Edirisinghe, R; Lingard, H and Broadhurst, D (2015) Exploring the potential for using video to communicate safety information to construction workers: Case studies of organisational use. In: Raiden, A and Aboagye-Nimo, E (eds.) Proceedings of 31st Annual ARCOM Conference, 7-9 September 2015, Lincoln, UK.
Abstract
Legislation mandates that employers provide sufficient health and safety training and communicate relevant health and safety information to workers. However, the literature suggests that, globally, health and safety management in construction has to deal with a workforce with growing language and literacy barriers. Hence, conventional written and verbal safety communication approaches are of limited effectiveness. Research suggests that traditional safety training methods and the use of overly complicated, lengthy written statements about how work should be conducted are not very effective. A Melbourne-based firm (CodeSafe Solutions) has developed an innovative process for capturing and communicating health and safety training and safe operating procedures to field based workers using digital media (films) that can be accessed using Quick Response (QR) code technology. Two case study organisations in the water resources and home insulation sectors of the Australian construction industry are used to explore the potential of the CodeSafe system in communicating health and safety and technical information to workers. Data collected from the interviews and an examination of incident reports and video usage data were analysed in this study. Managers perceived the CodeSafe system to be beneficial and well received by workers. In one case study organisation, the introduction of the CodeSafe system coincided with a reduction in injury rates. However, without using a robust experimental design, causal inferences about the impact of the system cannot be made. Worker who were involved in making the films believed films would be an effective communication tool. However, the barriers to use the digital/mobile technology revealed from the interviews include limitations to use smart phones to access the material and limitations of internet connectivity to access the material. In addition, organisational and national level regulations related to mobile phone use on site significantly influence the technology adoption.
| Item Type: | Conference Paper (Paper) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | health and safety, visual communication, visual learning, qr code, safety training, safe work procedures |
| Index terms: | mobile technology, injury, health and safety, case study, interview, mandate, legislation, manager, connectivity, water resource, experimental design, effectiveness, media, regulation, technical information, technology adoption, insulation, health and safety management, construction worker, internet, safety training, construction industry |
| Subjects: | digital technology, building materials, legal systems, innovation and technology management, data collection methods, research design and methodology, computing systems, practitioner, occupational health and safety management, networking, sociology, health conditions and diseases, industry analysis, political science, environmental engineering, performance management, health safety and environment, technology management |
| Topics: | Roles and Professions, Governance, Sustainability, Health and Safety, Research Practice, Engineering Principles, Information Management, Legal Issues, Design Practice, Digital Applications, Quality Management |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTE |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here