Horizon scan — reports map WHS and workers compensation research landscape

A suite of reports published by Safe Work Australia (SWA) identify areas of strength and opportunities in work health and safety and workers compensation research. Intended to support coordinated and impactful research for safe and healthy work, the SWA-commissioned project — delivered by the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia — mapped existing research across the five initial focus areas of SWA’s Research and Evaluation Strategy.

Where the evidence base is well established, where it is emerging and where there are opportunities to strengthen the evidence through future research is identified in the project, its findings presented in what SWA calls “a comprehensive suite of reports”. Included are an executive summary and technical overview, five focus area reports and methodology reports, to support broad use across industry, government and academia.

“The findings deepen understanding of WHS and workers compensation research in Australia,” SWA said. “They confirm significant research activity in psychosocial harm prevention and recovery, while identifying comparatively limited research on and evaluation of organisational and system‑level approaches. Despite rapid technological change reshaping work across many industries, the findings also show limited research on the WHS impacts of new and emerging technologies.

“These insights will guide future research priorities, partnership opportunities and policy development for Safe Work Australia and the broader WHS and workers compensation research community.” 

For the project, more than 7000 Australian WHS and workers compensation research records were reviewed. You can read the suite of reports at www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/data-and-research/research/horizon-scan. SWA’s Research and Evaluation Strategy can be read at www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/doc/research-and-evaluation-strategy.

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