuries: How to Show Whether a Safety Intervention Really Works. Cincinnnati, OH (USA), US Centres for Disease Control, NIOSH Publication #2001-119.
Page last updated: 10/09/2008